What are Restorative Practices?

Restorative Practices involves the building of positive relationships and establishing a supportive environment that is fair, consistent, and democratic.

It involves interventions when harm has happened, as well as practices that help to prevent harm and conflict by creating a sense of belonging, safety, and social responsibility within the school community.

At the core, restorative practices are about building and restoring relationships.

The underlying principle is that relationships are important, and when an incident occurs, the focus is on the harm caused to the relationship and the subsequent repairing of that harm; rather than; what rule has been broken and therefore what consequences will be imposed.

A restorative approach to conflict and wrongdoing consists of asking key questions:

1. What happened, and what were you thinking at the time?

2. What have you thought about since?

3. Who has been affected by what happened and how?

4. What about this has been the hardest for you?

5. What needs to be done to make it right?

A Restorative Approach...

•Encourages students to understand the impact of and appreciate the consequences of their actions.

•Provides an opportunity for those harmed by another’s actions to share their personal experience.

•Requires students to be accountable for their actions.

•Encourages respect for all concerned and develops empathy for others.

•Views conflict as opportunities to learn through problem solving.