Empirical Analysis of the Relationship Between Drama Training and Conflict Communication Skills Among Correctional Service Officers in Nigeria

Correctional service officers who manage volatile inmate populations require sophisticated conflict communication skills, and drama training offers experiential learning in perspective-taking, de-escalation, and non-violent communication that empirical research has not yet validated in Nigerian correctional contexts. This study empirically investigated the impact of drama training on conflict communication skills among Nigerian Correctional Service officers in Lagos, Kano, and Enugu Correctional Centres. A pre-post quasi-experimental design was employed, providing 60 officers with a 10-day drama training programme focusing on role reversal, improvisation, and scenario-based conflict communication while 60 matched officers in a comparison condition received standard communication training. The Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument and a validated de-escalation skills observation scale were administered before and after training. Drama-trained officers showed significantly larger improvements in collaborative and compromising conflict styles (p < 0.001) and significantly higher de-escalation skills scores on the observational scale (p < 0.001). Standard training showed modest improvements in knowledge but smaller skill gains. NCoS supervisors who observed post-training officer performance rated drama-trained officers as significantly more effective in managing potentially violent situations. The study provides original empirical evidence for drama training in the correctional service and recommends NCoS incorporate drama-based communication training into officer induction and continuing professional development, establish an ongoing training partnership with NCAC drama practitioners, and evaluate officer retention and disciplinary incident rates annually. Keywords: drama training, conflict communication, correctional service officers, Nigeria, empirical study