New directions in whole‐school restorative justice implementation

Thalia González, Heather Sattler, Annalise J. Buth

Conflict Resolution Quarterly · 2018 · 106 citations · 27 references

Concepts

TL;DR

Whole‑school restorative justice interventions are the most effective for improving student outcomes, yet most studies only examine early implementation stages, and this model seeks to embed theory and practice directly into academic curriculum. The article presents a multiyear case study of a small urban high school to examine whole‑school restorative justice implementation. The study shows that the model democratizes restorative justice by having students take lead practitioner roles, contrasting with adult‑led approaches.

Abstract

Research on school‐based restorative justice demonstrates that whole‐school interventions are the most effective for improving student outcomes. Despite rapid growth of restorative justice, few studies capture more than the first stage of implementation. This article aims to fill this gap by presenting a multiyear case study of a small urban high school (2011–2018). The whole‐school model explores new directions for the field by placing theory and practice directly into academic curriculum. Further, it democratizes restorative justice as students assume lead roles as practitioners, a departure from the dominant model in schools where restorative approaches are developed and led by adults.

References

27