Latest news with #conflictmanagement
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Yahoo
After-school patrols reassure pupils walking home
A scheme to keep children safe on their way home from school by putting specialist youth workers on the streets has been trialled by an east London council. Adults experienced in conflict management and de-escalation patrolled from Monday to Friday on three routes in Chingford, Walthamstow and Leyton. The scheme was funded by the mayor's violence reduction unit, and started in January after young people said trusted adults in the community would make them feel safer. The teams were on duty between 15:00 and 18:00 until the scheme was paused for the summer holidays. Mobile phone theft One 15-year-old boy from Waltham Forest said he found the youth workers were a reassuring presence. "Inevitably stuff is going to happen between children. It could be because they pronounce their words differently or it could be something more serious. "By having trusted adults around areas such as the market, where most schoolchildren come together, makes it safer for everyone." He also said he found the Safer Routes team "less intimidating" than the police. Wayne George, from community interest group Creative Engagement Services, is one of those involved. He said a lot of his work was related to mobile phone theft, so he runs workshops on how to be safe with phones. According to a Waltham Forest Council survey, 43% of residents said crime was one of their top concerns. Data provided by the council also suggested young people were most vulnerable on school days during the two-hour period after the school day finished. Barrington Todd has been a youth worker for more than 20 years. He said knowing how to find common ground was important: "Once we have pulled two people apart or a group of people we say 'look, it's us, you know us'. "We say police are not the ogres, we are not the ogres, we are just friendly people who care about young people." He added that youth workers hoped to be positive role models within the community and to remind children of their own expectations of themselves and their values. 'Put interventions in place' The team on the ground were also able to share real-time updates with the community safety team and professionals including school staff. Helen Marriott, head teacher at Walthamstow School for Girls, said: "They are able to communicate with us, let us know if there are any incidents, any young people at risk, and then we're able to act on that and put interventions in place when they come back into school." Risks children could encounter after school included drug dealers, criminal gangs and harassment and violence against women and girls. Mr Todd said a special summer programme of activity would take place during the school holidays in order to engage with young people. One mother, Candy Cridland, said the scheme offered her some reassurance because it made her daughter feel safer. She said her daughter, who has a disability, gets incredibly anxious and worries about being picked on by bigger children. Ms Cridland said her daughter had befriended one of the female adults - something that provides reassurance for both Ms Cridland and her daughter. Waltham Forest Council said it was taking quarterly feedback from young people to discuss the routes. It will evaluate the pilot after two years and if it is effective, will be looking at ways to keep it. Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to More on this story Handling of youth service cuts plan an 'insult' Youth club closures increased offending - report Related internet links Waltham Forest Council London's Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Yahoo
After-school patrols reassure pupils walking home
A scheme to keep children safe on their way home from school by putting specialist youth workers on the streets has been trialled by an east London council. Adults experienced in conflict management and de-escalation patrolled from Monday to Friday on three routes in Chingford, Walthamstow and Leyton. The scheme was funded by the mayor's office for policing and crime, and started in January after young people said trusted adults in the community would make them feel safer. The teams were on duty between 15:00 and 18:00 until the scheme was paused for the summer holidays. Mobile phone theft One 15-year-old boy from Waltham Forest said he found the youth workers were a reassuring presence. "Inevitably stuff is going to happen between children. It could be because they pronounce their words differently or it could be something more serious. "By having trusted adults around areas such as the market, where most school children come together, makes it safer for everyone." He also said he found the Safer Routes team "less intimidating" than the police. Wayne George, from community interest group Creative Engagement Services, is one of those involved. He said a lot of his work is related to mobile phone theft, so he runs workshops on how to be safe with phones. According to a Waltham Forest council survey, 43% of residents said crime was one of their top concerns. Data provided by the council also suggested young people were most vulnerable on school days during the two hour period after the school day finished. Barrington Todd has been a youth worker for more than 20 years. He said knowing how to find the common ground was important: "Once we have pulled two people apart or a group of people we say 'look, it's us, you know us'. "We say police are not the ogres, we are not the ogres, we are just friendly people who care about young people." He added that youth workers hope to be positive role models within the community and to remind children of their own expectations of themselves and their values. 