Research and Final Project Spring 2023 ItAG: Restorative Justice and Students at Risk
ItAG members: Rae Powers, Clare Eunbi Cho, Mayumi Tan, Antonella Damelio
Disciplinary approaches vary from school to school, but research shows that punitive disciplinary actions are prevalent across NYC Public schools. These policies negatively affect students on mental health, overall well-being, academic performance, and their relationship with the school. In addition, they disproportionately affect Black and Brown students, who are more likely to be suspended, expelled, and arrested for minor offenses compared to their white peers, ultimately leading them through a pipeline to the criminal justice system (González, 2012). The inequalities that BIPOC and low-income students receive for funding, support, and over-policing reinforce racial and economic imbalances and perpetuate the “school-to-prison pipeline.”
As a response, our group looks towards Restorative Justice and its compassionate humanizing practices that look away from harm and punishment, and deeply considers the support and accountability for harm with people directly involved (Project Nia, 2021). This provides an alternative route to addressing discipline in schools. Art can play a critical role in this process as it can be used to help explore emotions, thoughts, and perspectives that help us build empathy through the sharing of experiences. Restoring Voices, a zine made in collaboration with students, faculty and staff around NYC, hopes to explore the ways in which restorative practices can be applied in schools to foster a sense of community that directly supports students and addresses their needs. Restoring Voices, aims to elevate student experiences and help restore power to the voices that matter most, the students.
Research methods for this project included: Interviewing student led restorative justice circles, interviewing deans and practitioners of restorative justice, running group writing reflections on school experience with students, Photovoice: Mapping Student Experience, power mapping with teachers/faculty/staff, & student/faculty/staff surveys.
Download a copy of the Restoring Voices Zine
