“These are roles these kids play, and we want to … have them rewrite their own script,†says Barbara Coloroso, an educator and author on bullying. What’s needed, she says, is “accountability where justice is served for the family and healing takes place†– rather than either of the two extremes that some in the public have called for: locking up the teens or not holding them accountable at all.
After the teens have admitted they’ve done wrong, the next step in restorative justice is to fix what they can, Ms. Coloroso says. While they can’t undo Ms. Prince’s death, they should take steps to remove from the Internet the hurtful comments they made about her, Coloroso says. Second, they should work to ensure they never engage in bullying again, and she hopes they’ll go into schools to do preventive work.
Third, she says, they should privately make some attempt to reconcile with Prince’s family, when the family is ready. (The court ordered that they not have contact with the family unless the family consents.)
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