The high school in your town has been having problems. Recently, the number of gangs at school has increased. Acts of vandalism and juvenile delinquency are also increasing. Although there have not been any major outbreaks of violence, stories in the media of violence in other communities have raised concerns among parents. The school board created a committee of teachers, administrators, students, and concerned parents to develop proposals for dealing with problems at the local high school. You are the leaders of this committee.

The meeting started with polite sharing of ideas, but tensions soon became apparent. The four groups had very different ideas about the degree of seriousness of the problem and appropriate solutions. Polite criticism of ideas shifted into cynical asides and finally into heated attacks. As people became more emotional, the negative comments became more personal. You are aware that some of the participants have fought over other school issues in the past.

• How can you (the leader of the committee) reduce the negative emotions in this situation?
• How do you build trust among the groups?
• What can be done to negotiate agreement among the four groups?