Untitled Slide

Restorative justice is an alternative model of conflict resolution which focuses less on punishment for broken laws and more on restoring the harm done to relationships

RETRIBUTIVE JUSTICE -TRADITIONAL APPROACH

• Focus is on broken laws
• Punishment is meant to deter
• Can cause resentment and alienation of student
• Doesn't address root issues
• Doesn't address harm done to other person or community

RESTORATIVE JUSTICE

• Focus on repairing harm done to people and relationships
• Allows for all people involved to have a voice and share how they have been affected
• Rooted in the dignity of the human person
• Allows those affected to say what they need in order to heal and move forward

DEVELOPMENT

• Born out of victim-offender mediation in the 1970s
• Has proven widely successful at repairing harm to broken relationships and communities
• It's use has expanding in Australia, New Zeland, Europe and North Amercia
• Has been shown to transform school cultures from hostile to respectful

5 KEY PRINCIPLES

• Invites full participation and consensus
• Seeks to heal what is broken
• Seeks full and direct accountability
• Seeks to unite what has been divided
• Seeks to strengthen the community in order to prevent harms

Untitled Slide

IN THE SCHOOL

• Training for admin, staff, and teachers on how to facilitate talking circles is essential
• Use talking circles to address conflict between students, staff, and teachers
• Emphasize repair to relationships over punishment for breaking rules
• Could be addressed at the beginning of each class during discussion about classroom rules and procedures

Untitled Slide