EXAMINATION ED4238 Question 3.

EXAMINATION ED4238
Question 3.

Bullying is a problem in many schools and classes. Describe how you would use the restorative justice model to deal with an incident in class where a student is being pushed, name called and excluded from the group.

Restorative Justice is a system that was developed in order to address social problems in an educative and socially responsible manner.
In the case of a student who is being pushed, named called and excluded my would first step would be to support and acknowledge the victimised person. They need to have identified and acknowledged that he/she is being bullied and told that it is not okay and that measures will be taken to remedy the situation. They also need to be reassured that the approach advocated would work and that the problem will not get worse by acting upon the situation. It would be important at this stage to explain the proposed process and collect information on the impact of the bullying or harassment.
The next step would be a preliminary investigation to clearly understand the issues before the process is implemented.
The method I would choose to implement would depend on the personalities concerned. If the perpetrator were themselves bullying due to having been victimized in some way, I would probably choose the more oblique no blame method. I think this approach could be very powerful for a student who is sensitive and suffering self-esteem problems. If, on the other hand, the bully were more assertive and self-assured, I would choose the method of shared concern as a more direct approach.
Supposing we chose the method of no blame, the next step would be to find a balanced group of peers that included the perpetrator plus others who have witnessed the bullying but not acted to prevent it, and supporters of the victim. Once the group has been established a structured meeting would be held, excluding the victim, but inclusive of the other representative groups. The aim of this meeting is to develop shared responsibility without blaming the perpetrator, and to facilitate suggestions for solving the problem. The solution should be encouraged to be a shared action plan and a date and time should be set for a subsequent meeting to discuss and review developments. Once again, this second meeting does not include the victim. Daily meeting and contact with the victim and respectful observation of the perpetrator are necessary at this stage to monitor progress and create a safe and reassuring environment for all person concerned.
I would try to follow up this situation up by devising an in class activity aimed at valuing both victim and perpetrator. If appropriate I would have them work together or in a group situation in class. I would also try to introduce relevant content and facilitate group discussion that dealt with similar issues as had been experienced in this situation, for example feelings of alienation or exclusion. Depending on the age group I may tell a veiled story to illustrate the potentially harmful developments that may arise from such actions, although I would be mindful of a redemptive ending!