Teaching Conflict Resolution Before Conflict Turns Into Violence

Written by LaToya Mason on 6/30/26

One thing I’ve learned is that if we really want to address gun violence, we have to be willing to have the hard conversations before lives are changed forever.

The Zedrick Maurice Warner Jr. Foundation recently had the opportunity to speak with teens at the Boys & Girls Club of Central Mississippi about conflict resolution.

Before we got started, I told them one thing.

“Keep it real with me.”

I didn’t want the answer they thought adults wanted to hear. I wanted to know what they would really do.

We gave them different scenarios and asked how they would respond.

Honestly, I was surprised.

Many of them said they would simply walk away because “it’s not that serious.” 

Others said it depended on who the person was.

So I pushed a little further.

“What if they kept disrespecting you?”

“What if they kept bothering you every day?”

“What if they put their hands on you?”

Those questions changed the conversation.

Our team talked through each situation and offered other ways to handle conflict without fighting fire with fire. We reminded them that every situation doesn’t deserve the same response, and sometimes the strongest thing you can do is stop, think, and choose differently.

I left encouraged.

These young people wanted to talk. They wanted to be heard. Sometimes all they need is someone willing to ask the right questions and listen.

That’s what the Zedrick Maurice Warner Jr. Foundation is committed to doing.

One conversation at a time.

Because if we can help one young person make one better decision, we’ve made a difference.