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ABSTRACT
Technology must be explored as a means of teaching adolescents ways to resolve conflict without violence. This paper reports on the development and pilot testing of a multimedia tool (SMART Talk) that teaches anger management, perspective taking, and mediation skills using games, interactive assessment interviews, cartoons, and animation. Results indicate that SMART Talk is popular with both males and females, and its use increases knowledge and practice of prosocial behaviors.
Violence in the adolescent population is a serious public health problem (Hammond & Yung, 1993). Adolescents are at increasing risk for exposure to violence either as a victim, witness, or perpetrator (Gladstein, Rusonis, & Health, 1992). Homicide is the second leading cause of death among 15- to 24-year-olds, and the third leading cause of death among 10- to 14-year-olds (Cochanek & Hudson, 1994). Approximately 135,000 students bring guns to school every day, and a child is killed or injured by a gun every 36 minutes (Slavin & Stiber, 1990). Unfortunately, these numbers are only the tip of the iceberg; they do not reflect the number of violent and aggressive acts that do not lead to homicide, or the psychological impact of violence in the middle school years.
Schools and other organizations that serve youth have begun implementing various programs aimed at the prevention of violence (Cueto, Bosworth, & Sailes, 1993; Hausman, Spivak, Prothrow-Stith, & Roeber, 1992; Wilson-Brewer, Cohen, O'Donnell, & Goodman, 1991). Because of the complexity of the problem, a variety of strategies must be employed. Some strategies involve traditional educational approaches, while others, such as peer mediation, reflect attempts at innovation. Yet, few of these approaches have been systemically evaluated to a degree that would allow a determination of the most effective strategies or configuration of strategies.
The three approaches most frequently found in the school setting are curriculum, peer mediation, and specific interventions targeted at the most aggressive students. As can be seen in Table 1, each has limitations. While curriculum involves all students, the skills learned require practice and refinement before they can be consistently effective in resolving conflict. Peer mediation programs provide students for whom anger control is an issue with the skills to deal with immediate conflicts. Unfortunately, only those students who are trained or participate in...