Problem:
In her TED Talk, Shannon Sliva discusses restorative justice as a collaborative dialogue between victims, offenders, and the community that focuses on repairing harm. Unlike punitive justice, which centers on punishment and often fails to address the root causes of crime, restorative justice offers several benefits. These include empowering victims, promoting offender accountability, fostering empathy and most notably, reducing reoffending (Sliva, 2019). For instance, a UK study found that offenders in a restorative program committed 23% fewer offenses in the following 12 months than those who did not participate. Despite these documented benefits, victim awareness of restorative justice remains low; one report shows that only 7.5% of eligible victims recalled being offered it (The Facts, n.d.). Schools can benefit from using restorative justice practices instead of suspensions or expulsions to manage misconduct and bullying. For example, when an older student bullies younger ones, a punitive approach might be detention. A restorative approach, however, would involve bringing the students together to discuss the situation. The teacher can ask the students who bullied others why they acted that way and how it made the other students feel. This dialogue allows everyone to understand the cause and effect of the behavior, helping the group find a way to resolve the issue and build stronger relationships. Need Assignment Help?