'Put interventions in place' The team on the ground were also able to share real-time updates with the community safety team and professionals including school staff. Helen Marriott, headteacher at Walthamstow School for Girls, said: "They are able to communicate with us, let us know if there are any incidents, any young people at risk, and then we're able to act on that and put interventions in place when they come back into school." Risks children could encounter after school included drug dealers, criminal gangs and harassment and violence against women and girls. Mr Todd said a special summer programme of activity would take place during the school holidays in order to engage with young people. One mother, Candy Cridland, said the scheme offered her some reassurance because it made her daughter feel safer. She said her daughter, who has a disability, gets incredibly anxious and worries about being picked on by bigger children. Ms Cridland said her daughter had befriended one of the female adults - something that provides reassurance for both Ms Cridland and her daughter. Waltham Forest Council said it was taking quarterly feedback from young people to discuss the routes. It will evaluate the pilot after two years and if it is effective, will be looking at ways to keep it. Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to More on this story Handling of youth service cuts plan an 'insult' Youth club closures increased offending - report Related internet links The Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime Waltham Forest Council
BBC News
23-07-2025
- BBC News
After-school safety patrols: 'We are friendly people who care'
A scheme to keep children safe on their way home from school by putting specialist youth workers on the streets has been trialled by an east London experienced in conflict management and de-escalation patrolled from Monday to Friday on three routes in Chingford, Walthamstow and scheme was funded by the mayor's office for policing and crime, and started in January after young people said trusted adults in the community would make them feel teams were on duty between 15:00 and 18:00 until the scheme was paused for the summer holidays. Mobile phone theft One 15-year-old boy from Waltham Forest said he found the youth workers were a reassuring presence."Inevitably stuff is going to happen between children. It could be because they pronounce their words differently or it could be something more serious. "By having trusted adults around areas such as the market, where most school children come together, makes it safer for everyone."He also said he found the Safer Routes team "less intimidating" than the police. Wayne George, from community interest group Creative Engagement Services, is one of those said a lot of his work is related to mobile phone theft, so he runs workshops on how to be safe with to a Waltham Forest council survey, 43% of residents said crime was one of their top provided by the council also suggested young people were most vulnerable on school days during the two hour period after the school day finished. Barrington Todd has been a youth worker for more than 20 said knowing how to find the common ground was important: "Once we have pulled two people apart or a group of people we say 'look, it's us, you know us'."We say police are not the ogres, we are not the ogres, we are just friendly people who care about young people."He added that youth workers hope to be positive role models within the community and to remind children of their own expectations of themselves and their values. 'Put interventions in place' The team on the ground were also able to share real-time updates with the community safety team and professionals including school Marriott, headteacher at Walthamstow School for Girls, said: "They are able to communicate with us, let us know if there are any incidents, any young people at risk, and then we're able to act on that and put interventions in place when they come back into school."Risks children could encounter after school included drug dealers, criminal gangs and harassment and violence against women and Todd said a special summer programme of activity would take place during the school holidays in order to engage with young people. One mother, Candy Cridland, said the scheme offered her some reassurance because it made her daughter feel said her daughter, who has a disability, gets incredibly anxious and worries about being picked on by bigger Cridland said her daughter had befriended one of the female adults - something that provides reassurance for both Ms Cridland and her Forest Council said it was taking quarterly feedback from young people to discuss the will evaluate the pilot after two years and if it is effective, will be looking at ways to keep it.
The Guardian
27-06-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Why it's good to admit when you're wrong – and how to improve
You may be familiar with the feeling. Someone factchecks you mid-conversation or discredits your dishwasher-loading technique. Heat rises to your face; you might feel defensive, embarrassed or angry. Do you insist you're right or can you accept the correction? Admitting to being wrong can be difficult and uncomfortable. But the ability to admit to incorrect ideas or beliefs – what psychologists call 'intellectual humility' – is important. Research shows that people with higher intellectual humility think more critically, and are less biased and less prone to dogmatism. People high in intellectual humility 'are able to acknowledge the limits of their knowledge and beliefs', says Tenelle Porter, an assistant professor of psychology at Rowan University. They recognize that we all get things wrong and are willing to admit their own gaps in knowledge. Meanwhile, people low in intellectual humility tend to overconfidently cling to their beliefs, and are not swayed by opposing evidence. People who are more intellectually humble tend to have better relationships. Being unable to acknowledge other people's perspectives can damage the trust in a relationship, says therapist and author Nedra Glover Tawwab. Acknowledging that you're wrong, on the other hand, can be a great opportunity to deepen a relationship. Research suggests that couples who score higher in intellectual humility tend to have healthier conflict management, as well as higher relationship quality and satisfaction. On average, people prefer to befriend or date people who are more humble, says Daryl Van Tongeren, who studies psychology and social values at Hope College. People also tend to be more committed to and satisfied with relationships when they perceive their partners to be more humble, Van Tongeren adds, and having both individuals in a couple rank highly in humility is associated with a healthier, less stressful transition into parenthood. People with low intellectual humility will often react defensively when contradicted, says Leor Zmigrod, a political neuroscientist who recently wrote a book about rigid, ideological thinking. They might feel personally attacked or insulted, and arrogantly double down, she says. But recognizing such qualities in yourself can be easier said than done. When Van Tongeren published his book on humility, people would say things like: 'Humility – that's what my father-in-law needs.' 