Conflict Resolvers Overcoming Coercion was formed to help give people experiencing coercive behaviors more options – whether they end up participating in a dispute resolution process or not. We do this by collecting and sharing resources, and by raising awareness of ways to mitigate coercion.
Conflict Resolvers Notice Power Imbalances
Professional dispute resolvers strive to level the playing field during conflicts, but when people return to their lives things are rarely equal. There are power imbalances across all areas in life – at work, within our families, with our romantic partners, and woven into the fabric of our society. Whether it happens intentionally or not, people can end up feeling forced to make choices they don’t agree with.
Conflict resolvers have an ethical obligation to address these power imbalances to ensure people are empowered to make their own decisions. They often screen out cases where power imbalances seem too severe, such as situations with intimate partner violence. The resources from this website are designed to provide helpful information to people both during and outside of the conflict resolution process.