Part One Time bomb in the classroom Problem teen-ager hides in the cracks Lingering problems: After Moses Lake, violence leaves mark In Olympia, lawmakers toe line between violence, rights Numbers don't always add up Part Two Eye on violence: Schools beef up security, find new ways to curb problems Prevention starts in college classroom Blessed are the peacemakers Poll shows public wants solutions Programs show students how to recognize, avoid potential problem areas Part Three A child's death, A mother's pain Alice Fritz describes heartbreak of losing her son to violence Getting connected: Students who get involved early have better chance of doing well Guidelines for getting involved Laws give students protection from action Many give warnings before violence Seeing the signs Credits Resources Blessed are the peacemakers Yakima Herald-Republic/Kirk Hirota   Playground Peacemakers Viridiana Juarez, pink coat, Ruby Dzul, middle, and Sandra Silva help resolve a dispute between two students during recess at Barge-Lincoln Elementary School in Yakima. By Colleen Pohlig Yakima Herald-Republic YAKIMA - Armed with clipboards and red shirts, the Playground Peacemakers arrived a moment too late. Elva Cordova, 7, already was leaning against the brick wall, tears spilling from huge dark eyes, her lower lip getting fat. Two older boys were suspected, looking guilty but blaming each other for pushing her. The two Peacemakers, both fourth-graders, asked the younger kids their versions of the story. Then they asked, "What ideas do you have to solve this problem?" The youngsters answered back: being friends again, not pushing and "accepting their sorrys." Conflict No. 4 of the day ended with each boy apologizing to Elva, shaking her hand, signing a contract that binds them to the solutions and departing with shy giggles. Now in its fourth year, the Playground Peacemakers program at Barge-Lincoln Elementary School here annually trains about 40 students in grades three through five to peacefully resolve recess conflicts. The program is based on listening, compromising and finding peer solutions. If issues can't be resolved, the mediators find an adult. Before they tackle the real thing, Peacemakers, who usually are picked by teachers, get 12 hours of training in conflict resolution and anger management. They watch videos and perform mock fights. "The program really works to keep fights down, and it also builds Peacemakers' confidence up," said counselor Martin Chacon. He first saw a similar program at an elementary school in Seattle then started one at Barge-Lincoln. Chacon allows students to mediate most situations unless the problems are more serious than they can handle, such as fist-fighting or the few that involve weapons. Viridiana Juarez, who is 9, said she is proud to be a Peacemaker. "They call us teacher, and it makes you feel like you're somebody," she said. "And it's fun to help out the other kids." Although they must miss their own recess to patrol the grounds for a week at a time, Alma Mendoza, 9, says it's worth it. "It's more important doing this because we're teaching the little kids not to fight." Back to Learning the Hard Way

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