Conflict resolution among students with mild intellectual disabilities in theory and practice

In the theoretical part of master thesis focus is on the role of conflicts in school and on the difference between conflicts and violence. Different responses to conflicts and various theories of disciplinary issue are presented. Advantages and disadvantages of restorative approaches to conflict resolution are listed and five alternative methods for constructive conflict resolution are described. Based on psychological characteristics of development of people with mild intellectual disabilities it is suggested which of the selected methods would be most suitable for the use in elementary schools for children with mild intellectual disabilities. The empirical part includes study on approaches for resolving conflicts used by teachers and school counsellors in Slovenian elementary schools for children with mild intellectual disabilities. The study has shown that teachers and school counsellors assess disciplinary issue as equal to regular schools or even bigger. Schools would need to use effective approaches for conflict resolution that would lower levels of violence. They could achieve this with use of school and peer mediation. The study has shown that teachers and school counsellors are familiar with restitution and mediation, but they rather use their own approaches which are adjusted to certain situation and child`s abilities. Main reasons for this are lack of knowledge about restorative approaches, lack of time and low intellectual abilities of children