The conflict that has taken place in the child care setting is concerned with discriminatory attitudes of one child toward another, manifesting through bullying and name-calling. Steven is one of the child care attendees who regularly calls Jessie, an adopted daughter of a gay couple, derogatory names. This caused much of Jessie’s distress as well as her parents’ dissatisfaction as they said that their daughter was distraught and did not want to return to daycare because of Steven. The behavior is problematic not only because of Jessie’s distress but also because of its recurrence despite notes from daycare staff to Steven to act respectfully and stop offending the girl. The daycare manager hypothesized that Steven’s behavior was most likely associated with what he had heard from his family.
The resolution of the conflict must involve a meeting with Steven’s and Jessie’s parents and the daycare’s manager to facilitate a three-way negotiation. The situation must be classified as an act of bullying and discriminatory behavior, presenting recorded evidence from daycare staff regarding Steven’s behavior. The boy’s parents should be informed that his actions caused distress to another attendee and asked to carry out an educational and disciplinary conversation with their son. In the confrontation between Steven’s parents and Jessie’s parents, the daycare manager will play the role of the mediator and facilitator because it is important to hear both sides of the argument, mainly if the boy’s parents do not act apologetically. Steven and his parents will be asked to participate in a diversity class for preschoolers to get educated on the inappropriateness of discriminatory behaviors in the preschool setting, which celebrates inclusivity and diversity.