Introduction to Restorative Approaches

Where does the approach come from?

• Canada 1974

• US and UK 1980’s

• New Zealand 1980’s

• Australia 1990’s

• UK again mid 1990’s

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

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

Skills

Values

Interactionwith others

The values The values that that

underpin a underpin a commitmencommitmen

t to t to building, building,

maintaining maintaining & repairing & repairing relationshiprelationship

ss

Mutual respect, empowerment, collaboration, valuing others,

integrity, honesty, openness, trust, tolerance

The skills The skills that that

underpin a underpin a commitmencommitmen

t to t to building, building,

maintaining maintaining & repairing & repairing relationshiprelationship

ss

Emotional articulacy,empathy,

open-mindedness, active non-judgemental listening,

conflict management skills

Mutual respect, empowerment, collaboration, valuing others, integrity,

honesty, openness, trust, tolerance

Interactionwith others

Interactionwith others

Emotional articulacy,empathy,

open-mindedness, active non-judgemental listening,

conflict management skills

Mutual respect, empowerment, collaboration, valuing others, integrity,

honesty, openness, trust, tolerance

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?

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?

The Traditional Approach

• What’s happened?

• Who started it?

• What response is appropriate to deter and punish?

The Restorative Approach

• What’s happened?

• Who has been affected or harmed?

• How can those involved be supported in finding ways to repair the harm caused?

What do I need when I’ve 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 won’t happen again• To draw a line underneath it

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 won’t happen again• To get back on friendly terms

What do I need when I’ve 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 won’t

happen again• To draw a line

underneath it

What do I need when I’ve 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

won’t happen again• To get back on friendly

terms

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 ?

The Restorative Mindset

The Restorative Chat

Mediation

Informal group mediation/conference

Formal restorative conference

Circles – Circle time; classroom conferences;Staff problem-solving circles; parent circles etc

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

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

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

Degrees of Degrees of restorativenessrestorativeness

4 0 3 2 1-1

BEIN

GRES

ISTA

N

TIG

NORAN

T

INTE

RESTE

D

ENCO

URAGING

OTH

ERS

DOIN

G

Levels of personal Levels of personal restorativenessrestorativeness

4 BEINGPersonal and professional life informed by restorative principles (proactive)

3 DOINGUsing restorative approaches only when an incident occurs (reactive)

2ENCOURAGING

OTHERS Aware of restorative approaches – makes referrals to others but not personally involved

1 INTERESTEDAware of restorative justice/approaches and open to their potential

0 IGNORANT Unaware of restorative justice/approaches

-1 RESISTANT

Rejects restorative justice/approaches – for

ideological or practical reasons

Levels of Levels of school/organisational school/organisational

restorativenessrestorativeness 4 BEING

School/Organisation informed by restorative

principles (proactive policies, procedures,)

3 DOINGUsing restorative approaches only when an incident occurs (reactive)

2ENCOURAGING

OTHERS Aware of restorative approaches – makes referrals to outside agencies

1 INTERESTEDAware of restorative approaches and open to their potential

0 IGNORANT Unaware of restorative justice/approaches

-1 RESISTANT

Rejects restorative approaches – for ideological or practical reasons

Levels of Levels of community/district/local community/district/local

authority restorativenessauthority restorativeness 4 BEING

District/local authority informed by restorative principles (proactive policies, procedures,)

3 DOINGDistrict/local authority using restorative approaches only when an incident occurs (reactive)

2ENCOURAGING

OTHERS

Pockets of practice–some agencies and

schools using restorative approaches

1 INTERESTEDAware of restorative approaches and open to their potential

0 IGNORANT Unaware of restorative justice/approaches

-1 RESISTANT

Rejects restorative approaches – for

ideological or practical reasons

Transforming ConflictNational Centre for RestorativeJustice in Youth Settings,Mortimer Hill,MortimerBerksRG7 3PW

Tel/fax 0118 9331520Belinda@transformingconflict.orgwww.transformingconflict.org