West Philadelphia High School was on the state’s “Persistently Dangerous Schools” list for six years. After one year of implementing Restorative Justice, the climate improved dramatically: suspensions dropped 50%, violent acts and serious incidents declined 52% in 2007-2008, and another 40% by the end of the Fall semester in 2008-2009. This video takes a look at what was done there.

RJOY’s mission is to fundamentally shift the way we respond to youthful wrongdoing from punitive approaches that inflict more harm to restorative approaches that repair it.

Listen to folks who have experienced the affects, and witnessed the results, of failed harsh discipline policies that aren’t adding up to a better tomorrow for students. You’ll hear students, teachers, and administrators who offer insider’s knowledge on how to fix this problem. Let’s keep schools safe, keep students in the classroom and pave the way for a healthy and more successful future for California’s young people.

A game some Winnipeg students are playing in class dramatically reduces disruptive behavior, according to their teachers.

This inspiring talk about taking a “Time In” with people who have caused problems for you was presented by Katy Hutchison at TEDx West Vancouver. Katy became a Restorative Justice advocate following the murder of her first husband. After ten years of sharing her story internationally to over five hundred schools and community groups, she views the education system as the structure with the most potential to affect positive social change. Katy sits on the Boards of Restorative Practices International & Glenlyon Norfolk School and volunteers for Leave Out Violence (LOVE).

Adolescents are surrounded by violence. Usually they see it in political or historical terms (through the media, teaching and literature) or in the context of amusements (video games, movies). The purpose of Raid Cross, a learning simulation, is to make these adolescents aware of the reality of armed conflict and humanitarian action, thus giving them tools for interpreting events, the news, and violence in general. Raid Cross is an activity that uses international humanitarian law as an instrument for encouraging more extensive thought about human behavior. It focuses on the protection of life and human dignity in wartime and, more generally, in all the experiences of daily life. For more information, visit the Red Cross collection of Resources for Educators.