“There’s a marriage of trauma-informed practice and restorative approaches in the brain. They are inextricably linked, and one cannot happen without the other.”
Margaret Thorsborne
A trauma-informed restorative approach in education requires us to think differently about behaviour. The overarching philosophy is that any breaking of rules, or disappointing of expectations, should be viewed through the lens of a violation of people and relationships, resulting in damage, ruptures and harm.
As an increasingly common model for addressing conflict in schools, a restorative practice seeks to ‘put things right’, and repair and restore bonds that have been damaged. Neuroscience helps us understand why this is a more effective approach than punishment, when it comes to thinking about behaviour: we are tribal beings, who are wired to live in good relationship with others, so when this does not happen, the consequences can cause us enormous distress.
Download our Staff Meeting in a Box: Trauma-Informed Support.
So, if we are going to live harmoniously in our communities, both within and beyond the school gates, we need to understand that a restorative approach to behaviour, especially one that takes account of children and young people’s trauma, is central to creating a positive, supportive, and safe environment for all.
From an educational perspective, restorative practice was historically applied in relation to formal proceedings, where a serious incident had already occurred, and where fixed term or permanent exclusions were a likely outcome; a planned response to ‘high-level’ behaviour, so to speak.
While this remains the case in many instances, schools are now taking a more proactive, informal approach to the process, using it to intervene early, and avoid situations from escalating in the first place. As Margaret Thorsborne, experienced mediator and expert on restorative practice in schools and the workplace, says,
“A sound, well-embedded restorative practice helps staff to become confident and competent in keeping the small things small.”
What does that look like in practice? It might involve having a quick chat with a student when we sense that disagreement or conflict is imminent; or it might mean being aware of key times when dysregulation is most likely, to ensure that escalating situations are defused swiftly.
Read our article, How to Have a Powerful and Positive Restorative Conversation.
Inclusive decision-making is central to any effective restorative process. This means that the people who are ‘in the problem’ understand it best. In other words, when there is an incident, the people directly involved (those who have caused the harm, and those who have been harmed) are best placed to solve it.
A defining characteristic of the restorative process is handing the ‘problem’ back to those involved, and supporting them to them solve it, without imposing our own solution.
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