Role-Playing Scenarios

Introduction

• Bring students into a circle, either seated in chairs or on the floor.
• Ask them to raise their hands if they have heard of the words "restorative" or "justice" before.
• Ask, "Does anyone know what these words mean?"
• Write the words "restorative" and "justice" on the board, and write everything that the class already knows about them.
• Either project or write on the board the following definition of restorative justice, from Unicef: "Restorative justice is when the person harmed and the aggressor (the person who acted out in violence), and in some cases other persons affected by a crime, participate together in the resolution of matters that came from the crime, generally with the help of a facilitator. Restorative justice is about making things as right as possible for all people involved."
• Ask students to read through the definition, and to come up and underline words or phrases that stand out to them.
• Ask the class if they have questions about this term.
• Ask how restorative justice may be different from punishment of a behavior or crime.
• Show the class the book What Are You Staring At? by Pete Wallis.
• Explain that you will be reading through the book. As you read, ask the students to look for connections to the definition of restorative justice in the book.
• Read the story to the class.