by E. Wylie, Executive OAPCE Communications, Director, Hamilton.
What are Restorative Practices?
We, as parents, often hear these new terms being used and don’t really know what they mean.
Restorative Practices is an emerging social science where relationships are the primary focus.
This quick video from the International Institute of Restorative Practices gives a great overview of the philosophy
In the context of a Catholic school environment, restorative practices offer an opportunity for students and staff to build community, learn the impact of our behavior on others, practice forgiveness, and repair relationships, all in accordance with the Gospel.
What makes Restorative Practice different from the ‘old school’ methods?
This traditional approach went something like this in response to a conflict at school:
- What rule was broken?
- Who was at fault?
- What punishment do they deserve?
The fear of ‘getting in trouble’ was intended to deter mischief. This method may have given short term results but may have fallen short as a long term strategy for learning and creating a cohesive positive school culture.
As a contrast, the Restorative Practice approach looks to identify:
- What happened?
- What harm has been done, and to whom?
- What can be done to address the harm, and to avoid it in the future?
Jesuit Fr. Kurt Denk described four Guiding Principles of Restorative Justice which can be applied to the context of a Catholic school environment:
- Relationships precede rules – the key issue with wrongdoing is the harm that it causes to people and relationships.
- Justice by participation rather than by proxy – that those most affected should be directly involved.
- Restoration of wounded communities, not just the adjudication of offending individuals – that a restorative approach seeks healing, not just retribution
- The restorative justice continuum: from order, to rehabilitation, to shalom “a deeper and more constitutive peace”
Restorative practices look at every interaction as an opportunity for learning.
In cases where a conflict in the school has occurred, both the offender and victim are given the opportunity to speak and answer questions that draw out their feelings and ideas for a possible resolution.
Honouring each person’s story is an important part of the process and allows the students to express their emotions in a way that is respectful and affirming to their dignity as children of God.
Incorporating the students into the resolution and repair of conflicts builds trust and community.
The benefits of using this approach are as follows:
- A standard approach for handling incidents
- Educating students to understanding self-directed desired behaviours
- Promoting and nurturing healthy relationships in the school community
- Enabling wrongdoers to take responsibility for their actions.
- Forgiving wrongdoers and reintegrating them into the school as welcome members of the community fostering a spirit of peace.
In a nutshell, Restorative Practices are gaining momentum as an effective way to build positive school communities in accordance with our Catholic values.
For more information on Restorative Practices, please check out the following links:
International Institute for Restorative Practices: IIRP Graduate School :: Institute for Restorative Practices
The following article on Restorative Practices in a Catholic School Community:
