What's Your Generation?
Phyllis Pollack The second issue of ADR Times Perspectives (Vol. 1, No. 2, Nov. 2011, hit my e-mail inbox the other day. Having enjoyed the first issue, I eagerly thumbed through this second issue and found an interesting article by Jasper Ozbirn entitled “Generational Gaps in the Workplace” (at pages 8-9.) According to its author, the purpose of this article is “. . .to provide the briefest of primers on how generational differences can play out in the workplace to create a conflict.” (Id.)
Don't Shoot
Joe Markowitz First, recognize that the number of people responsible for the vast majority of violence in most cities is relatively small. So concentrate on those people. Next, let the street gangs know that violence will no longer be tolerated.
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AudioBlog: Sibling Rivalry
Patricia Porter Summer is ending and the school year draws near. Our kids have had lots of fun times together. Siblings can be the best of friends, but conflict and disagreements are also a natural part of their ever-changing relationships. We may not always realize it, but we have many ways to help our kids learn how to "fight fair" - to work out disagreements without punching or shouting.
Thoughts on Mediating Custody
Jessica Spear, Jeffrey J. Beaton As a mediator, I have been involved in thousands of custody cases with their many nuances. Frequently, the perspectives of the participants amount to little more than parents playing out traditional gender roles. The mothers often argue a “tender years” position, and the fathers counter with a desire to be more than a mere “weekend dad.” The mediator’s role becomes especially frustrating when the parties truly believe an intractable position is in the best interest of the child.
Prisoner of a Teen Brain
Lorraine Segal I read in the newspaper a few days ago that the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled to uphold a life sentence without parole to a teen, Omer Ninham, who murdered a 13 year old when he was 14.
Back to Basics
Phyllis Pollack Contrary to what occurs in most pre-schools, while these pre-schoolers had lots of energy and were very active, they did not fight, yell or whine.
Communication
Joe Markowitz Twins, especially before they learn to speak our language, seem to share their own secret language, and communicate in ways that outsiders cannot understand.
Israel Reflections: Dinner with the Baraks
Andrea Schneider As followers of the blog know, one of the high points of our trip to Israel was dinner with Justice Aharon Barak and his wife Judge Elika Barak. We were also joined by their daughter, Tamar, who is a mediator. Interestingly from the dispute resolution perspective, Justice Barak was the judge who brought mediation to Israel through the Supreme Court, permitting cases to be referred to mediation
Play Nice, Mommy
Vivian Scott If a conflict arises between you and someone else, she’s not against you, she’s simply for herself. That means that if she’s disagreeing with you she’s probably defending something that’s important to her; like maybe respect or security. Seeing things from her perspective (which is not the same as agreeing, by the way) helps you figure out a solution that would work for both of you. Also, the words you choose can make a big difference in resolving issues. Use “and” instead of “but”; “I” instead of “you”; and be especially careful with words like “always”, “never” and phrases such as “that was the worst thing I’ve ever experienced.” That kind of language just makes the conflict about the words and doesn’t get to the core of what you really need to resolve.
Punishing Bullied Teens
Lorraine Segal Recent research is teaching parents, professionals, and teens a lot more about bullying. The spate of recent suicides (bullycides) has caused more schools to take it seriously and help all of us recognize that bullying is not conflict between two individuals that can be resolved with improved communication, but is instead a deliberate campaign of intimidation and terror to injure an individual who is the target.
Freaky Friday And Building Parent-Teen Empathy
Lorraine Segal When children become teenagers, parents and teens alike may find the transition difficult and filled with conflict.The movie Freaky Friday offers an example of how empathy and understanding can grow even between a feuding teen and parent.
Youth Diversion Programs Receive National Support
Heather Scheiwe Kulp At the American Bar Association’s Mid-Year meeting, the delegates adopted Resolution 107B, which urges governments to support the creation of programs that divert alleged juvenile offenders into alternative dispute resolution systems. These systems, including peer courts, victim-offender mediation, restorative justice conferences, truancy mediation, and community mentoring/service, not only work to keep youth out of jails, but can also prevent juvenile records, which impact future educational and employment opportunities, from developing.
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