Experts attribute their focus on RJ in schools to the failure of zero-tolerance discipline, disciplinary disparities, school climate concerns, holistic community approaches, and connections to youth development models¶
Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · qualitativer2·q2
Currency · newest study 2015 · checked against its sources 2026-10-20 (automated, 1 of 1 entry) · not reviewed by a person
Subclaims¶
Reading the evidence codes
q is the design tier, i the impact, n the sample, and the kind with its r
the rigour judged within that kind: what each code means.
This claim: no standardized effect is recorded in observations/ for it yet, so no benchmark reading is possible.
q2 i? Experts report that current disciplinary methods are often ineffective and may backfire, motivating interest in RJ. → Guckenburg 2015
Evidence¶
Guckenburg 2015¶
Guckenburg, S., Hurley, N., Persson, H., Fronius, T., & Petrosino, A. (2015). Restorative Justice in U.S. Schools: Summary Findings from Interviews with Experts. San Francisco: WestEd. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED568378
q2 · i? · qualitative · r2
Qualitative interview study of 43 RJ experts conducted January-October 2014 using a semistructured protocol; the report states experts "widely agree that current methods of handling student offenses are often not effective."
"The experts we interviewed widely agree that current methods of handling student offenses are often not effective, and may even be backfiring."
Discussion¶
Related Claims¶
- Experts report reduced suspensions and expulsions and improved school climate as RJ implementation successes — related
- RJ serves a preventative purpose by building students' social and emotional skills, not only responding to offenses — related
- Experts argue most school RJ implementation is weak and funding should first strengthen implementation before funding research — related
- Frequent RJ use by teachers shows preliminary indications of reducing the racial discipline gap, though disparities persist — related
- Teachers who implemented restorative justice frequently had better student relationships and issued fewer referrals, with preliminary indications of reduced racial discipline gaps that were not fully eliminated — related
- CSTAG training shifts staff knowledge and beliefs, improving threat-assessment accuracy and reducing support for zero-tolerance policies — related
- Exclusionary discipline harms students and disproportionately affects students of color, so tracking suspension data can promote positive interventions — related
- Experts report there is neither a clear definition nor a widely accepted model of restorative justice in schools — related
Page metadata
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
type |
claim |
id |
expert-motivations-restorative-justice-schools |
title |
Experts attribute their focus on RJ in schools to the failure of zero-tolerance discipline, disciplinary disparities, school climate concerns, holistic community approaches, and connections to youth development models |
description |
Experts attribute their focus on RJ in schools to the failure of zero-tolerance discipline, disciplinary disparities, school climate concerns, holistic community approaches, and connections to youth development models |
status |
review |
evidence_strength |
weak |
newest_evidence |
2015 |
source_checked |
2026-10-20 |
generated |
by process:wiki-ingest on 2026-10-09 |
trust |
unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content |
sources |
1 — guckenburg-2015 |
Frontmatter is the page's machine-readable record — see the Schema & Guide.