3 Tiers of Restorative Practices

Integrating RP and PBIS

Restorative Practices (RP) and School-wide Positive Behaviour Support (PBIS) overlap and complement each other. And many schools use both approaches in very well integrated ways.

For example, I came across this diagram explaining three levels of intervention as it applies to the use of Restorative Practices in schools

Like well implemented Restorative Practices, PBIS is school-wide and aims to build clarity of expectations, support, relationships and community. It is not just about solving problems. In many schools Restorative Practices are valued as powerful positive interventions and supports.

Three Levels of application

For those involved in School-Wide PBIS, the above diagram will be very familiar!! And adopting Restorative Practices is a natural step forward to make the school's PBIS even more effective. At the same time it is important to remember that Restorative Practices is not a short-cut version of PBIS!

And as in PBIS, it can be useful to think of three levels of application of RP 

1. School-wide Prevention Practices can easily incorporate many aspects of RP including

• use of affective statements
• extensive use of circles for a wide range of everyday purposes

2. Managing Difficulties includes supports such as 

• the use of the (Restorative) questions that can generate insight and create possibilities for resolving issues 
• more use of (Restorative) circles / meetings  focused on existing and/or emerging issues with the students (and others) involved

3. Intense Intervention includes

• restorative conferences

[The above diagram is from Restorative Justice - a working guide for our schools - a sound, easy-to-read guide to implementing what some call "restorative practices" at the school or school district level.  For more information simply Google "pbis"]

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]

"Restoring" order

When harm is done it is relatively easy to identify the primary relationships that have been damaged and need to be restored.

In serious matters, restorative practices also address close secondary relationships by including supporters of both the offenders and victims.

Well-meaning authorities may attempt to "keep the door open" for those who have caused some harm by implementing minimal consequences. For example, a court may apply a suspended sentence for a serious offence. 

In terms of the social discipline window (Fig 1.), such approaches can be perceived as permissive (high support - low challenge). However, this can undermine the confidence of bystanders and their relationships with those involved and the system (justice system, school...). A bystander is anyone who knows that harm was done, before, during or after the fact. 

Restorative (high challenge - high support) approaches  involve the completion of substantial, well-managed challenges by those who have caused harm. Such challenges are important restoring relationships and repairing the harm done. 

\Communicating the successful completion of these challenges can be important for wider bystanders who need to know that justice has been done, and that there is order including social discipline.

Checking perceptions of justice

Insights into how we really dispense justice can be powerful and essential contributions to aching change. I suspect that many staff would be surprised at the what they actually practice.

Staff perceptions
One way to bring these out would be to
1. Get several staff members to tell a story of a recent difficult situation and how it was dealt with, then

2. Get them to rate it (putting dots on a triangle) in terms of

• retribution,
• deterrence and
• restoration

I would see such an exercise as being important in the implementation of Restorative Practices in any school.

Student Perceptions

And there is another 'triangle' that could also be useful... in this one students might rate staff  in terms of whether they are

• controlling (assertive/aggressive)
• helpful (altruistic)
• just focused on the facts  (analytical)

Same technique: get each student to

1. Tell the story of a recent experience then

2. Rate what the staff did (put dots on a triangle) in terms of in terms of the these three possible responses

The Role of the School in Restorative Practices

Restorative Practices involve a major response from the school itself (over and above the staff response). Staff need PL (knowledge, skills and understanding) but, that is just the beginning...
RP involves a change of culture which requires

• engagement of senior staff in the everyday life and work of the school, especially
• engagement of senior staff in the everyday conversations
• and a change in governance 

Associated changes in school governance need to be made and communicated ...

• the school accepts responsibility for the use of RP (staff act on behalf of the school)
• the school enables staff to use RP - time, provides structures, process, support, back-up, recovery strategies and assistance (it need to be OK to fail, at least in the short-term),
• the school monitors the use, costs and contributions of RP (especially to capture the learning and experiences...)
• the school genuinely lives the values required at all levels
• the school understands RP as an investment (not just a solution), which means,
• the school accepts that it is OK to lose time now in order to save time later on

Consequences and our notions of justice

I came across an interesting study the other day. The study collected stories involving justice issues - what happened and how things were handled.

The study then asked the contributors to tag their stories in terms of the extent to which they were about
1. Retribution (on behalf of the victim???)
2. Deterrence of the offender and others from repeating the offence
3. Restoration of the offender

Lots of food for thought here I think.

I suspect a lot of the use of 'logical' consequences in schools is
  - about retribution
  - justified as a deterrent
  - with an implied 'logical' outcome of 'restoration' of the offender 

Of course, our responses are shaped by
  - the significance of what happened, and 
  - the offender's response.

And, what we believe others would expect of us is also very powerful. I continue to be amazed at how little awareness many people (not just teachers) have regarding the natural consequences of doing the wrong thing. It is common for the natural consequences to be underestimated or simply disregarded.

Doing the wrong thing is very bad for the offender (Glasser was strong on this).

IMHO, one of the most common reasons kids continue to be difficult after doing the wrong thing is that
  - they are embarrassed  - the know they have done the wrong thing and wish they hadn't, and 
  - they feel disempowered - it can't be undone, and they don't know how to fix it up.

So to save face they get into denial, blaming, justifying.... It is a very painful to lose face - something I never required of a student. Maybe Restorative Practices is as much about restoring the offender's face as it is about restoring relationships.

After all, face is very much the key element in all relationships.