Peer Mediation and Restorative Practices: A Two Tiered Approach

1. Peer Mediation and Restorative Practices:A Two Tiered Approach Prepared for CMHO OACAS Joint Conference 2008 Presenter: Jeff Thornborrow

2. Overview • Restorative Practices and Peer Mediation; • Descriptions; • similarities and differences. • What we’re doing: NNDSB and ACFS; • Our successes; • Our challenges. • Where you go after leaving here; • Needs for implementation in your area; • Challenges for you as you move forward; • Conclusion.

3. Peer Mediation Restorative Practices and

4. Peer Mediation Bringing together two students in conflict through an interactive meeting for the purpose of resolution and prevention of further conflict between one another. This process is completed by an objective facilitator who is also a student.

5. Peer Mediation - Structure Co-Facilitator Student Student Facilitator

6. Peer Mediation - Process • Introduction • The stories • Review (or labeling the issues) • Brainstorming • Agreements • Closure • Follow up

7. Restorative Practices Bringing together people who commit, or participate in, an offending behaviour with those who were directly victimized or impacted by the behaviour through an interactive meeting for the purpose of repairing harm that was the result of that offence. This process is done by a objective facilitator.

8. Restorative Practices-Structure Co-Facilitator Support Support Victim Offender Support Support Facilitator

9. Restorative Practices - Process • Introductions; • The Story; • The agreement; • Closure; • Follow up.

10. Why Combine Them? • Blend well • Have same values, goals, etc. • Judicial setting vs. school setting • A real fit for all RP in the school setting…not just judicial setting • Degrees of harm • Smaller offences – peer facilitation • Larger offences – admin facilitation • Clarity of ‘victim’ and ‘offender’ • RP usually has clear victim and offender • PM doesn’t - school incidents don’t • Student learning • Teaches students conflict resolution skills, listening skills, problem solving, meaningful accountability, etc. – Teachable moments

11. Opportunities Conflict resolution Processes are very similar Proven effectiveness Values and goals are similar Hindrances Time Money Minor differences Breaking bread Facilitators role Merging the Two

12. Near North District School Board Algonquin Child & Family Services and

13. NNDSB and ACFS Successes • 30 conferences; • 175 participants; • 22 suspensions shorted as a result of the conference; • 5 suspensions avoided as a result of the conference • Only 3 cases of recidivism rate for all conferences; • Feedback form administered to all participants.

14. Conference Feedback Form Name: . Date: . Please read each question below. Answer by circling the one (1) number that best describes how you feel about your conference experience. Do you feel all other participants heard and understood your side of the story? 1 2 3 4 5 No a few listened/ some listened/ most listened/ Yes understood understood understood Do you feel you were given the opportunity to have input in designing the conference agreement? 1 2 3 4 5 No a little bit somewhat mostly Yes Do you feel the agreement that was reached today is fair and satisfying to everyone involved? 1 2 3 4 5 No a little bit somewhat mostly Yes Do you feel this conference was worthwhile and valuable to you? 1 2 3 4 5 No a little bit somewhat mostly Yes Do you feel this conference was worthwhile and valuable to other participants? 1 2 3 4 5 No a little bit somewhat mostly Yes Do you feel the issue/incident has been resolved? 1 2 3 4 5 No a little bit somewhat mostly Yes Overall, how do you rate your conference experience? 1 2 3 4 5 awful poor fair good excellent Other comments: This form is intended for data collection purposes only. Participants’ names will not be used in processing the information collected.

