The biggest threat to an equitable and prosperous American society is not a particular educational policy, but the gravitational pull of politics, explains Jonathan Collins. Before educational policy can be developed and put into place, the politics that drive education must be acknowledged and addressed. Violence is erupting at school board…

In an online graduate-level early childhood education course, the authors sought to playfully disrupt and transform educators' conceptions of children's "dark play," as provoked by contemporary popular culture. Embracing the imaginative potential of darkness and liminality, the course participants problematized and expanded their…

Service learning involves infusing activities into the curriculum that enhance student learning, promote community engagement and effect change on the community level. Significant advantage can be applied to vulnerable communities by leveraging student action, interest, and energy, which can bring time, effort and attention to important community…

Recently in many Canadian schools, escalated violence presents an evident threat. Rates of severe youth violence are considerably lower than sensational media coverage would have people believe, but at the same time, many young people, as well as adults, do not feel safe, respected, or constructively engaged as they should be. While schools cannot…

Creativity can be broadly defined as a combination of interacting individual and environmental resources leading to the production of valuable solutions. This paper concentrates on the type of creativity that can be expressed in solving social problems. After reviewing the potentially relevant psychological and contextual variables intervening in…

Notes crisis in spirit of hope within society, and growing pessimism that there are no workable solutions to massive social problems facing communities. Explains conflict cycle of stress, feelings, behavior, and reactions, then moves beyond theater of punishment with call to action. Recommends fighting three-front war of primary prevention, early…

Suggesting that using children's literature as a tool for problem solving is a meaningful way for teachers to understand and help children with problems, this Digest claims that through the exploration of stories, discussion, and reflections on their own experiences, children can begin to perceive the complexities of the world in which they live.…

This annotated bibliography of 39 books is designed to tap the rich resource of children's literature to stimulate discussion of violence and of alternative, peaceful ways to resolve conflict. The most important criterion for selection was that issues of violent and nonviolent conflict resolution are presented so that students can examine the…

Suggests that, due to escalating violence in contemporary society, community colleges should offer certificate or degree programs in conflict resolution. Describes a conflict resolution communication program, which teaches communication skills, mediation processes, and coping strategies to prospective mediators. (NB)

Youth violence is widely recognized as a critical social issue in the United States, and many approaches to prevention have been developed in recent years. Emerging research suggests that only approaches that are deeply embedded in cultural, community, and organizational contexts are likely to be powerful enough to have a meaningful collective…

Organized around the theme of school violence, this booklet provides teachers and lawyers with classroom materials for elementary grades 4-6 (Level A), intermediate grades 6-8 (Level B), and high school grades 9-12 (Level C). In addition, each level contains pages for the lawyer (marked by the scales of justice), the teacher (an apple), and the…

Discusses the need for efficient ways to handle school conflict issues so they do not disrupt the learning environment or lead to a decrease in teacher job satisfaction. Presents findings of a study examining elementary school teachers' attitudes toward conflict resolution, their implementation of conflict resolution programs, their job…

The materials in this volume illustrate the complexity of the problem of crime in the public schools and the political, economic, and social difficulties that surround the operation of public schools in this country. These materials also demonstrate the number and variety of school reforms that have been proposed or recently introduced to address…

Discusses the causes of the Los Angeles (California) riots, and considers why such events have not occurred more often. Conflict-resolving forums that are needed are discussed, and a systematic search for urban programs that work is advocated. Urban problems must be seen as the result of unsatisfied human needs. (SLD)

Violence among American youth is a significant societal problem. The past decade witnessed juvenile arrests for violence, weapons, drugs, and curfew violations peak in the mid 90's. Analogous to the arrest trends for older juveniles, the arrest rate for young offenders rose 63% from 1987 until 1994 when it declined slightly. Since that time,…