School Conflict De-Escalation: A Coordinated Approach for Educators and SROs

Abstract

The number of school resource officers (SROs) in schools has skyrocketed in recent years. SRO programs have been controversial for a variety of reasons and no formal certification or training standards exist. One of the most challenging issues that SRO programs encounter is the inherent conflicts and lack of coordination between school administrators and the SROs assigned to their schools. This article describes an effort to address this disconnect. With funding from the AAA-ICDR Foundation, the Center for Dispute Resolution at the University of Maryland Carey School of Law and partners developed a conflict de-escalation train-the-trainer for school administrators and SROs. The article describes the need for similar coordinated trainings and the three modules covered in the training: 1) active listening and basic communication skills; 2) conflict de-escalation strategies; and 3) a trauma-informed understanding of youth and conflict.

Keywords: school resource officers, SRO, dispute resolution, Baltimore City public schools, conflict cycle, active listening, ADR