Book Review - Working Restoratively in Schools

Bill Hansberry is a well known and respected educator from Australia in the field of restorative practices in schools. I have reviewed his recently-published book, titled Working Restoratively in Schools. Here is the review:

BOOK REVIEW
Working restoratively in schools: A guidebook for developing safe and connected learning communities, by Bill Hansberry, Quennscliff, Victoria, Australia, Inyahead Press, 2009, 1 + 128 pp., AU$29.50/US$27.00 (paperback), ISBN 978-0-9806942-0-8

Tom Cavanagh, PhD
Walden University
tom.cavanagh@waldenu.edu

The author of this book is a well-known practitioner of the application of restorative justice theory in schools, particularly in Australia. He is to be commended for providing a practical resource for educators to help them understand the theory of restorative justice as it is applied in educational settings and to help them apply that theory in practical ways.

My review of this book is influenced by my special interest in developing the theory of a Culture of Care in schools based on restorative justice principles, particularly related to the importance of building and maintaining healthy and caring relationships, in order that all students, particularly those students who do not belong to the dominant culture, may flourish in school and as adults.

This book offers a valuable contribution in the field regarding the application of restorative justice theory in schools, sometimes called restorative practices, by providing educators will a simple and clear explanation of restorative justice theory as applied in schools and a detailed guide about how to apply that theory. This theory is largely based on the work of respected scholars in the field like John Braithwaite and Brenda Morrison and draws from other theories, such as William Glasser’s Choice Theory, Donald Nathanson’s Compass of Shame, and Daniel Goleman’s theory about Social Intelligence.

The purpose of this book is to provide a whole-school approach to implementing restorative justice processes and a resource to assist in implementing change in these schools. The conversation currently in the field centers on how to introduce restorative practices in schools. This book contributes to the field of restorative justice in education by providing a easy to understand guide for educators to apply the theory of restorative justice in schools. However, I was left questioning how the ideas presented in this book would build the capacity of students to solve problems non-violently and how those ideas would lead to the profound change in the culture of schools that is required to transform from being punitive and rules based to healing and collaborative.

The first section of this book introduces readers to the theory underlying restorative practices in schools. The second section tells educators how to move from theory to practice. And the final section offers detailed ideas for applying restorative practices in educational settings. At the end of the book is a list of references for the reader who wants to explore the field further.

The author of this book contends that the book serves as a resource for micro and organizational change. While micro level change is obvious, particularly in the guidance the book gives for building the capacity of teachers to respond to wrongdoing and conflict in a restorative manner rather than punitively, organizational level change is not so obvious. My review of the book revealed the book does not offer ideas for systemic change, and without such change the practices mentioned in the book may well be viewed as another tool in the traditional disciplinary toolkit, rather than the basis for the profound change that is required to truly create whole school reform.

The critical element that is missing in this book is acknowledgement of the impact of disparities in education that affect restorative practices. Whether we are talking about Aboriginal people in Australia, Maori in New Zealand, First Nations people in Canada, or African-American, Latin/Hispanic, and Native American students in the United States, those of us working in the field of restorative practices in education are ethically obligated to acknowledge that our work is directly linked to the statistics of disparity that disproportionately affect students from these minority groups. We cannot ignore the cultural impact of our work and what we can learn from listening to the voices of these people from minority groups as we shape the discourses that are the foundation of our work.

While this book, upon review, was found lacking in some respects, I recommend that educators and those interested in education purchase and read this book. This book provides an excellent resource for teachers and administrators who want to understand restorative justice theory and how to apply that theory in schools using tried and practical tools.

Geske explains restorative justice

In this UTube video clip former Wisconsin Supreme Court justice give a brief overview about the philosophy of restorative justice. She is currently leading Marquette University's Law School Restorative Justice program.

Experts on Topic: Janine Geske, Marquette University

New journal article with Maori colleagues

My latest publication
INDIGENOUS CONTEXTS FOR RESPONDING TO CHALLENGING BEHAVIOUR: CONTRASTING WESTERN ACCOUNTABILITY WITH MAORI RESTORATION OF HARMONY
was written with two Maori colleagues from New Zealand - Mere Berryman and Sonja Macfarlane. This article was published in the International Journal of Restorative Justice and is available at www.crjcs.org under the Vol 5, No 1 link (right hand side of web site).

