{"title":"Strategic Interruptions in Small Claims Mediation: How Precipitous Timing of Mediator Interventions Can Facilitate Conflict Resolution","authors":"Angela Cora Garcia","doi":"10.1002/crq.70021","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/crq.70021","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>While interruptions are often considered impolite, oppressive, or intrusive, in some interactional contexts, they may be supportive or helpful. In small claims mediation mediator interruptions of disputants do occur for a variety of reasons. Some of these interruptions are used strategically, to stop disputant actions which may be counterproductive at that point or to further the mediator's work in assisting disputants in resolving their dispute. This paper uses conversation analysis, a qualitative method of analyzing talk in its sequential context, to analyze mediators' “strategic interruptions” of disputants in a previously collected data set of 23 mediation sessions held in the Midwest and West Coast regions of the United States. The analysis of the 136 strategic interruptions in these data shows how mediators used them to stop or preempt counterproductive actions such as premature rejection of a proposal for resolution or to terminate mediation, disputant interruptions and arguments triggered by such interruptions, or disputants' production of irrelevant or out-of-place turns or actions. While there is a potential risk to disputant autonomy or perceptions of bias when mediators interrupt disputants, strategic interruptions can be a useful technique for mediators as they facilitate the conflict resolution process. One implication of this study is that the potential benefits of strategic interruptions should be addressed in mediation training.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":39736,"journal":{"name":"Conflict Resolution Quarterly","volume":"43 4","pages":"577-590"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148134403","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Artificial Intelligence, Bureaucratic Dehumanization, and the Organizational Ombuds","authors":"T. Brian Green","doi":"10.1002/crq.70022","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/crq.70022","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) systems have made extraordinary leaps in advancement in recent years. Organizations of all kinds are integrating AI into their systems at an unprecedented rate, seeking to acquire the benefits of efficiency, information sharing, and rational decision-making AI seems to promise. Within these organizations, organizational ombuds must consider their function to determine how and to what extent AI offers benefits and risks. Applying a Weberian lens, this article takes as a foundational assumption the view that organizational ombuds function as bureaucratic “humanizers” within complex organizations, helping organizations resist depersonalization by helping individuals navigate the tension between bureaucratic optimization and individualized problem-solving. Because the organizational ombuds is a humanizing role within a bureaucratic system, artificial intelligence will be beneficial or detrimental to the profession insofar as it furthers or detracts from that function. Consequently, ombuds must understand both the humanizing and dehumanizing potential of AI for our organizations in order to meet the challenges it poses. AI has immense potential to improve bureaucratic functioning but is also inherently dehumanizing and as such may tend to further bureaucratic dehumanization. Organizational ombuds must understand this dynamic even as they seek to adopt AI for themselves to increase capacities and reach within their organizations. The risk of AI to intensify bureaucratic dehumanization also argues for the necessity of organizational ombuds to remain independent of any AI system.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":39736,"journal":{"name":"Conflict Resolution Quarterly","volume":"43 4","pages":"591-598"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148106841","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Crystena Parker-Shandal, Kristina R. Llewellyn, Sandeep Manku, Mackenzie Leclaire
{"title":"“Train and Hope”: The Role of Restorative Justice Coordinators in Sustaining a Culture of Care in Schools","authors":"Crystena Parker-Shandal, Kristina R. Llewellyn, Sandeep Manku, Mackenzie Leclaire","doi":"10.1002/crq.70025","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/crq.70025","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This article examines the role of restorative justice coordinators in supporting teachers and schools in adopting a whole-school approach to restorative justice in education. Coordinators are often tasked with implementing a train-and-hope model, in which they receive initial training in restorative justice but are largely left unsupported thereafter. School administrations tend to assume that preliminary training alone enables educators to integrate restorative approaches effectively. Drawing on the experiences of three restorative justice coordinators working across 12 schools within a publicly funded religious school board, the authors analyze the limitations of this model. They highlight how a lack of focus on relationality and contextualism in this initiative impeded the coordinators and educators from implementing restorative justice in education successfully. Such misimplementation risks overlooking the transformative potential of restorative justice in education and, in some cases, reinforces punitive and oppressive school structures. Further research is needed to equip school boards and educators with the tools necessary for implementing meaningful and sustained restorative justice in education.