Acknowledgment
We wish to acknowledge the Indigenous roots of Restorative Practices. The practices and philosophy are rooted in Indigenous thinking, and keeping circles is a sacred and significant practice in many Indigenous traditions. We humbly give thanks to the original Circle Keepers and the wisdom and knowledge that they have passed on. At Practice Restorative, we work to bring these ancient practices into our modern world in an honorable and respectful way.
We honor and pay our respects to the land on which we stand, and its traditional stewards, the Anishinaabek, the Council of the Three Fires, also known as Ottawa, Chippewa, and Potawatomi Tribes.
Restorative Justice involves taking the time and care to thoughtfully look at situations where harm has occurred. This exploration of harm and who has been affected is at the root of our practice. It is important to acknowledge the pain and trauma of hundreds of years of land theft, exploitation, and harm that has been done to indigenous, black and communities of color. The seen and unseen harms that have occurred as a result of colonization and racism are ongoing concerns that are close to us, and we honor and uphold the people and the work being done in our community and communities across the country that address these injustices.
About Restorative Practices
With the use of Restorative Practices, we are visualizing a new reality: one that relies on supportive relationships, healthy communication, real accountability, fairness, positive engagement and meaningful conflict resolution.
The graph below, often referred to as the social discipline window, helps us to understand when we are operating in a Restorative way. The bottom axis represents support, going from low to high. The axis on the left represents control (expectations) going from low to high. When we operate in a way that offers low control and low support, we are in the NOT (neglect) box; high support and low control puts us in the FOR (permissive) box; high control and low support are TO (punitive). When we act in a Restorative way, we operate in the WITH box —high support and high expectations. We do this when we are engaged, when we collaborate, and when we show understanding and empathy— while still maintaining expectations. We move in different boxes throughout our days — recognizing when we are operating in the WITH box can help us move toward a Restorative mindset.
The Restorative Practices Continuum illustrates a detailed look at the tools and skills of Restorative. The left side of the graph emphasizes preventative practices; the right side is responsive.
Preventative measures start with changing the way we think. When we are open to a mindset that emphasizes understanding over judgment and listening over assuming, we can start to adapt our language and how we communicate. Relationship-building practices, such as circles, come next. When conflict and disruptions arise, we move towards a Restorative intervention, with the goal of keeping the expectation and maintaining the relationship. On the far right are the formal processes of Responsive Circles and Restorative Conferencing, used to manage high-level conflict in a way that honors each person’s perspective and leans on collaborative problem-solving.
The Punitive vs. Restorative comparison presents two models of justice— punitive and restorative. Punitive Justice, which we all are familiar with through living in American society, focuses on what rule was broken and what punishment is therefore “deserved.” Restorative Justice shifts this line of questioning and focuses on the people who were affected. With this model we are asking a different set of questions that emphasize what harm was done, who was affected and what is needed to repair the harm.
Research has shown that Restorative Practices are effective in changing the climate and culture of a community. For more evidence-based research related to the use of Restorative Practices in schools, check out the resource page from the International Institute for Restorative Practices:
Restorative Practices offer us a model for how to be in the world. In this age of cell phones and AI, it is important to remember that we are hard-wired to connect with real people. When we choose a Restorative approach, we are placing value on working WITH each other: engaging, honoring, listening, supporting, nurturing, holding each other accountable in a respectful way; and ultimately doing the best we can for each other. This is community at its best, and it is the heart of Restorative Practices.