Introduction to Restorative Approaches

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Introduction to Restorative Approaches
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Where does the approach come from?

• Canada 1974
• US and UK 1980s
• New Zealand 1980s
• Australia 1990s
• UK again mid 1990s

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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

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

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Interaction with others
Skills
Values
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The values that underpin a commitment to
building, maintaining repairing relationships
Mutual respect, empowerment, collaboration,
valuing others, integrity, honesty, openness,
trust, tolerance
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The skills that underpin a commitment to
building, maintaining repairing relationships
Emotional articulacy, empathy, open-mindedness,
active non-judgemental listening, conflict
management skills
Mutual respect, empowerment, collaboration,
valuing others, integrity, honesty, openness,
trust, tolerance
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Emotional articulacy, empathy, open-mindedness,
active non-judgemental listening, conflict
management skills
Mutual respect, empowerment, collaboration,
valuing others, integrity, honesty, openness,
trust, tolerance
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When dealing with wrongdoing or conflict, is your
response informed by relationship values and
skills?

• Do you invite 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?

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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?

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The Traditional Approach

• Whats happened?
• Who started it?
• What response is appropriate to deter and punish?

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The Restorative Approach

• Whats happened?
• Who has been affected or harmed?
• How can those involved be supported in finding
  ways to repair the harm caused?

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• What do I need when Ive 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 wont happen again
• To draw a line underneath it

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• 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 wont happen again
• To get back on friendly terms

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• What do I need when Ive 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 wont happen again
• To draw a line underneath it

• What do I need when Ive 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 wont happen again
• To get back on friendly terms

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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 ?

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The Restorative Mindset
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The Restorative Chat
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Mediation
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Informal group
mediation/conference
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Formal restorative conference
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Circles Circle time classroom
conferences Staff problem-solving circles
parent circles etc
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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

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• What opportunities do you have for making your
  work with your clients/customers more restorative?

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

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Degrees of restorativeness
ENCOURAGING OTHERS
INTERESTED
IGNORANT
RESISTANT
BEING
DOING
4
0
3
2
1
-1
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Levels of personal restorativeness
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Levels of school/organisational restorativeness
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Levels of community/district/local authority
restorativeness
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• Transforming Conflict
• National Centre for Restorative
• Justice in Youth Settings,
• Mortimer Hill,
• Mortimer
• Berks
• RG7 3PW
• Tel/fax [phone]
• Belinda_at_transformingconflict.org
• www.transformingconflict.org