When I was leading in the school building, I saw firsthand what made Restorative Justice (“RJ”) successful and where it fell short.
What Worked?
?? Daily Relationship Building – RJ was most effective when we focused on proactively building strong relationships between staff and students before conflicts arose.
?? Restorative Circles & Mediation – Implementing consistent restorative circles and peer mediation helped students develop conflict resolution skills.
?? Leadership & Staff Alignment – When the entire team (leaders, teachers, deans) understood and supported RJ, we saw real culture shifts in how discipline was handled.
What Didn’t Work?
?? Lack of Training & Buy-In – If staff weren’t fully trained or didn’t believe in RJ, implementation was superficial and inconsistent. Some still defaulted to punitive measures, creating mixed messages for students.
?? No Clear Accountability – In cases where students didn’t face real consequences, staff became frustrated, feeling like behavior issues weren’t being addressed. RJ must include clear steps for accountability and restoration.
?? Restorative Justice as a Reaction, Not a Culture – When RJ was only used after a problem occurred, rather than embedded into the school’s daily culture, it didn’t produce long-term behavior change.
If schools want RJ to truly work, it must be a way of life—lived by students, teachers, and leaders daily.
The real question isn’t "Is Restorative Justice working?"—it's "Are we fully living it?"
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