Violence among inner-city youth is a problem that takes a village of dedicated adults to solve, according to Milton Fuentes of Psychology. "The job of teaching kids non-violent solutions to conflict falls on parents, teachers and the communities these kids live in," he said. "It's up to us to help turn these kids around."

In his 13 years working with children, Fuentes has noticed inconsistencies in the messages taught to children about violent behavior. "Adults constantly tell children to manage their anger and learn to control themselves, but don't show them how,” he said, adding that schools focus more on teaching children how to pass tests and less on dealing with their emotions and issues pertaining to violence.

This summer Fuentes tested Peace Camp, a pilot program he originally developed in 1995 with St. Mary’s Hospital in Hoboken. Funded by the Ann Earle Talcott Fund managed by First Union National Bank, Montclair State's Peace Camp hosted students ages 8 through 13 from Jersey City, Union City and West New York. Here, they learned new ways of resolving conflict by developing what Fuentes calls pro-social dispositions and skills:
• Affirmation (knowing and appreciating one's self and others)
• Cooperation
• Communication
• Anger management
• Brainstorming (developing guidelines to resolving the conflict)
• Problem solving

"Every adult, not just parents, should encourage kids to learn pro-social skills," said Fuentes, who believes such training results in well-balanced, productive adults. The week-long session used daily conflicts that arose between camp goers as learning opportunities.

Psychology major Elba Rosario works with Peace Camp participant Bryan Garcia.

"Whenever an issue or argument came up, we brought it to the attention of everyone at camp and collectively worked at a solution," Fuentes explained. "Positive reinforcement was used by offering kids feedback on their behavior as a way of teaching them respect and pro-social skills." Good behavior earned camp goers points to exchange for prizes at the Peace Camp.

Another daily activity was "You're Busted," in which students' good behavior was recognized by having them stand in front of the classroom. "The kids would go 'ooh' because they are used to the idea that anyone called to the front of the class had done something wrong," Fuentes said. "But it is the exact opposite at Peace Camp. Kids caught doing something good were called to the head of the class and commended for their actions."

Fuentes stresses the importance of giving children attention for the right reasons. "Children who always are identified for their negative actions can conclude that bad behavior is the only way to get people to notice them," he said, adding that this can lead to a self-destructive path that includes violence.

The campus environment also had impact on the participants. "Kids at that age usually are not thinking of going to college, and if so, they are often discouraged by their environment," he said. "Bringing them here inspired some of them to think of about their future. It was good to hear them say they would like to attend Montclair State when they grow up."

Participating in the program were Montclair State students Sandra Layton, Ian Stajduhar, Elba Rosario, Val DeAppolonio, Leslie Solorzano and Karen Grano, who received valuable experience working with children. They attended a four-hour training session followed by a two-hour counseling session midway through the program.

"I would like to see more opportunities like this where students get supervised, hands-on training," Fuentes said. "There's so much you can’t learn in the classroom. This pilot was a test to see if students could be used to help implement the program, and the answer is a resounding yes."

On the last day of camp, participants were asked to complete the sentence: "Because of Peace Camp, I will now…" Some said they would express their feelings more, fight less with siblings and attack their problems, not the people involved in the problems.

"All those verbal commitments to improve the way children handle conflicts show advancements in their thinking," Fuentes said. "That makes me proud because to me it proves Peace Camp was a success."

Plans for Peace Camp 2002 are already underway.

Milton Fuentes of Psychology goes over plans for Peace Camp with sophomore psychology major Val DeAppolonio and senior psychology major Leslie Solorzano.

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