Restorative Practices
In recent years, there has been a large push for what has been deemed “Restorative Practices” in schools. Some of the reasoning for the push has been the existence of the racial achievement gaps across the country. These gaps don’t only show up in the areas regarding test scores, but also in places such as Special Education Recommendations, behavioral recommendations for Emotional Support specifications and punitive actions such as suspensions and expulsions. Historically, the group most affected has been the black male, but black females and other students of color have been drastically affected too. In addition to abolishing patterns such as the ones listed above, Restorative Practices can be both proactive and reactive forms of building relationships and fostering community within a school setting. For most writers on restorative justice the basic tenets centre on the importance of repairing harm and restoring relationships.1
In deep discussions on the topic, Costello, Wachtel and Wachtel (2010) assert the notion that the circle is a potent symbol. Its shape implies community, connection, inclusion, fairness, equality and wholeness. Furthermore, when examining Restorative Practices and Circles that are successful within school and cultural communities, Costello, Wachtel and Wachtel (2010) teach that the use of circles for meeting and discussing issues has evolved in almost every culture. The first human circles resulted from the natural formation of people sitting around a fire, providing the best way to efficiently distribute access to heat and light. When schools and other groups arrange people in a circle there is no fire, but instead an issue or topic that is relevant to everyone gathered around.
In American society today, it is more important than ever to rid ourselves of the achievement gaps that later create gaps in opportunity with students and young people of color. High suspension rates in my current district have all but disappeared since the inception of Restorative Practices. When students have strong attendance during the school year, they tend to be more successful as opposed to when they are out of school for suspension etc. Creating relationships and offering choices that are more positive when confronting behavioral or academic issues has proven to garner better results, therefore offering more opportunity for historically marginalized groups.
A primary goal of restorative practices is to foster participatory and cooperative community. When authorities do things with people, rather than to them or for them, the results almost always tend to be better.2
The very act of genuinely listening to what people have to say changes the atmosphere and the dynamics in any situation.
The most critical function of restorative practices is restoring and building relationships. Because informal and formal restorative processes foster the expression of affect or emotion, they also foster emotional bonds.3
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