Managing Student Behavior In Today’s Schools

Managing student behavior is always a top priority for teachers in today’s schools. Instituting school-wide conflict resolution and peer mediation programs are ways to provide students with the skills necessary to successfully navigate their social interactions during the school day and beyond.

When emotionally charged situations occur, stop and think strategies to manage anger and solve social problems become increasingly important, especially as students enter upper elementary and middle school settings.

Our research team at the University of Florida has focused on how to manage student behavior in schools effectively and efficiently in two primary areas:

Conflict resolution and peer mediation in middle schools
Anger management through social problem-solving for upper elementary and middle/junior high school students

For over 15 years through multiple research and development projects funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs and the Institute of Education Sciences, we have generated useful data that has resulted in the development of curriculum designed to assist teachers and students to resolve their conflicts, manage their anger and solve complex social situations through social problem solving such as:

Conflict Resolution & Peer Mediation

The Working Together to Resolve Conflict series is a school-wide conflict resolution program that was tested extensively over a four year period. It has been used in over 100 school districts in the United States and world-wide.

Working Together to Resolve Conflict curriculum (middle/junior high)
Working Together to Resolve Conflict peer mediation training manual (middle/junior high)

Anger Management through Social Problem Solving

Tools for Getting Along (upper elementary)
Take CHARGE! (middle/junior high)

We have been developing and continually testing Tools for Getting Along, an anger management and social problem solving curriculum, during the last 12 years reaching approximately 3000 students in over 100 classrooms. More recently, we developed Take CHARGE! –a similar program– for middle and junior high school students.

In response to requests to make these materials available and provide consultative support and training, we include specific information at the Consultation & Training and Materials links.

Our research team at the University of Florida is pleased to be part of an ongoing endeavor to help young people handle their social conflict constructively.