Educators are always trying to find innovative and effective ways to reach students academically, socially, and emotionally. And while discipline issues are part of a school environment, how they are handled can greatly impact these aforementioned factors, as well as the attitudes of students and the overall community.
Traditionally, the response to disruptive behavior has been punitive, with the level of punishment increasing with each subsequent “offense.” But what many educators – and society, for that matter – have found is that punishment does not deter these behaviors, and the cycle continues. A highly effective methodology now being used in schools is known as restorative justice, and it’s revolutionizing the way behavior is addressed in the modern education system.
Inspired by ancient practices and values, restorative justice is a theory of justice that emphasizes that strong positive relationships are the foundation of a thriving community. When harm happens all affected by wrongdoing are called to address needs and responsibilities, and to heal the harm to relationships as much as possible. These principles are being applied to workplaces, the justice system and, of course, schools.
Restorative justice in schools is both a philosophy and set of principles and practices that support educators and students in building strong relationships and addressing harmful incidences. RJP does this by supplementing or replacing traditional punitive measures and engaging all parties involved to work together to assess the problem and what caused it, determine fair repercussions or next steps, and determine ways to improve the student’s behavior and prevent future incidents. An EdWeek article outlined the primary aspects of restorative justice programs in practice:
Restorative justice programs aim to find the root cause of a student’s behavior, seek out tools to remedy these issues, and foster positive relationships that decrease the likelihood of reoccurrence. To achieve these goals and ensure participation from all parties, everyone in the school community has a role in fostering a restorative learning environment and hold individuals accountable.
The primary focus of restorative justice is on relationships, with the idea that by working together and investing time in proactive relationships as a school community, teacher-student and student-student relationships can be repaired and strengthened. Many schools are seeing great results – a recent study concluded that RJ programs can improve school climates and reduce student misbehavior and school discipline.
There are many models of restorative justice programs, but a central piece of any restorative practice in the classroom involves circles. The inspiration for circles comes from indigenous practices that invite everyone in a community to sit together in a circle to build community and work through problems as a cohesive unit to foster inclusions, support and healing.
Restorative justice in schools uses circles similarly, with the goal of building a community as a preventative tactic. Through circles, classroom communities can build class norms and expectations to create productive learning environments. Teachers (facilitators) lead students in circles of sharing, where they are free and safe to open up about their goals, fears or any other relevant topic. This is designed to build rapport amongst students, create a shared sense of trust and gives students the responsibility of helping to create the environment they will learn in.
Circles also come into play when a student acts out or an incident occurs. The parties involved and a teacher/facilitator will meet in a circle to:
Because students are directly involved in every aspect of the mediation, including discussion and the plan of action, they are more likely to feel respected and invested in the restorative justice approach.
The following offers an example of potential student outcomes in a traditional punishment structure when compared to a school utilizing Restorative Justice.
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The following is an example of a real incident where restorative justice practices were effectively used, as documented in a University of San Diego case study.
Incident
At a high school in San Diego, two students were involved in a fight based on their distinct racial backgrounds. There wasn’t a long history of conflict between them but one day Alex, a Latino student, called Josh the ‘N’ word as he passed by. Josh confronted him and they ended up going to the bathroom. Alex threw the first punch and then Josh punched him back. Alex fell; while he was trying to get back up, he hit his head on a metal towel rack and he cut his head. Josh´s punch gave Alex a concussion. Josh ran away leaving Alex dizzy and bleeding in the bathroom. Whereas Alex initiated the fight, Josh caused the most physical harm. Some of Alex’s injuries were not Josh’s fault. Josh and Alex were both impacted by harm and responsible for harm. The high school authorities decided to expel Josh from school that day of the fight. San Diego Unified proposed a restorative conference as an alternative to a high-level expulsion.
Restorative Process
The facilitators contacted the students involved and asked them who should participate in the conference. Those in attendance the day of the conference included Alex´s parents, Josh´s mother, a friend of Alex, and a friend of Josh, a teacher that both of them trusted, the school’s counselor, the Vice Principal President (VP), and the two facilitators. The facilitators met individually with each person before the conference to prepare them to discuss the individual harms, the broader impact of the fight, and how they would want to move forward. The conference lasted ninety minutes.
Flowers and stuffed animals related to the school’s mascot comprised the centerpiece of the circle. The introductory question was a one-word check-in. Following the check-in round, Josh took responsibility for the harms he had caused. Next, Alex took responsibility for the harms he caused. The facilitators provided time for both Josh and Alex to reflect on the words they said to one another. Alex was remorseful. It was hard for him to recount the incident in front of his loved ones. Josh took responsibility for the harms he caused and shared his journey suffering racism on a regular basis. Then, the facilitators asked parents, friends, the teacher, the counselor, and the Vice Principal to share the impact the fight had from their perspective. The counselor and the teacher supported Alex and Josh as they processed the larger context of racism surrounding the conflict. According to the teacher and counselor, although the students made wrong choices on the day of the fight, they demonstrated good behavior on other occasions. The facilitators concluded the conference by asking the participants how they wish to move forward.
In the beginning, Alex’s parents were very upset. They didn´t want Josh to come back to school and wanted a refund for the medical bills. However, by the end of the conference, Alex’s parents developed a sense of empathy for Josh and his mother. Further, while initially skeptical of the process of hosting a restorative conference in place of relying on traditional forms of punishment, the Vice Principal was impressed when Alex´s parents requested that Josh returned to school immediately.
Outcomes
Transitioning to a Restorative Justice model is not an overnight process. To help make the evolution more seamless, many schools opt to hire a restorative justice coordinator. These trained professionals help facilitate every part of the restorative program changeover, which may include:
With restorative justice training for educators – either within their school as it implements restorative justice or on their own in a continuing education program – teachers can expect to become facilitators of such programs and advocates for its benefits. What’s more, teachers can also expect to learn how to:
The impact of restorative justice programs may not be immediately evident, but there are certain hallmarks of Restorative Justice program effectiveness and steps you can take to increase the odds of success. The state of Illinois has a restorative justice implementation checklist they share to help streamline onboarding schools into restorative justice programs. Some examples of their must-complete tasks include:
Following implementation, it is common practice for schools and school administrators to survey all participants to gauge the effectiveness of restorative justice programs. Some common survey questions to pose to teachers, students and others following program implementation include:
In addition to surveys, it is critical that schools keep comprehensive records of student attendance, discipline, instances of repeat offenses and behavior related to student-student and student-teacher relationships. Only in comparing those outcomes to data from years prior will schools see the true effectiveness and success of their restorative justice programs.
For school officials interested in becoming certified in restorative justice practices or bringing these programs to their school, consider getting a certificate in Restorative Justice Facilitation and Leadership from the University of San Diego. Our online program is designed for educators who want to become leaders in restorative justice programs, practitioners of restorative programs or just more knowledgeable on the subject. Please contact us to learn more about our online restorative justice training.
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