Restorative Practice in Schools Receives a Boost in the UK.

— filed under: RJ Online, School, Country:England&Wales, Region: Europe

The Youth Justice Board and the Government’s Children’s Fund in the UK are sponsoring new programs to address misbehaviour in schools. The funding is part of a greater emphasis on using restorative justice by the government. Projects will address bullying, truancy, crimes, and other destructive behaviours, in the expectation that use of restorative processes will reduce the number of students expelled from school each year.

The use of restorative processes in the school setting is not new to the British landscape. Peer mediation has been used as a response to bullying. In this process, bullies meet with their victims and a mediator in order to learn the impact of their behaviour and seek ways of change. ‘Circle time’ is used in many classrooms to allow students a safe place to express feelings, fears or ideas while learning the rules of respect and listening to others. The new programs build on the positive results seen from these practices.

In August 2001, the Youth Justice Board funded a Restorative Justice in Schools project in two schools in Hammersmith, Fulham and the London Borough of Lambeth. As of March 2003, the project had held 132 conferences, 70% of which enabled students to continue going to school instead of being excluded. With positive results for both the victims and offenders in these cases, the Youth Justice Board decided to expand Restorative Justice in Schools initiative in February 2003 with youth offending teams in Oxfordshire, Medway, N Lincs, Somerset, Blackpool, Rhonda, and Barnet receiving funding to run restorative conferences in schools.

The UK use of restorative justice is one example to be found around the world. For example, Douglass Elementary School in Boulder, included restorative justice as one tool against bullying in its 2002-2003 School Improvement Plan. In Australia, schools in New South Wales and Queensland are also using restorative processes to respond to discipline issues.

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Resources Used:

Cameron, Lisa And Thorsborne, Margaret. (1998). Restorative Justice and School Discipline: Mutually Exclusive?. Education Queensland and Transformative Justice Australia.

Curtis, Polly. 2003. Countdown to Year Zero. Education Guardian Weekly. Guardian Unlimited. 3 June 2003. Downloaded 24 September 2003.

Douglass Elementary School. School Improvement Plan for the 2002 to 2003 School System.

Henry, Polly. 2003. Bullies to be Judged by Their Victims and Classmates in School Courts. 18 May. News.telegraph.co.uk. Downloaded 24 September 2003.

Home Office. (2003). Restorative Justice: the Government's Strategy. A Consultation document on the Government's Strategy on Restorative Justice. London: Home Office. Downloaded 21 August 2003

Lord Warner. 2003. Speech at the Secondary Heads Association Conference, Hilton Birminham Metropole. 29 March. Youth Justice Board. Downloaded 24 September 2003.

New South Wales Education Inquiry: Final Report. Chapter 5

Restorative Justice In Schools Initiative to be Extended. Youth Justice Board. Downloaded 24 September 2003.

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Navigation Previous Editions 2003 October 2003 Edition Restorative Practice in Schools Receives a Boost in the UK.	Info Restorative Practice in Schools Receives a Boost in the UK. — filed under: RJ Online, School, Country:England&Wales, Region: Europe The Youth Justice Board and the Government’s Children’s Fund in the UK are sponsoring new programs to address misbehaviour in schools. The funding is part of a greater emphasis on using restorative justice by the government. Projects will address bullying, truancy, crimes, and other destructive behaviours, in the expectation that use of restorative processes will reduce the number of students expelled from school each year. The use of restorative processes in the school setting is not new to the British landscape. Peer mediation has been used as a response to bullying. In this process, bullies meet with their victims and a mediator in order to learn the impact of their behaviour and seek ways of change. ‘Circle time’ is used in many classrooms to allow students a safe place to express feelings, fears or ideas while learning the rules of respect and listening to others. The new programs build on the positive results seen from these practices. In August 2001, the Youth Justice Board funded a Restorative Justice in Schools project in two schools in Hammersmith, Fulham and the London Borough of Lambeth. As of March 2003, the project had held 132 conferences, 70% of which enabled students to continue going to school instead of being excluded. With positive results for both the victims and offenders in these cases, the Youth Justice Board decided to expand Restorative Justice in Schools initiative in February 2003 with youth offending teams in Oxfordshire, Medway, N Lincs, Somerset, Blackpool, Rhonda, and Barnet receiving funding to run restorative conferences in schools. The UK use of restorative justice is one example to be found around the world. For example, Douglass Elementary School in Boulder, included restorative justice as one tool against bullying in its 2002-2003 School Improvement Plan. In Australia, schools in New South Wales and Queensland are also using restorative processes to respond to discipline issues. _______________________________ Resources Used: Cameron, Lisa And Thorsborne, Margaret. (1998). Restorative Justice and School Discipline: Mutually Exclusive?. Education Queensland and Transformative Justice Australia. Curtis, Polly. 2003. Countdown to Year Zero. Education Guardian Weekly. Guardian Unlimited. 3 June 2003. Downloaded 24 September 2003. Douglass Elementary School. School Improvement Plan for the 2002 to 2003 School System. Henry, Polly. 2003. Bullies to be Judged by Their Victims and Classmates in School Courts. 18 May. News.telegraph.co.uk. Downloaded 24 September 2003. Home Office. (2003). Restorative Justice: the Government's Strategy. A Consultation document on the Government's Strategy on Restorative Justice. London: Home Office. Downloaded 21 August 2003 Lord Warner. 2003. Speech at the Secondary Heads Association Conference, Hilton Birminham Metropole. 29 March. Youth Justice Board. Downloaded 24 September 2003. New South Wales Education Inquiry: Final Report. Chapter 5 Restorative Justice In Schools Initiative to be Extended. Youth Justice Board. Downloaded 24 September 2003. October 2003 Document Actions Send this Print this	Africa Asia Europe Latin America Middle East North America and Caribbean Pacific Search 10475 publications on restorative justice Recent RJOB Comments Controversies Around Restorative Justice Feb 07, 2012 "Immature humanity" Jan 31, 2012 Ex-Juvenile Offender Jan 20, 2012 More… Slide Show: What is Restorative Justice Click to view a slideshow discussing the definition of restorative justice. Feb 07, 2012 Sycamore Tree Project® report from Australia Feb 07, 2012 "Everything" by the IFI drama team Jan 31, 2012 APAC Nova Lima Receives National Recognition Jan 31, 2012 APAC Costa Rica Jan 24, 2012 Sycamore Tree Project®: A prison chaplain describes the impact