From intimate relationships to global politics, Sarah Schulman observes a continuum: that inflated accusations of harm are used to avoid accountability. Illuminating the difference between Conflict and Abuse, Schulman directly addresses our contemporary culture of scapegoating. This deep, brave, and bold work reveals how punishment replaces personal and collective self-criticism, and shows why difference is so often used to justify cruelty and shunning. Rooting the problem of escalation in negative group relationships, Schulman illuminates the ways cliques, communities, families, and religious, racial, and national groups bond through the refusal to change their self-concept.
Hate to pull a JP here, but the answer really depends on how you define "conflict". Most other words in recent times have been twisted beyond recognition. Rape is now defined as broadly as placing your hand on someones knee or in some cases not even involving physical contact. So I have to assume the modern definition of "conflict" is equally contorted.
By normal/traditional definition, conflict can mean violence and all out war. In that sense it could constitute abuse, but that doesn't mean all conflict have the same implications.