This op-ed explains why restorative justice is a legitimate way to deescalate possibly violent situations.
The argument escalated during lunch in the cafeteria. The 15-year-old boy who threw the first punch made a loud comment about the 16-year-old’s tattoo and threw a hard right. The older boy went down hard but came up swinging and the other students crowded around and yelled encouragement to one or the other combatant. Luckily, there was security present, and the guards quickly intervened, separated the boys and took them out of the lunchroom.
Deciding what to do about this kind of behavior is a question pondered by many. In juvenile justice circles, I often hear repeated comments that go something like this: “Schools just call the cops. Many have stated policies that teachers and administrators cannot intervene physically and suspension or expulsion is required. These policies widen the net for the juvenile justice system leading to prosecution, detention — and sometimes prison.”
http://jjie.org/restorative-justice-isnt-fluff-its-an-investment-in-the-future/107251/
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