Introduction to Restorative
Approaches
Where does the approach come
from?
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Canada
US and UK
New Zealand
Australia
UK again
1974
1980’s
1980’s
1990’s
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
Interaction
with others
Skills
Values
The values
that underpin
a commitment
to building,
maintaining &
repairing
relationships
Mutual respect, empowerment,
collaboration, valuing others, integrity,
honesty, openness, trust, tolerance
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
Interaction
with 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 young 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?
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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
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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 won’t happen again
To get back on friendly terms
What do I need when I’ve
been harmed?
What do I need when I’ve
harmed someone else?
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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
•
•
•
•
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 young people more
restorative?
• What opportunities do you have for
making your working environment more
restorative?
Victim Inclusion
Services
Family Group
Conferences
Initial
Planning
Meetings
Peer Mediation
YISP
Secondary
Health
KS3
Behaviour
and Support
Primary
YOT
Parenting
Programmes
Schools
Referral
Order
Panels
RJ Conferences
Community
Sentences
Acceptable
Behaviour
Contracts
Anti Social
Behaviour
Orders
Custodial
Sentences
Community
Safety
Housing Organisations
Adapted from a model developed by
Sefton Centre for Restorative
Practices
Restorative
Sefton
Centre
for Barnet
Restorative
Practice
Neighbour
Disputes
Community
Conferences
Looked after
Children
Behaviour
Improvement
Programme
Partner
Partner
Agencies
Agencies
Children’s Fund
Education
Action Zone ?
Local
initiatives?
Transforming Conflict
National Centre for Restorative
Justice in Youth Settings,
Mortimer Hill,
Mortimer
Berks
RG7 3PW
Tel/fax 0118 9331520
Belinda@transformingconflict.
org
www.transformingconflict.org