</p>","PeriodicalId":39736,"journal":{"name":"Conflict Resolution Quarterly","volume":"43 4","pages":"643-654"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/crq.70025","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148115193","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Reflective Turn: Enhancing Mediator Effectiveness Through Structured Reflection","authors":"Martin Magmarigen Kwan Ken Wong","doi":"10.1002/crq.70019","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/crq.70019","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Structured reflection remains a critical yet often undervalued catalyst in mediator development. This conceptual inquiry explores how structured reflective practices foster emotional resilience, ethical discernment, relational presence, and expanded worldviews in community mediators. Grounded in transformative learning theory and role identity theory, the article proposes a developmental framework mapping four stages of growth: emotional regulation, ethical sensitivity, embodied presence, and expanded cognitive perspectives. Practitioner vignettes, drawn from multicultural community mediation contexts, illustrate how structured reflection deepens mediators' capacities beyond procedural proficiency into more nuanced, ethically grounded practice. By repositioning reflection as a central developmental process rather than a supplementary activity, this conceptual inquiry advances a practitioner-centred vision of mediator education. Practical implications are discussed for training design, reflective supervision structures, volunteer mediator support, and long-term sustainability. Recommendations are offered for embedding reflection into diverse mediation systems where cultural complexity shapes conflict engagement.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":39736,"journal":{"name":"Conflict Resolution Quarterly","volume":"43 4","pages":"515-528"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148122734","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Rise of Radicalization in South-West Bangladesh: Analyzing Causes, Drivers, and Societal Impacts","authors":"Ananda Kumar Biswas, Umme Habiba, Farah Naj Jahan","doi":"10.1002/crq.70013","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/crq.70013","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Bangladesh is currently advancing more rapidly in its economic and technological domains. Bangladesh has developed on secularism, equality, justice, and freedom. This study examines the ramifications of radicalization in the southwestern region. The investigation is conducted using both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. A primary random sample method was employed as the sampling procedure. This study included both primary and secondary data. A semistructured questionnaire was used throughout the field survey. One hundred and twenty survey responses, 20 persons engaged in an in-depth interview (IDI), and four focus group discussions (FGD) served as data collection instruments. Political violence and instability are currently evident in the radicalization process in Bangladesh. The lack of voting, internal factions, petrol bomb explosions, political cases, and power struggles among political groupings has risen by 40% over the past decade. Individuals exhibit intolerance toward religious aspects and attempt to convert others to their faith; the response rate is 40%. Minority migration and assaults on minorities are poised to become extreme. Approximately 80% of individuals lack social media literacy. The prevalence of social media protection, hate speech, and responses to religious matters is escalating in southwest Bangladesh. The generational gap in radicalization is inverted; teenagers exhibit greater radicalism than individuals over 50 years old.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":39736,"journal":{"name":"Conflict Resolution Quarterly","volume":"43 4","pages":"541-556"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148103132","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jais Adam-Troian, Thomas Arciszewski, Jocelyn J. Bélanger, Eric Bonetto
{"title":"Pacifist or Peace Psychology? Overcoming Naïve Pacifism to Foster a True Science of Peace-Making","authors":"Jais Adam-Troian, Thomas Arciszewski, Jocelyn J. Bélanger, Eric Bonetto","doi":"10.1002/crq.70016","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/crq.70016","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Recent geopolitical events have exposed critical gaps in the ability of peace and conflict psychology (PCP) to engage with conflicts beyond intractable or postwar contexts. This paper introduces the concept of “naïve pacifism” to describe underlying assumptions in PCP that may limit its ability to address complex modern conflicts effectively. Three pillars of naïve pacifism are identified: (1) the homeostatic view of peace as the natural state and violence as a dysfunction, (2) the belief in the reactive nature of violence, and (3) a perspectivist approach that overlooks objective features of conflicts. While these assumptions can lead PCP researchers to oversimplify conflicts, perpetuate pseudoscientific views, and promote ineffective interventions, our analysis also acknowledges the value of nonviolent approaches in specific contexts. By challenging these pillars and proposing a more nuanced—<i>though not exhaustive</i>—framework, this paper aims to stimulate debate and advance PCP toward a more adaptive science of peace-making. We emphasize the need for further discussion on the ethical and practical implications of integrating coercion, deterrence, and objective conflict analysis into PCP's traditional paradigms.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":39736,"journal":{"name":"Conflict Resolution Quarterly","volume":"43 4","pages":"557-568"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148102688","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Ensuring the Sustainability of Dispute Settlement Mechanism in Light of the Current Appellate Body Crisis","authors":"Vibha Bandhu, Sonu Agarwal","doi":"10.1002/crq.21488","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/crq.21488","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The mechanism of resolving disputes in international trade has undergone a drastic change in its working structure, transitioning from a single-tier system established in 1947 under GATT, that is, “General Agreement on Tariff & Trade,” to a dual-tiered structure established by its successor WTO (World Trade Organization) in 1995. The mechanism of Dispute Settlement WTO's Appellate Body is under a crisis, which for long was regarded as a “crown jewel” of the global trading system owing to the act of impeding appointments to the Appellate Body since 2019 by the US. As a result, the World Trade Organization's entire dispute resolution procedure has become unstable, which has created a “Legal Void” eroding belief in the mechanism. This crisis has put the future of the WTO's dispute resolution process in question and uncertain. This study's primary goal is to look into the current predicament facing the Appellate Body by analyzing its procedural and legal framework, assessing its overall impact, and reviewing the responses of WTO member countries. Additionally, the study aims to explore potential legal solutions by analyzing proposed reforms and strategies to reestablish the Appellate Body's functionality, ensuring the viability of global trade. The methodology used by the authors is doctrinal research, which entails a thorough examination of the legal framework that governs the dispute resolution mechanism of WTO, case studies, a review of its historical context, and an evaluation of the future in light of the outcomes of the 13th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC13) 2024.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":39736,"journal":{"name":"Conflict Resolution Quarterly","volume":"43 4","pages":"493-503"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148132097","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Civil Resistance and Repression Backlash: A Game Theoretic Analysis of the 2011 Occupy U.C. Davis Protest","authors":"Alexei Anisin","doi":"10.1002/crq.70002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/crq.70002","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study asks how nonviolent protesters can strategically provoke authorities into violent responses to trigger repression backlash? Theoretically, principal-agent theory is adopted to develop an extensive form game that captures the sequential dynamics that unfolded during the 2011 Occupy University of California Davis protest. The model captures how protesters can exploit information asymmetry between the principal and agent by provoking authorities into a violent reaction. Specifically, protesters utilized nonviolent direct action and were able to exploit the university administration's uncertainty about how its agents (university police) would behave under pressure. By provoking a response from a tough type of police, activists induced a violent reaction. In turn, this spurred negative feedback against the principal. Although a small-scale protest, this case reveals the strategic basis underlying an age-old concept of political jiu-jitsu wherein nonviolent civil resistance turns the force of repression against the oppressor. Through formalizing backlash as a strategic interaction, this study demonstrates that this phenomenon is shaped by information asymmetry and uncertainty.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":39736,"journal":{"name":"Conflict Resolution Quarterly","volume":"43 3","pages":"353-363"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147566494","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Unlocking Antlers? An Evaluation of an Environmental Mediation Process in Scotland Based on Direct Observation","authors":"Callum Leavey-Wilson, Janet Fisher, Sam Staddon","doi":"10.1002/crq.70007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/crq.70007","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Environmental conflicts are increasing as is interest in ways they can be managed. However, evaluations of Environmental Conflict Resolution (ECR) processes based on direct observation remain scarce, despite ECR existing for over half a century. Furthermore, there are few evaluations of ECR processes that have been conducted outside of the United States, which limits understanding about the different contextual applications of ECR. These significant shortcomings hamper the generation of practical and knowledge-based learning, as well as theory building in ECR. To address this, we use a subset of criteria from the ECR literature pertaining to (1) outcomes, (2) process, and (3) relationships to assess data generated through direct observation of an environmental mediation process, alongside interviews and surveys of participants, focused on ameliorating conflict over upland deer management in Scotland. Our results indicate that mediation fostered positive relationships, was generally procedurally effective but achieved limited tangible outcomes. We then provide some longer-term reflections on the mediation process, discuss the strengths and limitations of our criteria, and note lessons from our experience conducting an evaluation of an ECR process. We conclude by calling for more evaluations of ECR processes based on direct observation to be conducted to build understanding of effective practice.</p>","PeriodicalId":39736,"journal":{"name":"Conflict Resolution Quarterly","volume":"43 3","pages":"419-430"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/crq.70007","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147564221","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Quantitative and Qualitative Content Analysis of Cameroon Newspapers' Reporting (2016–2020) on the Anglophone Conflict","authors":"Kiven James Kewir, Albert Poliquen Mbiatem","doi":"10.1002/crq.70011","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/crq.70011","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Media representations play a critical role in shaping public understanding, especially in contexts where access to direct information is limited, such as the Anglophone conflict in Cameroon. This study explores how five Cameroonian newspapers, <i>The Post</i>, <i>The Star</i>, <i>Le Messager</i>, <i>The Sun</i>, and <i>Cameroon Tribune</i>, reported on the root causes, manifestations, and resolution strategies of the conflict in the North West and South West Regions between October 2016 and December 2020. A total of 501 editions were purposively sampled from a broader corpus of 2894 publications. Guided by agenda-setting theory, the study employed a sequential qualitative design, combining quantitative content analysis with qualitative thematic interpretation. Statistical tests, including chi-square analysis, were used to assess significant differences in newspaper reporting across key variables. The findings reveal clear contrasts between state-owned (<i>Cameroon Tribune</i>) and privately owned newspapers in how they frame the conflict's causes, manifestations, and possible solutions. Private outlets placed greater emphasis on root causes such as marginalization, historical injustice, and identity suppression, while state media prioritized unity and security narratives. Nonetheless, all newspapers consistently highlighted dialogue as the most viable pathway to resolving the conflict. The study also finds that newspapers based in the conflict-affected Anglophone regions, and those publishing in English, dedicated more extensive and nuanced coverage to the crisis. These insights underscore the importance of media reporting as a mirror of public sentiment and as a tool for understanding citizen-preferred conflict resolution strategies.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":39736,"journal":{"name":"Conflict Resolution Quarterly","volume":"43 3","pages":"457-468"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147565221","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}