Case Studies

Articles discussing the use of restorative practices in individual cases.

Restorative justice stops fights, keeps kids in schools

from Nelson Garcia's article on 9News.com: Juan Salazar used to be one of those students who got into trouble for fighting at North High School. Now he uses words instead of fists. "If someone bumped into me, I started saying something," Salazar, a senior, said. "It always led to a fight." It also always led to a suspension.

St Rita's College Clayfield rocked by cheating scandal

From Tanya Chilcott's article in Courier-Mail: A leading Brisbane private girls' school has been rocked by a cheating scandal after a group of students was caught just weeks before graduation. St Rita's College principal Dale Morrow said the incident, the first of its kind in her eight years at the Clayfield school, had been "a very difficult" time for all involved..... ....It is understood one girl attained the answers from a teacher's computer and passed them on.

Angela's tears - A presentation on the São Paulo RJ projects in Rio de Janeiro

From the post at the Restorative Circles Blog Yesterday was the first formal presentation of the São Paulo RJ project, 'Justiça e educação', to the justice and education communities in Rio de Janeiro. Most of those who have made these projects possible - in São Caetano do Sul, in Guarulhos, in Heliopolis, in Campinas and elsewhere - spoke, and even though the city was under the second day of torrential rain and it was the friday before a holiday weekend, there wasn't a free seat and many stood until the end.

Dignity in schools: an unexcused absence

 

Excellence in Education Award given for restorative practices

 

A “proactive” restorative conference

from Matthew Kuehlhorm's blog Life Skoolz: As the meeting progressed, tempers cooled and people began to listen. Ultimately, the kids agreed to the boundaries set by security and the college administrators. Campus security also had a chance to meet the kids and now knows who they are when they do come onto campus. Campus is open to them after all.

Video Review: The Transformation of West Philadelphia High School: A Story of Hope

 

Sharp fall in number of violent pupils expelled or suspended in Glasgow

 

Number of excluded pupils in Wokingham has dropped

 

Head Teacher Describes His Experience with Restorative Approaches

A teacher from the UK describes his experience in using restorative approaches after receiving training.

Restorative Practices and the Transformation at West Philadelphia High School

West Philadelphia High School has undergone a transformation. It has been on Pennsylvania’s “Persistently Dangerous Schools” list for six years, but the implementation of restorative practices and strong leadership, headed by principal Saliyah Cruz, have made a huge difference. The culture and climate of the school have improved significantly, violent and serious incidents have plummeted, and rates of discipline procedures such as suspensions and expulsions have decreased dramatically. (from the article written by Laura Mirsky for the Restorative Practices E-Forum).

. Merrill Middle School Meets Restorative Justice.

Schools are a microcosm of our world. They demonstrate the outcome of our investment, the potential, and its continuous need to adapt to changing times. Walking into an elementary school, middle school, high school, you may actually be able to feel this. Conflict is palpable much of the time. On the surface, Merrill Middle School in Oshkosh, WI, has a lot working against it. Oshkosh is a largely blue collar town and about 50% of Merrill's students are from families at or below poverty level. Many families are unable to stay an entire school year.Relationships are difficult to establish. How has Merrill brought it all together? In 2003, it ended its "honor level" approach to discipline in favor of a restorative justice approach. By creating circles and a core concept of restorative justice, staff and students have joined forces to create better communication when problems occur. (excerpt)

Janice Wearmouth and Ted Glynn and Rawiri McKinney and Janice Wearmouth. Restorative justice: two examples from New Zealand schools

In this article Janice Wearmouth, formerly professor of education at the University of Wellington,New Zealand and now at Liverpool Hope University,Rawiri McKinney, an advocate for Rangatahi who has recently completed his Master of Education degree, and Ted Glynn, foundation professor of teacher education at the University of Waikato,discuss two examples of restorative justice in practice to illustrate how community norms and values can help to encourage more socially appropriate behaviour. Both examples come from a New Zealand Maori context and interventions undertaken with young men whose behaviour was of concern in school and in the local neighbourhood.The interventions operated through traditional Maori protocols to shift the focus away from individuals on to the whole community in order to focus on 'putting things right' between all those involved in the wrong doing. These examples show how the use of traditional community resolution processes was able to resolve tensions,make justice visible and re-establish harmonious relations between the individuals, the school and between members of the community. The use of restorative practices in schools is not straightforward, however. The authors of this article argue that it requires that schools do not own or completely control the process but are responsive to the local context and recognise the important sources of support that may be found in some of the families and local voluntary community groups within it for addressing problematic student behaviour.

