Paraphrasing
“Paraphrasing” is the process in a discussion whereby the words originally uttered by a person are reframed in content so as to make the response shorter or more succinct or to relate the same content using other imagery or terms. This process, often used by mediators and other active listeners, may alter the way in which the parties view the statement or the discussion. In conflict resolution processes paraphrasing is clearly a necessary tool to bring the discussion in line with:
- Time constraints - by shortening the discussion model
- Altering phrases - to make them more palatable to the parties
- Re-selecting verbiage - which will allow for more common ground or shared understanding by the parties
The purpose for paraphrasing is to “Identify and enhance communication skills that will improve conflict resolution (Girard and Koch, 1996 - p.61).”
Related Videos of Possible Interest
Related Catalog Resources
Below you'll find a randomized listing of up to 20 related items (we may have more...) drawn from our Resource Catalog.
| Resource Title | Description | Links |
|---|---|---|
| Coaching Children in Handling Everyday Conflicts | This newsletter article from the Responsive Classroom provides an example of a teacher assisting two second grade students as they work to resolve a conflict in the moment. Five basic skills are focused on to help build children's capacity for conflict resolution. These include: - Cooling off when upset - Speaking directly to each other -...(see more) | Catalog Listing Direct Link to Resource View in Browser |
| Listening without formulas | 15-page Powerpoint presentation given at the Sustaining Conflict Resolution Education: Building Bridges to the Future conference in Fairfax VA, which discusses the use of reflective listening, I-messages and paraphrasing in conflict resolution. | Catalog Listing Direct Link to Resource View in Browser |
