Justice In School

The Power of Restorative Justice in the Classroom

by Jill Tomey

I am an evaluator for the State School of Character designation from Character.org, a partner organization with the Character Council. I have repeatedly seen the use of Restorative Justice practices in school applications. At its core, Restorative Justice addresses the impact of misconduct, not just punishing the act itself. When conflict arises, students involved are given a chance to take responsibility for their actions and understand their impact on others. I have seen written personal reflection forms and facilitated justice circles where those involved discuss the issue and share their perspectives. Once students understand the consequences of their actions on their classmates, they work collaboratively with those impacted towards solutions. This shift of focus from punishment to repair fosters a sense of accountability, empathy, and respect within students; it teaches students to take ownership of their actions. Restorative Justice does not mean that behavior is consequence-free. This collaborative process can result in apologies, restitution, or participation in mediation to rebuild trust and positive relationships, along with the consequences according to school policy. Restorative Justice creates stronger classroom communities that promote collaboration and positive social interactions.

This month, how can you use Restorative Justice to rebuild relationships?

The Links below will take you to Resources you can use in the classroom or in homeschool
to teach the Character Quality of Justice.

Need to build community in your classroom?  Try these team building activities!

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