Mirsky, Laura. SaferSanerSchools: Transforming School Cultures with Restorative Practices.

High levels of disruptive behaviour, discipline referrals, and suspensions are among the symptoms of schools which have lost the bonds of respect. Educators face major challenges in transforming these school cultures. This article describes how restorative practices were implemented in certain southeastern Pennsylvania schools. The process of change is described from the perspective of faculty, students, administrators, and other community stakeholders. (author's abstract)

Pautz. Marie-Isabelle. Empowering the Next Generation: Restorative Practices in a Preschool

My goals include: developing stronger relationships between pupils and teachers; helping pupils and teachers develop problem-solving techniques; giving pupils skills to work through conflicts (to express themselves clearly, set their own boundaries and reduce reliance on teacher intervention); and shifting teacher-pupil conflicts. My aim is to move teacher-pupil conflicts from power struggles, shaming and punishment led chiefly by teachers to problem solving-focused conflict resolution methods and/or behavior consequences cooperatively achieved by teachers and pupils together. (excerpt)

Lange, Brenda. CSF Buxmont: The Power of Community.

The restorative approach means that those in authority at CSF Buxmont work with the students rather than doing things to them or for them. It’s been shown that people are more likely to make positive life changes and adjust their negative behaviors, and be happier, more cooperative and more productive through this approach. Unlike an authoritarian, punitive or overly permissive approach, the participatory or restorative mode enables the students to restore relationships and build community. The restorative model shows the youth that he or she has control over and responsibility for his or her own life. Most people will embrace this approach, which allows them more autonomy and participation in decision making. And at CSF Buxmont, this learning happens in a safe place. The students learn that this community is one in which they are all equal, working hard to reach similar goals and working together to arrive at solutions to problems that come up along the way. (excerpt)

Editor. “There’s no Justice, Just Us...”

Established in 1986 Southwark Mediation Centre (SMC) is one of the oldest community mediation centres in Europe. In the last issue we looked at the success of SMCs’ Hate Crimes Project which is effectively tackling cases of racial abuse using a restorative approach. Alongside that project, the SMC runs two others, the second specialising in Neighbour Disputes and Anti-social Behaviour, the third, training Peer Mediators in Schools. SMC started working with schools in the early 1990s. In this article we look at how SMC's Peer Mediation Project is working to effectively deal not only with conflict arising in the school setting, but to resolve disputes between young people in the wider community. Finally we take a look at how SMC is taking this work forward in partnership with one particular group of enthusiastic young Mediators at Bacon’s College, Rotherhithe. (excerpt)

Editor. An Introduction to Restorative Practices at Endeavour High School

Video. A report on the results of restorative justice procedures instituted at Endeavour High School in England. The use of such methods as circles and discussion has improved behavior, increased the sense of community in the school and the larger community around it, and contributed to positive relationships between the students and the teachers.

Allena, Thom and Rogers, Nora. Conferencing Case Study: Hazing Misconduct Meets Restorative Justice--Breaking New Reparative Ground in Universities

While the Fraternity Executives Association officially discourages hazing in fraternities and sororities, the ritual of hazing is commonplace in Greek life at many large universities. It is employed often enough as a rite of passage – involving mental or physical discomfort, harassment, or ridicule – for those pledging to join a fraternity or sorority. Hazing frequently involves the use of alcohol, and it sometimes leads to unintended and harmful consequences. Thom Allena and Nora Rogers chronicle in this chapter a sorority hazing incident in a large public university in recent years. The incident resulted in physical and emotional injuries to two pledges, and it produced considerable adverse publicity for the sorority and the university. Allena and Rogers describe the incident and its consequences, as well as the response of university officials. In particular, they focus in detail on how university officials used a restorative justice intervention – actually, a hybrid of the community group conference model and “Open Space,â€? an organizational development approach employed to find common ground with large groups and organizations – to address the harmful effects of the hazing.

Ramsey, Jon. Integrity Board Case Study: Sonia's Plagiarism

Plagiarism is a significant problem on college campuses. In this study, Jon Ramsey tells of a case of plagiarism by a particular student, whom he names “Sonia.â€? As he remarks, he has changed her name and some details of the case to preserve confidentiality about the misconduct and the people involved in adjudicating it through a college integrity board. This is important to do, he observes, yet it runs somewhat counter to the openness generally valued in restorative justice theory and processes. In describing the plagiarism and its handling by the integrity board, Ramsey explores traditional assumptions about lines of authority in a college, individual and community responsibilities, and the efficacy of excluding offenders from or reintegrating them into the learning community.