15. NNDSB and ACFS Do you feel all other participants heard and understood your side of the story? 91.5% - All or most listened Do you feel you were given the opportunity to have input in designing the conference agreement? 96.6% - Yes or mostly Do you feel the agreement that was reached today is fair and satisfying to everyone involved? 93% - Yes or mostly Do you feel this conference was worthwhile and valuable to you? 93.2% - Yes or mostly

16. NNDSB and ACFS Do you feelthis conference was worthwhile and valuable to other participants? 93.2% - Yes or mostly Do you feel the issue/incident has been resolved? 91.5% - Yes or mostly Overall, how do rate your conference experience? 94.9% - Excellent or good

17. NNDSB and ACFS Difficulties • Money; • Time; • Geography; • Staff support; • Status quo.

18. Where do you go from here?

19. Steps to Succeed First thing’s first… Access the administration. Get your administration on board!

20. Steps to Succeed Define the project • Why bring Restorative Practices into the school? • What needs currently aren’t being met with the punitive approach? • What do I hope to achieve with Restorative Practices (goal setting)?

21. Steps to Succeed Define the project Bringing together students who commit, or participate in, an offending behaviour at oragainst the schoolwith those who were directly victimized or impacted by the behaviour through an interactive meeting for the purpose of maximizing the teachable moment and to repair the harm that was the result of that offence. Bringing together people who commit, or participate in, an offending behaviour with those who were directly victimized or impacted by the behaviour through an interactive meeting for the purpose of repairing harm that was the result of that offence.

22. PMRP - Structure Student Co-Facilitator Support Support Victim/ offender Offender /victim Student Student Support Support Student Facilitator

23. Steps to Succeed Set the goals • Use the incident as a learning experience; • Hold the harmer(s) meaningfully accountable for their actions; • Give the victim(s) and bridge participant(s) a place to have their voices heard and to allow them to start the healing process; • Establish a restorative culture in the school(s). By doing this, we want to: • Reduce the number of punitive consequences; • Increase feelings of community, pride, and inclusion in the students. • Aid in building social and conflict resolution skills.

24. Steps to Succeed Values of the program • Inclusive; • Strength based; • Relationship building; • Meaningful accountability; • Learning Experience; • Done with everyone, not to or for them.

25. Steps to Succeed Purpose of the program • Offers students support and resolution; • Gives students a voice; • Gives stakeholders/community members a voice; • Assists in allowing those most affected by an event to decide how to deal with it; • Holds students meaningfully accountable; • Helps students come back into the community; • Allows a healing process to begin with all parties involved.

26. Steps to Succeed Set the criteria for the program • Referrals to the program must be in keeping with the intent of the Safe Schools Act; • Referrals to the program should be in accordance with the internal policies of the school for handling offending behaviour; • The school must have contacted the students (and respective families where appropriate) to obtain consent for the community partner to contact them; • PMRP is a voluntary process.

27. Steps to Succeed Address the staff • Let your staff know your intentions; • Ask for help; • Start a steering group; • Identify your ‘champions;’ • Champions can: • Spread the word in the school; • Sit on the steering group.

28. Steps to Succeed Find the Mediators • Get help from staff • Specifically: department heads; guidance; CDC’s, EA’s, VP’s • Hand select students • Look for certain qualities: • Show them they have been selected because of these qualities • Leadership • Strength • Resiliency • Ethical

29. Steps to Succeed Get the Training • Look for local trainers; • Seek respected and creditable sources; • Spend the money…it’s worth it.

30. Steps to Succeed Exercise the Training • Start using the training in day to day efforts: • Promote the program • Use empathy; • Circles in the classroom; • Probing questions; • Adapt it to target school. • Peer Mediation Office; • Announcements; • Combine with other clubs/programs. • Pamphlets; • Class presentations;

31. Steps to Succeed Exercise the Training con’t • Start looking for possibilities to use Restorative Practices in your school: • Use re-integrative circles; • Start with the ‘smaller’ offences; • Be aware of the entire situation/environment. • Documentation • Feedback forms – How are we doing? • Implementation process • Monitoring process • Statistics

32. Peer Mediation and Restorative Practices Jeff Thornborrow Peer Mediation/Restorative Practices Algonquin Child and Family Services PO Box 596 37 Main Street Sundridge ON P0A 1Z0 (T) 705-384-0160 ex.235 (F) 705-384-5808 jthornborrow@acfs.on.ca