ERIC Number: EJ1331671
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022-Apr
Pages: 9
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1532-8759
EISSN: N/A
Trauma-Informed Restorative Justice Practices in Schools: An Opportunity for School Social Workers
Sedillo-Hamann, Dayna
Children & Schools, v44 n2 p98-106 Apr 2022
Restorative justice (RJ) is both a philosophy and a set of practices meant to repair harm and maintain connection in the face of wrongdoing. While RJ is becoming increasingly popular among K-12 educators and in schools, emphasis is typically on its social justice applications, including its use as an alternative to zero-tolerance discipline policies and its role in dismantling the school-to-prison pipeline. However, RJ can also be understood as a trauma-informed mental health intervention allowing perpetrators, who have frequently been victims of past trauma, to regain a sense of voice and control, and to maintain social connection within their community. Social workers in school settings are in a prime position to explore and advocate for its increased use with vulnerable youth populations. Through review of relevant literature and use of a composite case example, this article outlines the harmful impacts of punitive and exclusionary discipline; describes the potential benefit of schools utilizing RJ as a mental health intervention; and recommends further research to understand RJ's effect on self-efficacy, self-regulation, and healthy attachment.
Descriptors: Trauma, Justice, School Social Workers, Elementary Secondary Education, Discipline Policy, Mental Health, Intervention
Oxford University Press. Great Clarendon Street, Oxford, OX2 6DP, UK. Tel: +44-1865-353907; Fax: +44-1865-353485; e-mail: jnls.cust.serv@oxfordjournals.org; Web site: http://cs.oxfordjournals.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A