Conflict resolution in non-human primates and human children

Abstract

Aggressive behavior in childhood poses a threat to society, since aggression tends to be quite stable in childhood, and aggressive children often become violent adults. One important prosocial mechanism to reduce the negative impact of aggression is reconciliation, which can be defined as friendly behavior between former opponents shortly after a conflict. This chapter stresses the importance of adequate reconciliation in keeping conflicts manageable and functional. Understanding the factors that influence reconciliation is essential to improve conflict management in children with and without disruptive behavior problems. Much knowledge on conflict management comes from animal studies. The chapter first presents the key results derived from animal studies before considering what is known about reconciliation, both in typically developing children and in those with aggressive behavior problems. Second, it highlights the importance of the social environment for the development of reconciliatory skills in both nonhuman primates and human children. Third, it discusses factors that may contribute to the ability to develop and effectively execute reconciliatory skills.