What is restorative justice in schools?

Restorative justice empowers students to resolve conflicts on their own and in small groups, and it’s a growing practice at schools around the country. Essentially, the idea is to bring students together in peer-mediated small groups to talk, ask questions, and air their grievances.

What is a restorative approach to discipline?

In a discipline setting, restorative discipline is a way of dealing with bad behavior without only punishing offenders. Traditional modes of discipline focus on punishing bad behavior or offenders. Restorative discipline flips that script, focusing on repairing the harm done to people.

What is a restorative approach to Behaviour management?

A restorative approach is a way of working with conflict that puts the focus on repairing the harm that has been done. It asks all parties to share what their involvement was, how the incident of conflict has affected them and to agree what needs to be done for things to be put right.

Is Anti-bullying Act effective?

Emerging evidence indicates that anti-bullying laws and policies can be effective in reducing bullying among school-aged youth. The research is clear that “zero tolerance” policies are not effective in reducing bullying. Additional research is needed to study which policies and laws are effective in reducing bullying.

What are some examples of restorative justice in schools?

Verbally apologize to the teacher and fellow students with a promise to contribute more positively in the future. Request that peers hold him/her accountable. Spend a week assisting the teacher with classroom supervision or clean-up. Bullying younger students Sent to in-school suspension; have privileges removed.

How effective is restorative justice in schools?

According to the NEPC brief, research shows that restorative justice programs have helped reduce exclusionary discipline and narrow the glaring racial disparities in how discipline is meted out in schools. The evidence is a bit more mixed or inconclusive on two other fronts: school climate and student development.

Does Restorative Justice in Schools Work?

What are examples of restorative practices?

Popular examples of restorative processes include affective statements, community-building circles, small impromptu conferencing, and setting classroom agreements or norms. In the Restorative Justice community, it can take three to five years to implement restorative practices within a school site.