Chapter 11: Restorative Justice
Discussion Points
Restorative Justice is an example of helping students explore the consequences of their own actions and can be an effective intervention for many students with a variety of emotional and behavioral issues, including students exposed to trauma. These students sometimes employ abusive language or violence as a “defense mechanism” and a restorative justice circle can often help these students see the negative impacts of their actions. Implementation of this school-wide strategy generally involves one or more persons at the school taking the task of managing the restorative circle discussions, and the case study in the chapter provides guidance on how the circle should work. These video examples will also help, and the first video below specifically targets students exposed to trauma in the community.
Recommended Videos
Chicago Public Schools: A Restorative Approach to Discipline:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5r1yvyP141U
This video shows students exposed to trauma in Chicago discussing how restorative justice works in their schools. It contrasts use of restorative justice to suspension from schools and emphasizes students taking responsibility for their actions, from the perspective of the school principal, and school security officer. This also discusses the relationship between restorative justice and conflict resolution. The teachers discuss significant changes in schools as a result of this school-wide effort.
Edutopia: Using Dialogue Circles to Support Classroom Management: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTr4v0eYigM
This example explores the use of circles in a California elementary school to help manage the classroom and deal with disciplinary issues. One example, shows the use of mindfulness exercises as a part of the morning circle. Also, one teacher has students evaluate their mood/emotions by numeric scale. Thus, this video places mood self-regulation and mindfulness within the context of restorative circles.
This video shows students exposed to trauma in Chicago discussing how restorative justice works in their schools. It contrasts use of restorative justice to suspension from schools and emphasizes students taking responsibility for their actions, from the perspective of the school principal, and school security officer. This also discusses the relationship between restorative justice and conflict resolution. The teachers discuss significant changes in schools as a result of this school-wide effort.
Edutopia: Using Dialogue Circles to Support Classroom Management: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTr4v0eYigM
This example explores the use of circles in a California elementary school to help manage the classroom and deal with disciplinary issues. One example, shows the use of mindfulness exercises as a part of the morning circle. Also, one teacher has students evaluate their mood/emotions by numeric scale. Thus, this video places mood self-regulation and mindfulness within the context of restorative circles.
Additional Resources
IIRP.edu — The International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP) is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to promoting restorative practices in education, criminal justice, and other fields. They offer a range of training and support options for schools looking to implement restorative justice practices, including online courses, webinars, and in-person training sessions. In addition, the IIRP provides resources such as books, articles, and research on restorative justice practices in schools.
NEA.org — The National Education Association (NEA) is a national organization that advocates for public education and the rights of educators and students. They offer resources and support for schools interested in implementing restorative justice practices, including a guide on creating a restorative school culture and tips for using restorative justice in discipline practices. The NEA also provides professional development opportunities for teachers and administrators interested in learning more about restorative justice.
CASEL.org — The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting social and emotional learning in schools. They offer a variety of resources and tools for schools interested in implementing restorative justice practices, including a guide on integrating social and emotional learning with restorative practices and a toolkit for implementing restorative practices in schools.
NEA.org — The National Education Association (NEA) is a national organization that advocates for public education and the rights of educators and students. They offer resources and support for schools interested in implementing restorative justice practices, including a guide on creating a restorative school culture and tips for using restorative justice in discipline practices. The NEA also provides professional development opportunities for teachers and administrators interested in learning more about restorative justice.
CASEL.org — The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting social and emotional learning in schools. They offer a variety of resources and tools for schools interested in implementing restorative justice practices, including a guide on integrating social and emotional learning with restorative practices and a toolkit for implementing restorative practices in schools.
These resources were obtained from: Johnes, S. (2023). Why every school needs a restorative justice approach: 3 examples, and 7 steps guide. Retrieved on 9/1/23 from: https://scienceandliteracy.org/restorative-justice-in-schools/#google_vignette