When I went to New Zealand in 2004 one of the things I hoped to learn is what Maori traditional thinking could tell us to help our practices. I found it took five years to develop the relationships with Maori and an understanding of their rich culture so that I could engage in the conversation that led to this article.

I believe you will find this article most interesting, particularly for those who ask - What are we restoring? Maori tell us that at the core of what restorative justice is about is relationships, and what we are restoring are those relationships.

Parade features restorative justice

The newspaper magazine Parade, which is inserted in Sunday newspapers throughout the United States, this week (October 25th) featured a story about restorative justice titled A New Kind of Restorative Justice. I was impressed to see the popular press recognizing the value of the alternative to the traditional response to wrongdoing.

The article highlighted the restorative justice program in Longmont, Colorado, and contained quotes from Dr Beverly Title, a friend and colleague whom I respect deeply. I believe Beverly's Teaching Peace program is an example of best practice in the field of restorative justice.

Also quoted in the article is Professor Larry Sherman, who along with Australian researcher Dr Helen Strang have provided those of us working in the field of restorative justice evidence that restorative justice does indeed work in their 2007 publication Restorative Justice: The Evidence. In the Parade article Dr Sherman is quoted as saying that every dollar spent on restorative justice programs saves about $8 that would be spent in our traditional legal system. So why do policymakers, particularly in these lean times, ignore this wonderful opportunity? Dr Sherman believes it is simply a matter that these policymakers do not believe restorative justice is tough enough.

Access to publication

Some followers of this blog have asked about how to get a copy of this publication:

Creating Schools of Peace and Nonviolence in a Time of War and Violence
Tom Cavanagh
Online Publication Date: 01 January 2009

To cite this Article: Cavanagh, T. (2009).Creating Schools of Peace and Nonviolence in a Time of War and Violence. Journal of School Violence (8)1, 64 — 80.

To link to this Article: DOI: 10.1080/15388220802067912
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15388220802067912

New book

Some of my colleagues from Colorado State University, where I did my doctoral studies, and the Peace Education special Interest Group (SIG) of the American Education Research Association (AERA) co-authored a book that was recently released. The title and the press release are below.

147 Tips For Teaching Peace and Reconciliation
by William M. Timpson, Edward J. Brantmeier, Nathalie Kees, Tom Cavanagh,
Claire McGlynn, and Elavie Ndura-Ouédraogo

Violence and prejudice are regrettably commonplace in the world around us. Our
responses to acts of violence are critical. They can help to either perpetuate the
chain reaction of reprisal or reverse it. As educators who wish to further peaceful
alternatives, we must reach out with compassion and respect for others. And we
must do so in real, practical ways.
William Timpson and his fellow contributors from around the world begin this new
book from Atwood Publishing with the concept that violence and division are not
inherent, but have forcibly occupied our history books and our everyday ways of
thinking, leaving us a one-sided story that threatens to repeat itself endlessly.
From this beginning, 147 Tips For Teaching Peace and Reconciliation asserts that
peace must be actively taught, and outlines effective and practical ways to do so.
Each of the authors draws from a deep well of personal experience advancing reconciliation
in divided societies. This enables them to balance academic theory with
real-world practice as they present a diverse array of tips — priceless for teaching
peace to your students, discovering peace in your personal life, and promoting peace
in your community.
TOPICS INCLUDE:

• Rethinking the War and Dominance Paradigms
• Challenging the Language of Conflict
• Building a Positive Climate of Trust

Peace and reconciliation have universal value. Teaching them, however, cannot be a
passive or a neutral activity. Whether you plan to integrate peace education into a
pre-existing class, teach a new class on peace, or bring peace and reconciliation to
your community, 147 Tips for Teaching Peace and Reconciliation will give you valuable
direction to help you accomplish your goals.
For futher information or to request a copy to review for publication, contact:
Linda Babler, Atwood Publishing, PO Box 3185, Madison, WI 53704; 888.242.7101;
lindab@atwoodpublishing.com.

Humility and conflict

For most of my life I have struggled with the meaning being humble. Then I learned that the opposite of humility is a sense of entitlement. That discovery clarified my understanding of humility.

Recently I learned from a colleague who works in the field of restorative justice that a source of conflict is a sense of entitlement. Upon hearing that, my mind clicked. Of course, when I have a sense of entitlement, the result often is conflict - conflict between my expectations and yours.

So the lesson for me is to work at taking a position of humility. As an American, who grew up as a privileged White male, this is a difficult position to take. However, the peace this stance creates within myself and with others is well worth the difficulty.