Introduction to Restorative Approaches

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Introduction to Restorative Approaches
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Where does the approach come from?

• Canada 1974
• US and UK 1980s
• New Zealand 1980s
• Australia 1990s
• UK again mid 1990s

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What is Restorative Justice?

• A commitment to
• Facilitating dialogue between all those affected
  by the wrongdoing or conflict
• Encouraging those responsible for the harm to
  become accountable for their actions and
  responsible for putting right the wrong
• Ensuring that all those involved or affected are
  given the opportunity to share their story, their
  feelings and their needs
• Involving everyone affected in finding mutually
  acceptable ways forward
• Repairing the harm caused by any behaviour that
  has a negative impact on others
• Repairing, or at times building, relationships
  between those affected

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• A restorative approach is all about
  relationships making, maintaining and, when
  necessary, repairing relationships

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Interaction with others
Skills
Values
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The values that underpin a commitment to
building, maintaining repairing relationships
Mutual respect, empowerment, collaboration,
valuing others, integrity, honesty, openness,
trust, tolerance
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The skills that underpin a commitment to
building, maintaining repairing relationships
Emotional articulacy, empathy, open-mindedness,
active non-judgemental listening, conflict
management skills
Mutual respect, empowerment, collaboration,
valuing others, integrity, honesty, openness,
trust, tolerance
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Emotional articulacy, empathy, open-mindedness,
active non-judgemental listening, conflict
management skills
Mutual respect, empowerment, collaboration,
valuing others, integrity, honesty, openness,
trust, tolerance
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When dealing with wrongdoing or conflict, is your
response informed by relationship values and
skills?

• Do you invite young people to give you,
  individually, their perspective on what has
  happened?
• Are you genuinely curious about their thoughts
  and feelings at the time of the incident and
  since?
• Do you invite them to consider who else may have
  been affected?
• Do you invite them to consider what needs to
  happen to put matters right?
• Do you ask them what their own personal needs are
  for closure and repair?

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Do you manage to refrain from

• Using your body or your tone to show disapproval?
• Giving your own opinion or judgement about what
  has happened?
• Taking sides?
• Assuming you know what has happened and why?
• Telling people what they should do?
• Offering unasked for advice?
• Insisting people apologise and make up?

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The Traditional Approach

• Whats happened?
• Who started it?
• What response is appropriate to deter and punish?

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The Restorative Approach

• Whats happened?
• Who has been affected or harmed?
• How can those involved be supported in finding
  ways to repair the harm caused?

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• What do I need when Ive been harmed?
• An apology
• An empathetic listener
• Amends made
• The other person to understand what has upset me
• To be respected
• To be allowed to have emotion
• Support and positive reinforcement
• Reassurance it wont happen again
• To draw a line underneath it

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• What do I need when I have harmed
• someone else?
• To apologise
• Someone to talk to
• Time to put things right
• To make it up to them
• A chance to explain to other person and myself
• To feel better about it
• and about myself
• To be forgiven
• To reassure them/myself it wont happen again
• To get back on friendly terms

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• What do I need when Ive been harmed?
• An apology
• An empathetic listener
• Amends made
• The other person to understand what has upset me
• To be respected
• To be allowed to have emotion
• Support and positive reinforcement
• Reassurance it wont happen again
• To draw a line underneath it

• What do I need when Ive harmed someone else?
• To apologise
• Someone to talk to
• Time to put things right
• To make it up to them
• A chance to explain to other person and myself
• To feel better about it
• and about myself
• To be forgiven
• To reassure them/myself it wont happen again
• To get back on friendly terms

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The Five Magic Questions

• What happened?
• What were you thinking?
• How were you feeling?
• Who else has been affected by this?
• What do you need, and what needs to happen now,
  so that the harm can be repaired ?

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The Restorative Mindset
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The Restorative Chat
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Mediation
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Informal group
mediation/conference
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Formal restorative conference
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Circles Circle time classroom
conferences Staff problem-solving circles
parent circles etc
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The restorative challenge

• to address conflicts and harmful situations in a
  way that, at the very least, does not harm
  relationships, and at best builds and repairs
  them
• to empower those involved in conflict or harmful
  situations to take ownership of these and find
  ways forward for themselves

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• What opportunities do you have for making your
  work with young people more restorative?

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• What opportunities do you have for making your
  working environment more restorative?

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KS3 Behaviour and Support Primary
Secondary
Victim Inclusion Services
Family Group Conferences
Peer Mediation
YISP
Health
Initial Planning Meetings
Schools
Parenting Programmes
YOT
Schools
Referral Order Panels
Custodial Sentences
RJ Conferences
Community Sentences
Restorative Barnet
Sefton Centre for Restorative Practice
Behaviour Improvement Programme
Education Action Zone ?
Acceptable Behaviour Contracts
Local initiatives?
Partner Agencies
Partner Agencies
Neighbour Disputes
Community Safety
Looked after Children
Anti Social Behaviour Orders
Community Conferences
Housing Organisations Adapted from a model
developed by Sefton Centre for Restorative
Practices
Childrens Fund
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• Transforming Conflict
• National Centre for Restorative
• Justice in Youth Settings,
• Mortimer Hill,
• Mortimer
• Berks
• RG7 3PW
• Tel/fax [phone]
• Belinda_at_transformingconflict.org
• www.transformingconflict.org