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Power, Authority and Restorative Practices

Bailie, John
June 4, 2015

Source: (2009) Restorative Practices E-Forum. 2 April

“Power” can be defined as the ability to exert influence over one’s environment and play an active role in the decisions that affect one most. Healthy communities set external boundaries while fostering inner control and social discipline.

Restorative practices provide participatory processes that determine social power and promote healthy self-discipline and social discipline. Restorative practices greatly broaden the scope of restorative justice by offering a unifying model that can optimize all uses of power and authority, not just responses to crime and wrongdoing. By maximizing social engagement and participation in both proactive community building and reactive responses to wrongdoing, restorative practices provide a philosophical framework and practical mechanisms to foster individual and social health. (excerpt)

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AbstractCourtsPolicePrisonsRJ and Community DisputesRJ in SchoolsTopic: RJ Practices
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