Restorative Justice as a Tool for Reducing Violence

April 3-9 is National Public Health Week 2023, and we are joining American Public Health Association (APHA) in “Centering and Celebrating Cultures in Health. Each day this week, we are highlighting a community health program or sharing an inspiring story from a community partner or a member of our Healthy Acadia team that aligns with APHA’s theme of the day.

Each one of us has an active role to play in our caring for our own health and the health of our community. Together we make health happen.

Violence Prevention

Culturally sensitive approaches to violence prevention are important in reducing violence because they take into account the unique cultural and social contexts in which violence occurs. These approaches recognize that different cultures and communities may have different understandings and experiences of violence and that effective prevention strategies must be tailored to address these specific needs and challenges.

When violence prevention programs are culturally sensitive, they are more likely to be relevant and effective for the populations they serve. By working closely with community members and leaders, these programs can build trust and promote cooperation, which is essential for the success of any prevention effort.

Culturally sensitive approaches to violence prevention can help address the underlying root causes of violence, such as poverty, discrimination, and marginalization. By understanding these factors and working to address them, prevention efforts can have a lasting impact on reducing violence in affected communities. By acknowledging and addressing cultural differences and nuances, prevention programs can better engage with communities, promote positive change, and ultimately reduce violence.

Culturally specific interventions are critical to effective violence prevention and reduction. For example, intimate partner violence or other controlling and abusive behaviors may be normalized in certain cultures due to taboos or patriarchal social norms. Culturally specific programs have reduced violence in those settings by implementing prevention strategies unique to those cultures.

Read APHA’s post addressing violence prevention, in English or Spanish.
Lea la publicación de APHA sobre la prevención de la violencia, en inglés o en español.

Restorative Justice as a Tool for Reducing Violence

Restorative justice is an approach that focuses on repairing the harm caused by unlawful or violating behavior rather than simply punishing the offender. This involves bringing together the victim, the offender, and other affected parties to discuss the harm that was caused, identify the root causes of the problem or behavior, and work together to develop a plan for addressing it. The goal is to provide a sense of closure and healing for the victim, promote accountability and responsibility for the offender, and restore relationships and trust in the community.

Restorative justice practices can reduce violence by identifying and addressing the underlying causes of harmful behaviors and preventing future harm. It recognizes that rehabilitation and restoration are often more effective in reducing harmful behaviors and promoting a sense of community safety and connectedness. By involving victims and other affected parties in the process, restorative justice can also help to promote empathy, understanding, and forgiveness, which can reduce the likelihood of retaliatory violence and promote healing, reconciliation, mutual respect, and connection.

Restorative models are increasingly being explored by criminal justice and education institutions as an alternative to existing punitive systems. In school communities, these models are being used to create effective and appropriate responses to harmful behavior. A formal model is one way that schools can incorporate restorative principles.

Downeast Restorative Justice

The restorative practice model can be an effective and appropriate response to unacceptable behavior within school communities. Much like any process that engages those individuals directly impacted in a decision-making role, student-led processes foster individual and group ownership in ways that rarely materialize in more adult-directed forums. Restorative practices are an equally useful approach for schools and communities in advance of potential conflicts or unacceptable behaviors. 

Healthy Acadia, in partnership with Downeast Restorative Justice, offers facilitated learning sessions focused on restorative practices for student communities.

“Engaging in equitable community-based justice, Downeast Restorative Justice offers a variety of restorative practice services, said Leslie Ross, Downeast Restorative Justice Case and Program Coordinator. “On a proactive level, we coach, support, and train in restorative policies and practices in schools and broader communities. Nurturing inclusion and meaningful dialogue, we foster community building by improving relationships and connectedness.

In direct response to crime and harm, we offer a facilitated process that brings together all people affected by an incident -those who caused the harm, those who were harmed, and others impacted, to find solutions, repairs, and ways of moving forward that are most meaningful to the participants. With an emphasis on holding space that allows for people to speak their truth, while holding values both of high accountability and of high support in equal measure, the possibility of growth, learning and healing, connection, and repair that occurs can transform people and relationships. From the pro-active to the responsive these services offer a pathway to creating safer and stronger communities.”

“Restorative practices are the best way to address youth substance use,” said Tara Young, Community Health Coordinator with Healthy Acadia. “Fines, suspension, and punitive consequences don't address the underlying mental health issues affecting a young person who is using substances. Restorative practices help people see how their use impacts not only themselves but their family and community. It provides an opportunity for youth to receive the support they need to make healthy choices.”

"Our partnership with Downeast Restorative Justice enables Healthy Acadia to deepen our knowledge and practices of implementing restorative practices within our program areas including our work with youth, schools, and the recovery community," added Corrie Hunkler, ELO and Youth Engagement Coordinator with Healthy Acadia.

For more information on how to get involved in this work, please reach out to Leslie Ross, Downeast Restorative Justice Case and Program Coordinator at leslie@downeastrestorativejustice.org.

Does Your School or Community Use a Restorative Justice Approach?

Let us know! Share your comments on our Facebook page under today’s related post.

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