What is it that Restorative Practices actually restore?

In order to monitor the success or otherwise of our Restorative Practices we need a framework against which to monitor the outcomes. 

Fewer problems, less harm, better behaviour... are all important outcomes. However these are actually low order indicators. They may not reveal the ways in which restorative practices have really improved the well-being of those involved.

Obviously there are lots of possible answers to the above question. For example, a school that was using Martin Seligman's approach to Well-Being might use restorative practices to restore the 5 main elements (PERMA) that contribute to success and well-being, namely,

1. Positive Emotions 

• Experiencing joy and pleasure

While the outcomes of bad experiences are the opposites of joy or pleasure, it is important for people to ultimately feel more positive after dealing with the bad things that they have done, or have been done to them. 

Unfortunately, punitive approaches leave wrong-doers in the state of feeling bad (shamed) about what they have done as 'logical consequence'. However this is likely to result in on-going disengagement, resentment, loss of confidence... that make it more difficult for a wrong-doer to become a full contriubting member of his/her organisation or community

Similarly, traditional approaches often fail to address the emotional needs of the person who has been harmed so that they continue to feel bad about what has been done to them and are similarly limited.

2. Engagement 

• Being consciously involved in our activities

Disengagement (isolation, suspension, gaol...) is also often seen as a 'logical consequence' of doing the wrong thing but this reduces the likelihood of productive engagement

3. Relationships 

• Having enjoyable and supportive interactions with others

Damaged relationships are very often a result of wrong doing. Failing to restore damaged relationships is likely to result in a long term state of reduced success and wellbeing

4. Meaning 

• Creating a purposeful narrative about our lives
• Being engaged with or serving something larger than ourselves

Having been harmed, or having caused harm to others, changes our personal narratives for the worse. Experiencing restoration of positive emotions, engagement, relationships... helps to restore constructive meaning in our lives.

5. Accomplishments 

• Completing our goals and following our core values

Those who have been harmed, or caused harm, are likely to experience a sense of failure. If unresolved this is likely to reduce a person's subsequent capacity to achieve and act in ways that better match their own core values.

Clearly restorative practices provide rich ways of restoring each of the five elements of Well-Being.

Understanding the "outcomes" of a restorative process

Understanding Restorative Practices
It is easy to underestimate (or over-estimate!!!) the outcomes of restorative practices. 

A casual observer might see "just a slap on the wrist" for a serious offence. A novice practitioner might hear the "right responses" to the script and believe that all has been resolved and a better future will follow.

It is important that those responsible for implementing Restorative Practices can accurately identify and  articulate the actual outcomes of a particular restorative process.  Restorative Practices are not an event!! They will need to be able to know and tell 'the full story' of what is achieved and much as they can. 

A range of  possible outcomes
For examples outcomes can be

• Actions - participants may apologise, shake hands, make restitution, forgive, reconcile, vent...
• Experiences - participants may have a sense of belonging, being heard...
• Changed relationships - resulting in new ways of interacting and experiencing each other based on the way in which particular people interact with self and others during and following the meeting
• Learning and insights - a better understanding of how the world works, and people are and how they work: cause and effect, flow-on effects, the experiences of others, similarities, differences, motivations,...
• New attitudes - beliefs and feelings that guide judgements and actions in relation to self, others and property
• Improved life chances - the ability to access opportunities that lead to success and well-being 
• And ...       

Outcomes emerge over time
To properly understand the outcomes they need to be monitored and supported on a timeline:

• Prior - what happened before and what the effects have been so far
• Immediate - what happened during the process
• Short-term - what happens immediately after:  the student (victim and/or offender) are retained at school; courts and incarceration avoided, improved the relationship between those involved,... 
• Long term - community building and life chances: a better place and improved likelihood of success and well being

No two identical instances
And finally the outcomes will be unique for each of the parties involved:  offender, victim, supporter.... and all need to be considered and accounted for each time. 

The fact that a process didn't work last time does not mean it is not worth trying this time.  as a friend and colleague of mine always taught:

• Be yourself
• Be your best
• And never give up  [Gilroy Ashdown]

Suicide prevention

Can restorative practices help reduce suicides? 

Restorative Practices may prevent suicide more often than we realise.

Clearly the use of restorative practices to reduce bullying and to repair the harm done by bullying is likely to reduce suicides by victims of bullying. But what about bullies and others who have done the wrong thing? 

This School of Life video explains how emotionally fragile we all are.  That we need forgiveness and respect and other emotional experiences from others in order to achieve and maintaining well-being so that we do not want to take our own lives. 

I well remember a really pleasant young man (teenager) who took his own life after his girl-friend became pregnant and decided to have an abortion without involving him in the decision making process. There was no family conference. One can only guess what unresolved emotional experiences led him to take his own life. So sad, a great waste and no doubt still so painful for his family and friends.

Click on the following infographic from studentsagainstdepression.org to see the common warning signs associated with someone considering taking their own life.

Restorative questions, meetings can allow these kinds of emotional content to be expressed and properly addressed.

Restorative Practices - Breaking down the silos

Northern Tasmania needs Restorative NorthTas

Sometimes silos can  be useful when they concentrate specialist effort for very specific purposes, e.g. neurosurgery. On the other hand silos can become barriers to collaboration between people who are struggling to meet the challenge of complex dispersed problems.

One of the strong themes associated with Restorative Practices is the breaking down of barriers between stakeholders - Restorative Practices are inclusive.

As these barriers dissolve new, stronger, more positive relationships, practices and arrangements often emerge leading to greater success and well-being for all concerned.

It is often individual staff members in schools and services groups, government agencies... who lead the way in breaking down the silos that exist between their respective organisations. 

They do this by collaborating to improve their support for those who need it most. With luck, senior management will notice the improvements being achieved and incorporate the new practices of their respective organisations.

In this way the silos of education, welfare, health and justice are being broken down so that people in need are receiving more effective support. 

Hopefully Restorative NorthTas will be able to provide useful support to enhance and sustain the important collaboration by those in the field.

Breaking the cycle of Family Violence

The cost of violence to children

Those who harm others have often experienced family violence as children. This is not an excuse. 
It is true that  many young victims grow up to be mature, loving and responsible adults who are great parents and citizens.  They have suffered, and been harmed by the trauma, neglect, abuse and/or poor parenting typically associated with family violence. Yet somehow the harm has been repaired.  A courageous parent, a grandparent, an older sibling, a teacher or caseworker or... may have made the critical difference. 

A destructive response to life's ups and downs?

Family violence is frequently a result of the perpetrators' failure to moderate their responses to life's ups and down. Such failures, in part, can be the result of childhood modelling and harm resulting from family violence. The harm remains un-repaired, the social and emotional development is lacking. When things go wrong everyone suffers and the problems continue.  In this way, family violence is passed on from one generation to the next.

Using restorative practices in response to the harm done by young people at school and in the community is important. Some achievements are amazing - the efforts of all concerned can be heroic.

The unsung heroes of Restorative Practices

There is another less spectacular version of Restorative Practices. One in which the harm that children carry with them is gently healed by caring teachers and coaches, patient and encouraging classmates and team mates. In their everyday life and work, these schools, clubs... 

• build themselves as communities in their own right
• include everyone, and support everyone's inclusion (if at all possible)
• set high standards for actions and relationships (respect and accountability)
• demonstrate that life always has its ups and downs and that is "OK"
• that the use of force is rarely necessary 
• ...

In this way they address the gaps left by poor or erroneous parenting and the lack of social and emotional learning. 

That is, we need our schools, services and communities to be restorative in order to help repair the harm done to children before they become perpetrators of family violence in the next generation.