Abstract
This study analyzed three-year-old children's reactions to conflicts among themselves in a classroom situation based on one-year child-care records by the teachers and video records of the conflict scenes. We describe five episodes to show the changes of the children's reactions. During the early period of the class, children generally assumed an indifferent attitude towards others' conflicts, whereas they often began to interfere as the year went on. This behavior indicates social behavior related to other children's conflicts begins to develop during age three. Their behaviors changed from that of a simple reaction, such as trying to stop conflicts, to the more complex response of supporting one side or taking expedient actions for settling the conflict. It is necessary for teachers to do appropriate behavior in dealing with children's conflicts not only for the well-being of the quarreling children but also for the benefit of those children on the fringe, who will often imitate any mitigating behaviors of the teacher.
