2016
Though conflict is an inevitable component of interpersonal relationships, without appropriate conflict resolution skills, school students may experience social isolation and academic decline. This pattern can be particularly true in a middle school setting,
where peer relationships have become the focal point of adolescent development. This
article includes a rationale for the importance of middle school educators, school counselors, and administrators educating themselves regarding healthy conflict resolution for their students. The authors provide a brief summary of existing programs,
such as peer mediation, conflict coaching, and psychoeducational training, to create a conflict resolution school climate. The authors conclude that while the current state of the literature is a promising starting point for the field, empirical validation of these models is needed; thus, they call for further outcome research to determine what the
counseling field can truly call a “best practice” for facilitating healthy conflict management in middle school settings.
Keywords: conflict resolution, school counseling, middle school