Restorative+Justice

This website is intended for informational purposes only. It is provided as a service to the school psychology community as well as those with an expressed interest in school psychology. We do not guarantee the currency or accuracy of the information contained in this site. Individuals should in all cases contact the appropriate agencies and expertise to confirm current requirements. =RESTORATIVE JUSTICE=

The main focus of restorative practices in school communities to manage conflict is repairing harm and strengthening relationships. The restorative approach focuses on what happened, what harm has resulted and what needs to be done to make things right. The more traditional, adversarial approach has focussed on” what happened? who is to blame?, and what punishment or sanction is needed?”. For punishment and sanctions to be effective in changing behaviours they need to be delivered in a context that provides meaning and relevance. =FAIR PROCESS= Restorative justice is based on the use of FAIR PROCESS. What is fair process? Fair process builds trust and commitment, voluntary cooperation, moral development, and stronger relationships. =Restorative Questions= When challenging behaviour, the following questions achieve fair process: =Supplementary Questions for those harmed by the actions=
 * Principle 1**: Engagement: involving students and their families in decisions that affect them, by asking for their input so they can tell their story.
 * Principle 2**: Explanation: everyone involved and affected should understand why final decisions are made as they are. This creates a powerful feed back loop that enhances learning.
 * Principle 3**: Expectation clarity: once decisions are made, new rules are clearly stated, so that students and their families understand the new standards and sanctions for failure to honour undertakings.
 * What happened?
 * What were you thinking at the time?
 * What have you thought about since?
 * Who has been affected by what you did?
 * In what way?
 * What do you think you need to do to put things right?
 * What did you think when you realised what had happened?
 * What impact has this incident had on you and others?
 * What has been the hardest thing for you?
 * What do you think needs to happen to make things right?

Restorative practices can happen along a continuum from the informal level, e.g. making a statement to a student like “as your teacher I have found you to be a pleasant and conscientious young person, but when I observed your manner in dealing with Mrs Smith, I felt disappointed and let down”, through to dealing with an incident in a small group, through to a larger more formal conference. It is always important to use the language of restorative justice and in the formal group to follow the script and order of presenting the story.