Youth Conflict Resolution Strategies and Skills

Whenever two or more people interact, either as individuals or as part of a group, there is always potential for conflict. It is no different when you interact with young people in a work setting: the potential for conflict is present. It is important that you are aware of that potential so that you are able to identify a conflict situation and intervene appropriately to control it.

Workers dealing with young people are often confronted with difficult situations in which they may be asked to assist in resolving young people’s problems and conflicts. These may be internal problems of relationships within a youth group, or relationships between young people and those in authority, or even conflict between yourself and the young people you are working with.

This program has been designed to help you understand the nature of conflict and its effects on people in a range of contexts, both at an individual and at a group level. We will also look at the processes involved in behavior that occurs between different groups, called inter-group behaviour, and its potential impact on group members.

When you successfully complete this program, you should be able to:

• identify examples of conflict in the region where you live, understand their origins and describe the course the conflicts have taken.
• Recognize the different approaches that have been used in resolving conflict, and the strengths and weaknesses of these approaches.
• Apply the insights gained from studying conflict situations to the kinds of conflict that are encountered in youth development work.
• Recognize the existence of pre-conflict and conflict situations when they are encountered in different youth and development settings.
• Employ negotiation and mediation skills in bringing together conflicting groups or individuals.
• Consider strategies to resolve conflict when agreement cannot be reached by consensus.

• Youth and Humanitarian workers in conflict areas.
• Youth workers in government departments, corporations and NGOs.
• Young leaders.
• Youth Program coordinators.
• School and University teachers.
• Professionals responsible for youth policy formulation and strategy development.
• Police department officers.

Day 1

Conflict

Analysing conflict

Conflict in groups

The conflict process model

Day 2

The Five Stages

Resolving Conflict

Dealing with conflict

Ending conflict

Practicing conflict resolution skills

Bargaining strategies

Negotiation skills

Day 3

Conflict Among Groups

Inter-group relations

Impact of conflict on group dynamics

Managing conflict among groups