Restorative Practices (RP) is an approach that helps people to strengthen relationships, build community, and prevent conflict.
When things go wrong, restorative communities work together to try to repair the harm caused and collaboratively find ways to make things right. RP was strongly influenced by the community justice traditions of indigenous groups like the Maori of New Zealand, the Aboriginals of Australia, and the First Nations people of Canada and the USA. RP is based on principles of fairness, respect, honesty and community problem-solving. It includes Restorative Justice, a process in which wrongdoers and those harmed meet to increase understanding and come up with collaborative solutions to repair harm, for example after a crime.
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In the context of the Limerick Restorative Practices Project, Restorative Practices can be defined as:
''A framework for building, maintaining and strengthening relationships and responding to conflict through authentic conversations, that facilitates a shared understanding of what happened and how things can be made right''.
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Proactive
Making, developing and maintaining relationships Responsive
Repairing harm caused by challenging behaviour or conflict |
The Restorative Practices Continuum below outlines all the ways the restorative approach is implemented in practice:
Restorative Language
A cornerstone of the implementation and integration of restorative practices relates to the language we use to communicate with each other. In the context of restorative approaches this relates to both how we speak to each other and how we listen to each other. Hopkins[1] provides a useful framework for understanding restorative vocabulary and listening, including: everyone has their own unique and valued experience, thoughts influence emotions and emotions influence actions, empathy and consideration, needs and unmet needs and collective responsibility for problem solving and decision-making.
Affective statements and questions, are the explicit and intentional use of short statements that connect a person’s experience of another’s behaviour and the emotional impact of this behaviour. The premise here is that when we tell someone how we feel, we engender connection, which helps build the relationship.
A key component of restorative language is the use of restorative questions. Key characteristics of these questions include the opportunity for people to speak about what has happened from their perspective, what they were thinking and feeling at the time, who has been affected and how have they been affected and what needs to be done to repair the harm caused.
Affective statements and questions, are the explicit and intentional use of short statements that connect a person’s experience of another’s behaviour and the emotional impact of this behaviour. The premise here is that when we tell someone how we feel, we engender connection, which helps build the relationship.
A key component of restorative language is the use of restorative questions. Key characteristics of these questions include the opportunity for people to speak about what has happened from their perspective, what they were thinking and feeling at the time, who has been affected and how have they been affected and what needs to be done to repair the harm caused.
[1] Hopkins, B. (2011). The Restorative Classroom: Using Restorative approaches to foster effective learning
Impromptu Conference / Restorative Questions
Spontaneous restorative conferences refer to the use of affective or restorative questions with both the wrongdoer and those harmed to respond immediately to issues or behaviours that are inappropriate or are impacting others.
These include thinking questions that allow people to reflect on how behaviour has affected them and others. They can be used in any setting, and adapted to the emotional literacy levels and understanding of any child or young person.
Spontaneous restorative conferences refer to the use of affective or restorative questions with both the wrongdoer and those harmed to respond immediately to issues or behaviours that are inappropriate or are impacting others.
These include thinking questions that allow people to reflect on how behaviour has affected them and others. They can be used in any setting, and adapted to the emotional literacy levels and understanding of any child or young person.
Restorative Circles
Circles can be the foundation of any restorative environment. They are the forum in which social and emotional skills can be developed and encouraged amongst people and can be modelled by staff and volunteers.
They help to embed the key restorative themes and language in any community and ensure that teaching; learning and indeed day-to-day living and decision-making are informed by restorative values and principles.[2]
Restorative circles create a forum and culture in which all participants are equal, share responsibility for outcomes, and develop a sense of connectedness, trust and safety.
They can be used proactively to build relationships and to respond to issues with a solution focus. Circles are flexible and can be used with children, young people and adults in a wide range of settings.
They help to embed the key restorative themes and language in any community and ensure that teaching; learning and indeed day-to-day living and decision-making are informed by restorative values and principles.[2]
Restorative circles create a forum and culture in which all participants are equal, share responsibility for outcomes, and develop a sense of connectedness, trust and safety.
They can be used proactively to build relationships and to respond to issues with a solution focus. Circles are flexible and can be used with children, young people and adults in a wide range of settings.
Formal Conference / Dialogue
A Restorative Conference is a structured meeting between people who have caused harm, those that have been harmed and others who may have been affected or who can support those present.
These meetings deal with the consequences of harmful behaviour or wrong- doing and decide how best to repair the harm.
Restorative conferencing can be used to address wrongdoing in various settings.
The model used by IIRP Europe and subsequently by the Restorative Practices Project follows the “scripted model”. This model uses a series of prescribed open-ended questions, which encourage people to express how they were affected by the issue that they are meeting about. Following this, the script offers people an opportunity to share ideas and create a plan about how the conflict can be addressed and to repair the harm that has been caused by the incident. It requires a skilled and trained Restorative Practice Facilitator who prepares all those who have agreed to voluntarily take part in the dialogue.
These meetings deal with the consequences of harmful behaviour or wrong- doing and decide how best to repair the harm.
Restorative conferencing can be used to address wrongdoing in various settings.
The model used by IIRP Europe and subsequently by the Restorative Practices Project follows the “scripted model”. This model uses a series of prescribed open-ended questions, which encourage people to express how they were affected by the issue that they are meeting about. Following this, the script offers people an opportunity to share ideas and create a plan about how the conflict can be addressed and to repair the harm that has been caused by the incident. It requires a skilled and trained Restorative Practice Facilitator who prepares all those who have agreed to voluntarily take part in the dialogue.
