New tactics to deal with schoolyard bully

Source: (2001) ANU Reporter. 32 (4): 8.

In general restorative justice has been conceived and applied in the context of criminal justice. In recent years, some have begun to extend the relevance and applicability of restorative justice beyond the sphere of criminal justice. For example, Brenda Morrison, of the Centre for Restorative Justice in the Research School of Social Sciences at the Australian National University, has studied the use of restorative justice to address the problem of schoolyard bullying. She maintains that restorative justice seeks to build communities of care around individuals while not condoning harmful behavior. This article describes her work, in particular her efforts to develop a “Responsible Citizenship Program” in schools in the Australian Capital Territory.