**4.2 Approaching kindergarten age: "Faustlos"**

Empathy as well as the competence to change one's perspective are key issues in the prevention of violent acting. In Germany, Mollenhauer et al. [54] elaborated on such in what can still be called a basic reference textbook on how socialization in family and society works, i.e., from a psychosocially integrated perspective. The second International Conference on Social-Emotional Learning, which took place at the University of Heidelberg [138] reactivated that perspective exploring both differences and similarities in countries and cultures, so that a multinational background makes sure concepts are compatible with each other [139].

A program for kindergartens like "Faustlos" [140–142], which has been designed for four-to-six-year-olds, seems to be most effective in preschoolers, yet even younger children participating in it will benefit as well. It is an adaptation of Seattle-based program, "Second Step" [143], translated to German-speaking countries as "no fists." The program has been developed and evaluated at the University of Heidelberg [144, 145]; a pre/post randomized control trial behavioral study proved the program to be effective especially as to a decrease of verbal aggression in children [15, 115, 116, 146, 147]. Competencies of self-regulation turned out to be of paramount importance, something, which is especially difficult in traumatized and insecurely attached children. Though not replacing therapy, "Faustlos" offers a wide variety of techniques and strategies for children to learn how to cope with inner impulses. Also, the program is conducted by constant relational persons in a closed group cycle of 1 year. This gives children a secure realm of learning and transfer in which no-one is excluded from the group. Instead, children learn from one another how to apply "Faustlos" competencies and dicta in everyday life. In order to increase favorable effects intergenerationally, the program makes use of involving parents reaching out to improve dealings with their children, regardless of age. Social-emotional learning aims at skills and competencies to be learned within an interactional framework. At the heart of "Faustlos" there are three issues to be transferred to children: getting to know empathy and the training to be empathic,

learning to be capable of controlling one's impulses, and dealing with emotions of anger and rage. These issues are playfully dealt with by way of 28 continuous lessons. Each lesson contains a story that is told by the educator and is illustrated by an accompanying picture. Each lesson is structured the same way: at first, the topic of the lesson is outlined by playfully fantasying what the lesson will bring. Moreover, hand puppets (a toy dog and a toy snail) open up getting in contact with each other, further illustrating the issue of the lesson to come. This is followed by the actual lesson in which the story is told, is shown in the picture, and is discussed with the group. Role-playing, or alternative exercises at the end of the lesson will make sure the transfer to everyday life of children is initiated. Additionally, the educator is advised to return to the contents of the lesson during the following week. Ideally, one lesson per week is conducted. Since children learn how to cope with inner impulses, the range of possible reactions in stressful and conflict situations is broadened. Moreover, the aspect of mastering transitional stages seems quite important to both boys and girls participating in the program, which in the face of missing rites has a point in its own right [148, 149]. While male and female processes of individuation as reflected in ancient robinsonades show the male one to be rather abrupt and sometimes revolutionary, the female rather processual and preserving—still it is transformation proper [7]—in programs like this, transition as a developmental process should be examined.
