This paper provides an overview of conflict management in a criminal justice organization setting. It identifies five elements of conflict, as well as five ways of managing the elements of conflict. It also identifies a conflict situation within the police component of criminal justice system and it describes its various stages. Additionally, it identifies at which point the conflict could be managed, and what the supervisor's role in conflict management is. .
Keywords: Conflict Management. .
When discussing conflict management it is very important for us to understand the elements that cause conflicts to arise. Conflicts can lead to more than just verbal arguments and physical altercations between two individuals. In a criminal justice organization, where more the majority of personnel are armed with weapons, an improperly managed conflict situation can lay a foundation for a much bigger issue that could potentially result in workplace violence leading to loss of life. The five elements identified by social scientists that can lead to conflict are the individual's needs, perceptions, power, values, and feelings and emotions. The needs of the individual are very important in understanding conflicts, especially when these needs individual needs differ from group interests. We all have needs that are extremely important to our wellbeing. .
Some of these needs are inherent, also known as primary needs, which include simple needs such as food, water and sleep. These needs are considered primary needs because they deal with physical aspects of our wellbeing and are considered to be unlearned needs. On the other hand we have secondary, considered to be psychological needs, which are learned through experience and are very important when considering conflict management. These secondary needs are fairly unstable meaning that they can change over time. They include the need for belonging, the desire for power, the need for achievement, and the need to be loved to name a few.
