“Sounds like an ideal job for RJ,” I said giving it my best Sherlock Holmes impression.
However, it was clear from the expression on the faces of the complainants that they had no idea what I was talking about, and probably thought that RJ was an abbreviation for some form of super cop or secret crime prevention weapon, and so I sat down and explained the restorative justice model to them….
….I explained to them the process used to implement this type of solution and that at an agreed date, time and location I would ask the young lad, in company with his parents to attend a meeting with me and the complainants so all parties could discuss the incident and its implications, thus making the young lad accountable and responsible for his actions, whilst also allowing the complainants to voice their concerns in a controlled manner and environment. At the end of it I would hope that all parties concerned would then look to put the incident behind them, maybe offer some reparation in relation to the damage caused or even just say sorry and have a better understanding of each others’ needs.
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