It is inevitable that you will encounter many different forms of conflict throughout your lifetime. In order to make appropriate decisions and gain confidence in resolving conflicts, you must be able to: * Recognize potential conflict situations before they occur * Recognize the warning signs and the sequences of events that can fuel conflicts * Predict possible consequences and stay attuned to ways to stop the conflict from occurring. * In any group, such as family, work, and school or other organizations, occasional conflict is unavoidable. For example, at school a student may debate with a fellow student about a current political issue. At home, a teenager may disagree with a parent concerning an established curfew. At work, an employee may have a disagreement with the employer about a company policy. In all cases, conflict of some sort is present.

Causes of Conflict
Conflict can be caused by the external or internal circumstances of a group. External circumstances are influences outside the group, which may exert pressure on the group, causing conflicts. Internal circumstances are more often the cause of the conflict within a group. Internal circumstances are those behaviors or interactions within the group itself that lead to conflict.
There are many ways in which conflicts can begin: misunderstandings, embarrassment, hurt pride, prejudice, fear, change, jealousy, insults, accusations, and peer pressures are just a few. Most of the factors or situations that lead to conflict can be classified as resulting from: * Varied perspectives on the situation * Differing belief systems and values resulting from personal background and accumulated life experiences * Differing objectives and interests

Types of Conflict and Their Warning Signs
In order to make good decisions and effectively manage conflict in your life, you