'No one starts off by saying: 'Oh, humility, that's what I need,'' he says. Our personalities can be flexible if we put in the work, says Tawwab. So how does someone get better at admitting they're wrong? Studies show that 'people are terrible at knowing whether they're very flexible or very rigid thinkers,' says Zmigrod. But a good way to start is to practice noticing how you respond to being contradicted. Be mindful of when your emotions and ego get in the way of a thoughtful response, she says – and over time you may be able to recognize your patterns. A person's intellectual humility is also linked with how flexible their thinking is in general, Zmigrod says. So if you notice defensiveness or anger when, say, a regular routine is disrupted, that could be a sign that your intellectual humility could use some work. If self-driven introspection is difficult, Van Tongeren recommends asking trusted people to assess how open they think you are to new perspectives, and whether they think you get defensive of your own ideas. 'Ask people from a variety of areas of your life,' he says, because 'you might be really humble at work, but not super humble at home, or vice versa.' You can glean information about your intellectual humility while also signaling to others that you're trying to work on yourself. Before attempting this, consider whether you're honestly ready to hear this kind of feedback. Learning to be more gracious when contradicted is an important skill, because an inability to recognize when you're wrong diminishes trust in relationships, says Tawwab. The first thing to do is 'reframe what being wrong means', says Tawwab. A lot of people internalize the idea that being wrong means they're stupid, ignorant or worth less as a person, she says. But if we lived in a world where no one was wrong or allowed to be wrong, 'we would live in a world that has never shifted', she says. Seeing it as associated with personal growth, curiosity and other positive values will make being wrong feel less fraught. Sign up to Well Actually Practical advice, expert insights and answers to your questions about how to live a good life after newsletter promotion There are science-backed ways to engender intellectual humility. One is quite simple: listen. People who can admit when they're wrong tend to be better listeners, says Van Tongeren. But more than that, when one person in a conversation is a good, deep listener, 'the act of listening actually cultivates and generates humility' for both parties. If you find yourself resisting admitting being wrong, Porter recommends casting your memory back to a time when you realized you had erred. Research suggests that when you remember your own fallibility, 'that can help recalibrate us and make us more open to listening to what we might be missing,' she says. If you want to encourage someone else in your life to work on their intellectual humility, they first need to feel like they're in an environment where it's safe to make mistakes, says Tawwab. And 'people tend to digest information best when they're seeking it out for themselves,' she says. So rather than lecture them on the importance of acknowledging their errors, it may be best to simply share articles, books or personality quizzes that can help them self-reflect and come to their own conclusions. You can also take the edge off by suggesting that you both work on this issue together, says Van Tongeren. Once you're able to recognize when you're wrong and admit it to yourself without an emotional or ego-driven reaction, being able to verbalize your mistakes will come much more easily. And when it comes to telling another person that you were wrong, Tawwab says you don't have to do it immediately. After a conversation, it might take you some time to process and accept this assessment. In that case, you can go back to the person a few days later. 'Even if you can't do it in the present moment, you can still recover that conversation and build that trust,' she says. Over time, hopefully you'll get better and faster at it, eventually being able to notice and address errors in the moment. And you'll probably deepen your relationships as a result, she says. There are many headwinds when it comes to intellectual humility, says Porter, especially in contemporary life. Social media creates echo chambers, people constantly express ever more polarized views, and false information proliferates online. All this pushes us away from being willing and able to change our minds or admit we're wrong. But remember that we as people value these traits, she says, regardless of how challenging it is to maintain them.
RNZ News
18-06-2025
- General
- RNZ News
An expert on how to manage conflict and aggression
Photo: Supplied: Lighthouse PR Conflict can happen anywhere - from the playground to the office - or an actual battlefield. How we react to high-stress situations is largely hardwired into us as humans. But can we learn how to manage it better? To identify threats, assess the risk and use techniques to de-escalate the situation. Robert Lubbe spent time working in military settings in a number of trouble spots around the world. He's taken his knowledge and used it in his practical guide called 'De-Escalation: Identifying and Managing Conflict and Aggression .' He talks to Kathryn about the science behind why we react as we do, and how we can safely handle aggression and conflict.
