JPRC

Restorative Justice in U.S. Schools: Summary Findings from Interviews with Experts

School Safety

Restorative Justice in U.S. Schools: Summary Findings from Interviews with Experts

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Current methods of responding to student offenses in schools are often not effective, and may even be backfiring. Many experts support the use of restorative justice (RJ), an approach to justice that focuses on repairing harm and restoring relationships, rather than simply punishing the perpetrator.

This 2015 report, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, describes the promise of RJ in improving relationships and the overall school environment, and summarizes the findings from interviews with over 40 nationally recognized RJ leaders.

Learning From the Experiences of Texas Schools Implementing Behavioral Threat Assessment Programs

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The use of behavioral threat assessment (BTA) as a strategy for school safety is becoming more prevalent. However, there is limited information regarding its implementation and the necessary elements for a successful BTA program.

This report presents key findings from a study funded by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), which examined the implementation of BTA in high schools throughout Texas. Texas is one of several states that have recently made BTA mandatory in K–12 schools. Additionally, this report provides an overview of BTA models implemented in schools and a review of existing literature on the implementation and outcomes of BTA.

Key Findings

  • Most BTA teams are multidisciplinary.
  • Central reporting mechanisms are in place, but students often report potential threats to teachers.
  • Threat assessments are conducted in line with key components of the BTA model.
  • It is difficult to find time for BTA team meetings.
  • Process tracking and data management are often decentralized, but software can be prohibitively expensive.
  • It can be difficult to connect students with community-based resources.
  • School and community resources play a significant role in facilitating BTA team success.
  • A positive school culture contributes to BTA team success.
  • Consistent communication is key to success.

Providing Behavioral Threat Assessment Training and Implementation Support

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We are committed to helping schools, districts, and state departments of education address school violence. In collaboration with Navigate360, we are partnering on ten U.S. Department of Justice (via the U.S. Bureau of Justice Assistance) school safety grants under the STOP School Violence Program. The ten grants are led by the following education entities:

  • California: Poway Unified School District
  • Maine: The Maine School Safety Center
  • Michigan: Lenawee County Office of Emergency Management
  • Nevada: Nevada Department of Education
  • New York: Board of Cooperative Educational Services of Ulster County
  • Ohio: Education Service Center of Northeast Ohio
  • Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania Intermediate Unit, Chester County
  • Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania State School Safety Center
  • South Carolina: Pickens County
  • Virginia: Loudoun County Public Schools

In each site, JPRC staff are working to enhance the development and implementation of behavioral threat assessment teams by providing accessible threat assessment training, providing suicide awareness and prevention training, implementing related technology-enabled support, and developing practical implementation resources for schools. We are also partnering with local agencies to identify opportunities for improvement and implement their programs with fidelity. Through this collective effort, we will advance work being done in schools to prevent violent acts and cultivate supportive, inclusive, and safe school environments.

Systematic Review of Research on Effects of School Policing

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One response to school safety concerns is employing police in school buildings. To understand the evidence for this policy option, we are collaborating with Professor Ben Fisher of Florida State University to explore the effects of school policing on safety, perceptions, and academic outcomes. This brief summarizes the results from this synthesis of 32 evaluations.

Analysis of School Policing in California

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The JPRC is among the national leaders winning school safety research and evaluation awards from the National Institute of Justice (NIJ). Our work includes examining the impact of removing school police from campuses on student safety, behavior, well-being, and disciplinary outcomes. Using a combination of secondary data sources to examine recent school police reforms across California, this rigorous quasi-experimental study will compare school districts that removed school police during 2019/20 or 2020/21 with a matched comparison group of districts that did not remove them. Importantly, the study will include a qualitative case study component to identify the reasons for, and impact of, removing or retaining school police as well as policies and practices implemented as alternatives.