Restorative Practices

 

These various fields employ different terms, all of which fall under the rubric of restorative practices:

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In the criminal justice field, the phrase used is “restorative justice”; in social work, the term employed is “empowerment”; in education, talk is of “positive discipline” or “the responsive classroom”; and in organizational leadership “horizontal management” is referenced.

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The social science of restorative practices recognizes all of these perspectives and incorporates them into its scope.

 

The use of restorative practices has the potential to:

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• reduce crime, violence, and bullying

• improve human behavior

• strengthen civil society

• provide effective leadership

• restore relationships

• repair harm

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Restorative practices also includes the use of informal and formal processes that precede wrongdoing, those that proactively build relationships and a sense of community to prevent conflict and wrongdoing.

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