THE USE OF RESTORATIVE PRACTICES IN SCOTTISH SCHOOLS

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THE USE OF RESTORATIVE PRACTICES IN SCOTTISH
SCHOOLS

Building Relationships and Managing
Behaviour Wednesday 29 October 2008
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SOME BACKGROUND AND TERMS

• Restorative Justice
• Restorative Conferencing
• Victim/Offender Mediation
• Family Group Conferencing
• Mediation
• Circles - Circle Time
• Real Justice
• IIRP - Safer Saner Schools
• Transforming Conflict

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Restorative Practices are fundamentally rooted
in a philosophy. They are not templates. It is
this philosophy which ought to guide the way we
act in our dealings with others.
(Ted Wachtel)
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THE UNDERPINNING MODEL
PROCEDURES PRACTICES
SKILLS
PHILOSOPHY VALUES ETHOS
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THE UNDERPINNING MODEL
PROCEDURES PRACTICES
SKILLS
PHILOSOPHY VALUES ETHOS
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TWO KINDS OF DISCIPLINE

• RETRIBUTIVE
• Rule breaking
• Blame or guilt
• Adversarial
• Punish to deter
• Impersonal
• Affected ignored
• Accountability being punished

• RESTORATIVE
• Harm
• Problem solving
• Dialogue negotiation
• Restitution/ reparation
• Interpersonal
• Empowerment
• Accountability put things right

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THE SOCIAL DISCIPLINE WINDOW
HIGH
restorative
punitive
Control (Limit Setting Discipline)
permissive
neglectful
(Wachtel and McCold)
Support (Encouragement, Nurture)
HIGH
LOW
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CLASSROOM/SCHOOL CULTURE
HIGH

• Consistent
• Responsive
• Flexible
• Accountable
• Responsible
• Cooperation
• Negotiation

• Power Struggles
• Confrontation
• Authoritarian
• Win-Lose
• Retribution
• Stigmatising

Control
TO
WITH

• Uncaring
• Tired
• Lazy
• Burnt Out
• Given Up

• Chaotic
• Inconsistent
• Excusing
• Giving In
• Blurred
• Boundaries
• Rescuing

NOT
FOR
(Thorsborne)

HIGH
Support
LOW
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MASLOWS HIERARCHY OF NEEDS
Self-actualisation
Universal Levels of Human Need
Self-esteem
Love,affection and belonging
Safety /Security
Physiological (Survival)
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MASLOWS HIERARCHY OF NEEDS ?

Love,affection and belonging
Self-esteem

Self-actualisation
Safety /Security
Physiological (Survival)
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FAIR PROCESS
Individuals are most likely to trust and
cooperate freely with systems whether they
themselves win or lose by those systems when
fair process is observed.

• The 3 principles
• Engagement
• Explanation
• Expectation clarity

(W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne Harvard
Business Review)
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ENGAGEMENT
Involving individuals in decisions that affect
them by asking for their input and allowing them
to refute the merit of one anothers ideas and
assumptions.

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EXPLANATION
Everyone involved and affected should understand
why final decisions are made as they are. Creates
a powerful feedback loop that enhances learning.

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EXPECTATION CLARITY
Once decisions are made, new rules are stated
clearly, so that all involved understand the new
standards and the consequences of failing to
comply.

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WHAT FAIR PROCESS ISNT

• Decisions by consensus
• Does not set out to achieve harmony
• Does not set out to win peoples support through
  compromises that accommodate every individuals
  opinion, needs or interests
• Democracy in the classroom, school or workplace
• Teachers/Managers forfeiting their prerogative to
  make decisions, establish policies, procedures
  and standards.

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THE UNDERPINNING MODEL
PROCEDURES PRACTICES
SKILLS
PHILOSOPHY VALUES ETHOS
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RELATEDSKILLS / COMPETENCES

• Empathy
• Emotional Literacy
• Interpersonal/Relationship Skills
• Cognitive Skills

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RESPONDING CONSTRUCTIVELY TO OTHERS

• Listening to what they have to say
• Acknowledging their feelings
• Encouraging them to talk about their experience

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A PECULIAR THOUGHT ?

• But let someone really listen, let someone
  acknowledge my inner pain and give me a chance to
  talk more about whats troubling me and I begin
  to feel less upset, less confused, more able to
  cope with my feelings and problems.

(Faber and Mazlish)
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ACTIVE EMPATHIC LISTENING FOR WHAT?

• The Human Condition

Feelings/Needs
Thoughts
Behaviours
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ACTIVE EMPATHIC LISTENING HOW?

• WHAT IT IS
• Tell me more
• Acknowledge Feeling
• Minimal Prompts
• Respectful Curiosity
• Clarifying what speaker feels/needs
• Checks Assumptions
• Accurate Feedback

• WHAT IT ISNT
• Judgements and put downs
• Shoulds Oughts Musts
• Interrogation
• Trivialisation
• Sarcasm
• Blame and Accusation
• You think youve got it bad ..

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RESTORATIVE ENQUIRY THE PAST

• FOCUS
• Thinking (Interpretation) and Behaviour
• Thinking
• Feelings
• Others Feelings, Thoughts and Behaviours

• QUESTIONS
• Can you explain what happened ?
• What were you thinking at the time ?
• How were you feeling at the time ?
• Who else do you think has been affected by this ?

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RESTORATIVE ENQUIRY THE PRESENT AND FUTURE

• QUESTIONS
• What have your thoughts been since ?
• What are they now ?
• How are you feeling now ?
• What do you need (to do) so that
• Things can be put right ?
• The harm can be repaired ?
• You can move on ?

• FOCUS
• Thinking
• Feelings
• Needs
• Behaviour
• Self/ Other People

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THE UNDERPINNING MODEL
PROCEDURES PRACTICES
SKILLS
PHILOSOPHY VALUES ETHOS
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RESTORATIVE PRACTICES CONTINUUM
FORMAL
INFORMAL
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A FORMAT CONTINUUM
STAGES MODEL
STRUCTURE
SKILLS
Active Listening Empathy Counselling
Script
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LEVELS OF INTERVENTION
HEALING RELATIONSHIPS REPAIRING HARM
1 - 5 Population

• Formal Conferencing
• Formal Mediation

MAINTAINING RELATIONSHIPS RESOLVING
CONFLICT

• Problem Solving Circles
• Restorative Questions
• Peer Mediation
• Solution Oriented

• Restorative Culture
• Cool in School
• PAThS
• Cooperative Learning
• Reasoning Reacting
• Circles

GROWING HEALTHY
RELATIONSHIPS PREVENTING HARM/CONFLICT
Whole School
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RESTORATIVE PRACTICES INSCHOOLS
REPAIRING HARM
F O R M A L
I N F O R M A L
RESOLVING CONFLICT
PREVENTING HARM/CONFLICT
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RESTORATIVE PRACTICES OR THE 3 RS FOR THE 21ST
CENTURY ?

• RELATIONSHIPS
• RESPECT
• RESPONSIBILITIES