Correctional Officer Basic Training: Conflict Resolution (COBT 125)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key definitions, stages, signs, causes, styles, barriers, goals, and communication strategies for Correctional Officer Basic Training Conflict Resolution (COBT 125).

Conflict

A serious disagreement and argument about something important.

Five Stages of Conflict

The sequential stages of a conflict, consisting of: 1. Latent, 2. Perceived, 3. Felt, 4. Manifest, and 5. Aftermath.

Physical Signs of Aggression

Bodily manifestations of aggression including accelerated breathing, clenched fists, flushed skin, sweating, tense muscles, teeth grinding, increased heart rate, pacing, and shaking.

Behavioral Signs of Aggression

Observable actions of aggression including hitting or kicking another person or object, ignoring someone on purpose, loud speech or shouting, excessive cursing or swearing, spitting on someone or something, pushing someone, stomping feet, excessive hand gestures, and pointing at someone.

Cognitive Symptoms of Aggression

Mental impacts of aggression including feeling as if you "blackout" when angry, inability to think clearly, poor decision-making, problems focusing, and problems with concentration.

Psychological Symptoms of Aggression

Emotional indicators of aggression including abrupt mood changes, angry mood, feeling agitated, feeling irritated, and a low tolerance threshold.

Causes of Aggression

Factors that provoke aggressive behavior, specified as frustration, immaturity, unfairness, excitement, humiliation, learned behavior, reputation, depression, and anxiety.

Aggression Assessment Questions

Eight key questions to consider when dealing with aggressive behavior: 1. Is my safety at risk? 2. Am I acting calm? 3. Are they facing a high level of stress? 4. Do they have a history of violence? 5. Do they have a history of mental illness? 6. Are they verbally abusive? 7. Have they threatened physical violence? 8. Am I listening?

Conflict Resolution

A process of resolving a dispute or disagreement.

Five Conflict Resolution Styles

The five conflict resolution approaches and their associated animals: 1. Avoiding (turtle), 2. Accommodating (teddy bear), 3. Compromising (fox), 4. Competing (shark), and 5. Collaborating (owl).

Goals of Conflict Resolution

The three primary objectives of resolving conflict: 1. Produce a solution all parties can agree upon, 2. Work as quickly as possible to find this solution, and 3. To improve, not hurt, the relationship between the groups in conflict.

Critical Decision-Making Model (CDM)

A model that presents a way to understand and structure decision-making without interfering with the ability to act or jeopardizing safety; "spinning" the model gives options when seeking a resolution to conflict.

Barriers to Conflict Resolution

Six obstacles encountered during conflict resolution: 1. Getting defensive, 2. Not listening, 3. Minimizing, 4. Jumping to conclusions, 5. Inability to empathize, and 6. Inability to stay calm.

Attributes to Positive Communication

Six key behaviors for effective communication during conflict: 1. Remain positive and professional, 2. Focus on solutions and not the problem, 3. Accept help, 4. Keep them talking, 5. Remember your non-verbal cues, and 6. Manage your reactions.

Debriefing

An important part of the learning process after using conflict resolution skills that addresses three areas: 1. What went well and what didn't (identifying strengths, weaknesses, effectiveness, and future changes), 2. Thinking about personal feelings and internal reactions (managing stress or verbal attacks), and 3. How actions/efforts were perceived (getting feedback from witnesses or staff).