Introduction to Restorative Approaches

Where does the approach come from?

• Canada 1974

• US and UK 1980’s

• New Zealand 1980’s

• Australia 1990’s

• UK again mid 1990’s

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

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

Skills

Values

Interactionwith others

The values The values that that

underpin a underpin a commitmencommitmen

t to t to building, building,

maintaining maintaining & repairing & repairing relationshiprelationship

ss

Mutual respect, empowerment, collaboration, valuing others,

integrity, honesty, openness, trust, tolerance

The skills The skills that that

underpin a underpin a commitmencommitmen

t to t to building, building,

maintaining maintaining & repairing & repairing relationshiprelationship

ss

Emotional articulacy,empathy,

open-mindedness, active non-judgemental listening,

conflict management skills

Mutual respect, empowerment, collaboration, valuing others, integrity,

honesty, openness, trust, tolerance

Interactionwith others

Interactionwith others

Emotional articulacy,empathy,

open-mindedness, active non-judgemental listening,

conflict management skills

Mutual respect, empowerment, collaboration, valuing others, integrity,

honesty, openness, trust, tolerance

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?

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?

The Traditional Approach

• What’s happened?

• Who started it?

• What response is appropriate to deter and punish?

The Restorative Approach

• What’s happened?

• Who has been affected or harmed?

• How can those involved be supported in finding ways to repair the harm caused?

What do I need when I’ve 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 won’t happen again• To draw a line underneath it

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 won’t happen again• To get back on friendly terms

What do I need when I’ve 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 won’t

happen again• To draw a line

underneath it

What do I need when I’ve 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

won’t happen again• To get back on friendly

terms

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 ?

The Restorative Mindset

The Restorative Chat

Mediation

Informal group mediation/conference

Formal restorative conference

Circles – Circle time; classroom conferences;Staff problem-solving circles; parent circles etc

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

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

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

Local initiatives?

Referral Order Panels

Initial Planning Meetings

Acceptable BehaviourContracts

Anti Social Behaviour

Orders

Sefton Centre for Restorative

Practice

Schools

Partner Agencies

RJ Conferences

Family Group Conferences

YISP

SecondaryPeer Mediation

Behaviour Improvement Programme

Education Action Zone ?

Parenting Programmes

Housing Organisations

Adapted from a model developed by Sefton Centre for Restorative

Practices

Neighbour Disputes

Community Conferences Children’s Fund

YOT

Community Safety

Partner Agencies

Restorative Barnet

Schools

Victim Inclusion Services

KS3 Behaviour and Support

Primary

Community Sentences

Custodial Sentences

Health

Looked after Children

Transforming ConflictNational Centre for RestorativeJustice in Youth Settings,Mortimer Hill,MortimerBerksRG7 3PW

Tel/fax 0118 9331520Belinda@transformingconflict.orgwww.transformingconflict.org