Schools and Restorative Justice
Unresolved conflict in schools, whether between students, staff or both, can have a destructive impact on a school community and the wellbeing of individuals. Conflict resolution can be draining on school resources and sometimes just too complex to fix. The use of an independent specialist mediator can be a highly valuable option, bringing impartiality, confidentiality and communication skills to the help resolve the issue. In schools this is may be straightforward mediation, as in any workplace (see Workplace and Community Mediation). Alternatively, it may require the practice of restorative justice.
Restorative Justice is a structured approach to wrongs done in the community. It focuses on the wellbeing of both the victims and offenders, and other affected people. It assists with improving future social relationships and addresses underlying causes for behaviour in the wrong doing.
Restorative Justice involves an independent mediator bringing all affected participants (offenders, victims, other affected people, and any support people) together in a group meeting for facilitated discussion.
The aim of a restorative justice process is to:
- Acknowledge wrongs done
- Express and understand the affect of the wrong
- Create a way to repair harm and to prevent the reoccurring of the wrong.
Restorative Justice used in
- Schools
- Universities
- Youth Justice
- Adult Justice
For more information about schools and restorative justice, please see our Resources page, or contact us for a chat.
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