Addressing Youth Violence and Conflict Resolution Skills

Stéphane Clerget, a French educator and specialist in youth behavior, reports a systemic failure in teaching self-control to young people, leading to an increase in physical violence as a primary method for conflict resolution. According to Clerget, this deficiency in emotional regulation has left a generation of youth unable to settle disputes through non-violent means.

The observation comes amid growing concerns regarding the behavioral health of students and the capacity of educational institutions to manage aggression. Clerget asserts that the lack of mastery over one’s impulses is not an individual failure but a result of missed educational opportunities in self-regulation.

In a detailed assessment of youth conflict, Clerget stated that there are young people who no longer know how to resolve conflicts other than through physical violence.

This trend suggests a gap in the social and emotional learning curricula within schools, where the ability to manage anger and negotiate disagreements is often sidelined in favor of academic instruction. The result, according to Clerget, is a reliance on physical aggression when faced with interpersonal friction.

The implications for the education sector include increased disciplinary actions and a more volatile environment for both students and staff. By identifying the root cause as a lack of “maîtrise de soi” or self-mastery, Clerget argues that the solution lies in reintegrating specific behavioral education into the core student experience.