Research Paper On Restorative Justice

Restorative justice can be defined by its fundamental principle, namely that when one person has harmed another, the most useful response is to try to repair the harm done. The restorative justice approach redefines crime primarily as harm or injury rather than law breaking. Restorative justice in schools aims to reduce bullying and victimization, manage conflict and improve attendance in schools; research evidence supports restorative justice in schools as a particularly promising approach to improving behavior and attendance.

If I was the head of a school and had an option to incorporate Restorative Justice, I would. I would choose to incorporate Restorative Justice because it seems to be a process that works. It allows all parties involved in an
At the time it occurred I was not mature enough to understand the whole concept of Restorative Justice. To me it seemed like the school just wanted us to talk. The peer mediation session really worked for us. It opened up the door to communication allowing my friend and I work rebuild our relationship. I was also on the other end of peer mediation acting as a mediator; I am thankful to be able to experience both sides. So being that I know the impact peer mediation has on relationships I would definitely use this process at my school.

Restorative thinking can be applied to any crime. Victims should always be allowed to define the harm of the crime and what might help them while offenders should always be encouraged to take responsibility for their behavior and make amends if possible. However, no single restorative program is appropriate for all crime. While opportunities to repair harm are generally greater when the offender is kept in the community, violent offenders should be kept in secure facilities. Since part of the harm of crime is damage to the social fabric caused by fear of violent predators, they must be separated from the