Restorative Justice Effectiveness towards High School students 1

Restorative Justice Effectiveness towards High School students

Elissia Paniagua
National Louis University

Restorative Justice Effectiveness towards High School students 2

Introduction

The practice of restorative justice is essential for developing adolescents, as they are
given an opportunity to improve and earn from their mistakes as opposed to being treated like
criminals. Restorative justice allows individuals to be accountable of their actions. Instead of
seeking punishment individuals are given the opportunity to restore the problem between
themselves and the offender. The concept allows the offender to gain a sense of awareness to
correct behavior. For the purpose of this paper, Restorative justice works to resolve a conflict
and repair harm. It encourages those who have caused harm to acknowledge the impact of what
they have done and gives them an opportunity to make reparation. The working process of
restorative justice strives to resolve the wellbeing of victims, offenders and communities
damaged by crime, and prevent further offending (Liebmann, M, 2007, p. 25).
Restorative justice allows individuals to be accountable for their actions. Instead of
seeking punishment they are given the opportunity to restore the problem between themselves
and the offender. The concept is it allow the offender to gain a sense of awareness to correct
behavior. Restorative justice focuses on resolving negative interactions and promoting positive
behavior among one another. Delinquent acts not only affect individuals but also the community,
therefore it is best to correct behaviors prior it to having a hard impact on the entire community.
In doing so, the amount of school suspensions are decreased. It seems to always be easier to
punish a person for his or her actions. With the help of restorative justice a student is provided

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with the mind set to fully understand the entire situation in order to resolve the problem and
avoid future negative behavior. Students are allowed to grasp a full understanding and reasoning
behind their negative actions in order to learn from their mistakes and critically make more
complex choices. Restorative justice, is not defined in terms of those to blame receiving due
punishment, rather taking all those affected by an offence and finding a mutually agreeable way
forward and in this respect offers something new to developing a behavior management policy
(Standing, 2012, p. 356).

Zero Tolerance

According to the High HOPES Campaign in 2006, the Board of Chicago Public Schools
(CPS) officially stripped the language of zero-tolerance from the CPS Student Code of
Conduct and declared that it recognizes and embraces the philosophy of restorative justice.
However, it is still a working process which is yet to change the culture of zero tolerance in
Chicago Public Schools. A year was spent researching the current need for restorative justice in
schools, which was conducted by the High Hopes campaign made up of students, parents,
educators, and community members. The study determined student suspensions and expulsions
do not make schools any safer although they do negatively affect the community. Students who
are suspended and expelled are deprived from an education, causing a long damaging affect in
their academic achievement (2016, p. 2).

Standing, The focus of the studies reviewed is to change and challenge the conventional
view of crime and punishment in education and to look at a more towards restoration rather

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than retribution (2012, p. 360). Rethinking Zero Tolerance 2014, Stucki explains the new
approach in disciplining students is by keeping them in school and out of prison. Since the
1990s, the approach in disciplining students was resulted in harsh punishment such as
suspensions and expulsions. The new approach, restorative justice aims to help students rebuild
their involvement in the school community along with allowing them to repair their actions (p.
1).

Restorative Justice approaches

Restorative justice is a process with a wide range of approaches such as mediation, victim
and offender mediations, reparation, victim offender conferencing, and victim awareness work.
All in which work together in building both the victim and offender. Victims have the
opportunity to learn about the offender, express and discuss issues with the offender, understand
the offender, at times even an apology is discussed. The offender is given the opportunity to take
responsibility, understand the cause and effect of actions, apologize and access future appropriate
behavior (Liebmann, M, 2007, p. 33-36). Restorative justice practices may take a number of
approaches all leading to the similar common interest of resolving conflict, repairing damage to
relationships and most importantly restoring peace within schools and communities (Standing,
2012, p. 357).

Effectiveness

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In 2009, Oakland Unified School District took the restorative justice approach to offer
support for social, emotional, and physical well-being of student. Student became more focused
as the environment changed. Nineteen Oakland schools received awards for reducing
suspensions. Restorative justice practices cut suspensions by more than half, embracing it
attempt in the culture of discipline. Restorative justice is not a program, its a way of being
(Khadaroo, 2013, p. 2&3).
Gardner (2014), schools are not a place for heavy punishment and removal of bad
students in order to maintain a school culture. Schools are to be filled with adults who sincerely
strive on building students with a similar mission to help students excel. The core values for a
successful climate change was the desire to help students transform their mistakes and bad
choices into learning experiences. A culture where students can learn to understand the dynamics
of their behavior in order to correct their behavior (p. 10). A culture where students are taught
how to correct their behavior as opposed to being reprimanded for their actions. Integrating
restorative justice practices into the everyday school life is a critical way of improving the
culture and climate of a school in order to support the social and emotional learning and the
academic performance of all students and strengthen partnerships among all stakeholders ( High
Hopes campaign, 2012, p. 5).

Benefits that enable outcome

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Restorative justice is designed to strengthen and repair relationships. The philosophy and
practices bring students who misbehaved with those who were affected in order to establish
accountability, repair harm and prevent further misconduct. The use of restorative justice makes
schools a safer place as relationships are improved amongst staff, students, parents and the
community. As a result, restorative practices help lower suspensions, expulsions, and arrest rates.
When schools are faced with high levels of suspensions and expulsions they also face high levels
of dropout rates. (High Hopes campaign, 2012, p. 4-5).

Conclusion

In conclusion, successful restorative justice provides individuals with the proper mindset
to fully understand their misconduct and inappropriate behavior. Offenders are not treated as
criminals but given an opportunity to restore and correct their behavior. There is a quote that
comes to mind regarding the concept of restorative justice by, Benjamin Franklin Tell me and I
forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn. A person can be corrected time and
time again, they can even be reprimanded for their actions over and over again. It is not until an
individual is fully involved and made aware of the overall circumstances that they find a sense
understanding.

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References

Gardner, T. (2014). Make Students Part of the Solution, Not the Problem. Oakland, Sage
Publications

High Hopes Campaign. (2012) From Policy to Standard Practice: Restorative Justice in Chicago
Public Schools. High Hopes Campaign.
Retrieved from
http://www.dignityinschools.org/policy-standard-practice-restorative-justice-chicago-publicschools
Khadaroo, S. T. (2013). Restorative justice: One high school's path to reducing suspensions by
half. The Christian Science Publication Society
Liebmann, M. (2007). Restorative justice: How it works. London. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Standing, V., Fearon, C., & Dee, T. (2012). Investigating the Value of Restorative Practice: An
Action Research Study of One Boy in a Mixed Secondary School. Canterbury. Emerald
Group Publication
Stucki, B. W. (2014). Rethinking zero tolerance: a new approach to discipline seeks to keep kids
in school and, ultimately, out of prison. Princeton. American Prospect