Resolving Conflict Creatively Program (RCCP)

The Resolving Conflict Creatively Program (RCCP) is a comprehensive, school-based, violence-prevention program designed for use with children in kindergarten through eighth grade. The 51-lesson program curriculum and accompanying activities are tailored to be developmentally appropriate for a given age group. Through promoting positive conflict resolution and understanding of different cultures, the program strives to create a more caring and peaceful school environment.

The primary goal of RCCP is to increase children's levels of knowledge regarding ways in which to approach conflict situations, to develop children's conflict resolution skills, and to promote children's positive interpersonal and intergroup relations. In addition, RCCP attempts to combat prejudice and stereotypes, and the various types of conflict and violence that may arise as a result of these issues, by teaching children how to recognize and oppose prejudice and by increasing their respect for and understanding of diversity. Finally, RCCP aims to transform the overall school culture into one that exemplifies nonviolent conflict resolution and a respect for and openness to diversity.

The sociocognitive and interpersonal behavioral processes that lead to aggression (and to actual levels of aggressive behavior) generally increase during middle childhood. RCCP researchers were able to characterize average developmental trajectories of each targeted outcome across the middle school years. This strategy allowed researchers to identify the average pattern of change in each outcome that characterizes children ages 6 to 12 and then compare the averages with the RCCP treatment groups.

This evaluation used a repeated-measure, quasi-experimental design with matched comparison groups. The evaluation results show that RCCP can significantly reduce the rate at which these problem processes and behaviors increase. In other words, higher levels of exposure to RCCP classroom instruction demonstrated positive changes among program participants in the socioemotional developmental trajectories and deflections from a path toward future aggression and violence. These findings are consistent for both child and teacher reports of children's development. In addition, exposure to RCCP benefited all children regardless of race/ethnicity, gender, or classroom and neighborhood context.

RCCP now serves over 400 schools in 16 urban, suburban, and rural districts across the country.