What is the conflict between Scout and Cecil Jacobs, and how does it proceed then conclude? What does this evidence about Scout’s maturity?

Cecil Jacobs, teases Scout, saying that her father "defends niggers". Scout will not accept insults about her father and fights Cecil. Later, she asks Atticus what the phrase means, and he explains that he has decided to defend a black man named Tom Robinson, who lives in a settlement behind the town dump. Atticus says many of the town people think he ought not defend Tom because he is black. Scout asks why he's still doing it if people don't want him to, and Atticus responds that if he didn't take the case, he wouldn't be able to "hold up my head in town," represent his county in the legislature, or even tell his children what to do. Scout's initial response, fighting, to Cicil's taunts can be seen as childish, Atticus is gently guiding her to fight racism and injustice in ways other than violence.