NCJ Number
212529
Date Published
2004
Length
99 pages
Annotation
This report presents the findings of the national evaluation of the Restorative Justice in Schools program.
Abstract
The Youth Justice Board for England and Wales launched a pilot program in two schools in the London borough of Lambeth in May 2000. The program involves the use of restorative justice approaches to address offending behavior, exclusions, truancy, bullying, and other anti-social behaviors in young persons. Program goals were to reduce offending and anti-social behaviors and to increase school attendance. Following early signs of success, 9 local youth offending teams (YOTs) working within 26 schools also joined the initiative. The evaluation focused on implementation effectiveness; participant satisfaction with restorative justice conferences; short- and long-term effects on victimization, robbery, and bullying; and usefulness in reducing school exclusion. Data included school-level information on population characteristics, attendance, exclusions, and staff turnover; interviews with key stakeholders and restorative justice participants; and pupil and staff surveys. Evaluation findings revealed that although participants felt satisfied with their experiences, the conferences had no effects on exclusions and did not reduce levels of victimization. However, nearly all staff agreed that the restorative justice programming had benefited their schools and there was some indication that the programming had increased the confidence of victims and helped perpetrators understand the full effects of their actions. Overall, the evaluation indicates that while restorative justice programming is not a panacea for the problems in schools, the approach can greatly improve the school environment, enhance learning, and encourage empathy and responsibility in young persons. Recommendations are offered, including that all Restorative Justice in Schools programs partner with the Department for Education and Skills in order to make the program more integrated with the school agenda. Tables, figures, references, and appendixes