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Building Positive Relationships Through Restorative Justice
Kristen WoodwardConflict Resolution SpecialistFairfax County Public Schools
Student Safety and Wellness [email protected]
571-423-4273
Joan PackerRestorative Practitioner and Trainer
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Objectives
• Understand the core principles of Restorative Practices.
• Understand restorative philosophies, practice skill sets and strategies to build, support and repair relationships.
• Understand how to integrate Restorative Practices with PBA framework
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Good relationships are the basis for learning. Anything that affects relationships, like
inappropriate behavior, impacts learning.
Challenging inappropriate behavior needs to be experienced as an opportunity for learning.
-- Bruce Schenk, Director of the International Institute for Restorative Practices in Canada
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Is what we do opening up our students to
learning or is it shutting them down?
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If a child can’t read, we teach him to read.
If a child can’t do math problems, we teach him how to do math problems.
If a child doesn’t know how to behave, we punish him.
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A student misbehaves in class and her teacher asks her to leave. The student is suspended from school and comes back. Nothing is resolved; nothing is restored.
But with restorative practices, the student is held accountable and given support to resolve the issue, repair the harm and make a plan to ensure that the misbehavior doesn’t happen again. Relationships are restored and community is built.
-Ted Wachtel, International Institute for Restorative Practices
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Retributive
or
Restorative?
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What are Restorative Practices?
• Harm-Focused: How have individuals been harmed? What do they need? – Identify, repair and prevent future harm
• Engagement: Victim, offender, community and schools are involved through a voluntary, facilitated dialogue process
• Responsibility/Obligations: Individuals accept responsibility for their actions
• Repair: Individuals agree to repair harm done
• Prevention: Individuals learn from their mistakes
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Paradigm Shift
Traditional Justice Restorative JusticeSchool and rules violated People and relationships violated
Justice focuses on establishing guilt Justice identifies needs and obligations
Accountability = punishmentAccountability = understanding impact,
repairing harm
Justice directed at offender, victim ignored
Offender, victim and school all have direct roles in justice process
Rules and intent outweigh whether outcome is positive/negative
Offender is responsible for harmful behavior, repairing harm and working
toward positive outcome
No opportunity for remorse or amendsOpportunity given for amends and
expression of remorse
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• Soft on crime/offenders• A way for the offender to avoid consequences• Only for juveniles or less serious crime• A new process• The opposite or substitute for the existing system
Restorative Practices ARE NOT:
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Restorative Practices ARE:
• Victim-centered and victim- sensitive
• And an opportunity:- for victims to have a voice- for participants to take responsibility for their actions- for offenders to listen to those affected by
their actions- to learn how to start changing their behavior
Social Discipline WindowTed Wachtel, International Institute for Restorative Practices
TOPunitive
BlamingStigmatizing
WITHRestorative
CooperatingCollaborating
Taking responsibilityBeing accountable
NEGLECTFULIgnoringSurviving
NOT
PERMISSIVERescuingExcusing
Reasoning
FOR
LOW
HIGH
HIGH
Cont
rol
(lim
it se
tting
& d
isci
plin
e)
Support (encouragement, nurture)
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Leadership StylesPunitive
Characteristics ResultsCompliance is forced ResentmentPower hoarded De-valued Information is power MistrustFear of engagement Withdrawn/Acting Out
Restorative
Characteristics Results Authoritative Foster respect for allCollaborative Shared powerEngaging CooperativeFocused on strengths Maximize resources/respect
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Goals of Restorative Justice
• The process and the journey.• Open communication between the parties – not
forcing an apology or giving / accepting forgiveness (although these are helpful).
• Helping people understand how their harmful actions have impacted others.
• When harm happens, it creates needs that participants deal with through open communication. Working with these needs is a key goal of restorative justice.
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Withdrawal
Attac
k O
ther Att
ack Self
Avoidance
Attack Other:“Turning the tables”Blaming the victim
Lashing out verballyor physically /
bullying
The Compass of ShameWithdrawal:
Isolating oneselfRunning and hiding / truancy
Attack Self:Self put-down
MasochismEating
disordersSelf
mutilization
Avoidance:Denial, Abusing drugs and alcohol, Distraction through thrill seeking
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Continuum of Restorative Practices
Foundation of RespectFoundation
of Respect
Restorative Conferences
Victim-Offender Dialogue
Circle Processes
Small, Impromptu Conferences
Restorative Inquiry / Restorative Reflection
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Setting the FoundationRespect: What does it look like?• Inquire in private• Appropriate timing• Stay neutral• Listen (Use active, non-judgmental listening)• Ask / seek to understand• Watch your body language• “Words can be windows or walls”• Utilize the ‘Golden Rule--’ treat others like you
would want to be treated!
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Restorative Inquiry:Responding to challenging behavior
– What happened?– What were you thinking of at the time?– What have you thought about since?– Who has been affected by what you have
done? In what way?– What do you think you need to do to make
things right?
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Restorative Inquiry:Listening to those who have been harmed
• What did you think when you realized 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 Circles
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“Circles are a form of participatory democracy”Kay Pranis
An Overview of Restorative Circles
• Value of circles:– Everyone is respected– Everyone speaks without interruption– Everyone explains their own story– Everyone is equal– Emotional aspects are welcome
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An Overview of Restorative Circles
• Reasons to use a circle:– Make a decision together– Settle a disagreement– Addressing harm– Building community– Celebrating an accomplishment– Sharing struggles– Learning from each other
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Types of Restorative Circles
• Community Building• Talking• Understanding• Celebration• Support *• Conflict *• Reintegration *• Healing * *May require support from the Counselor, Social Worker, AP or School
Psychologist
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Circle Process Participation Guidelines
• Listen with respect.• Each person gets a chance to talk.• One person talks at a time without
interruptions.• Speak for yourself, not as the representative
of any group.• It’s ok to disagree; no name-calling or
attacking.• You can pass your turn.
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The Transformation of West Philadelphia High School: A Story of Hope
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Beneficial Findings • Hull, England:
– Improved staff attendance by 63 %– Decreased student drug use– Suspensions decreased by 81 %– Student tardiness decreased by 87 %– Parents felt more connected to school“Where respect and safety are the norm and
problems get sorted out.”
Integration of RP and PBIS
• PBIS gives the school the structure within which to model, teach and reinforce positive pro-social skills, and consistently provide learning opportunities designed to increase demonstration of these skills
• RP gives schools the opportunity to focus on the needs of the individuals involved and repairing relationships rather than focusing on punitive measures
Restorative Approach (WITH rather than TO, FOR, NOT)Fair Process: engage, explain, expectation clarity
Modeling respectAffective statements
Circles: Community Building, Celebration, Learning, Dialogue
Getting to know the individualDeveloping social emotional skills/social capital
Listening /Giving students a voiceBeing non-judgmental
An ethos of care and justice
UNIVERSAL: Building and Supporting Positive
Relationships
INTERVENTION:Restoring
Relationships
Circles*Conferences
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Points to contemplate…
“There is no evidence that zero tolerance policies improve student behavior, the school climate, or school safety.”
“In fact, research has found that such policies lead to more suspensions, school drop outs, and deviant behavior.”
“Between 1991 and 2007, Illinois public school suspension rates increased 56% and expulsion rates more than doubled.”
Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (2009). Implementing Restorative Justice: A guide for schools. (#10-017). Chicago, IL.
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May your restorative practice journey help you to build and heal relationships,
therefore strengthening your community.
Trainings available!
Thank you for coming!Kristen Woodward
Joan Packer
