Fighting amongst teenagers is common. Whether it be due to anger, gaining or maintaining self respect, or for self defense, emotions are running high and the adolescent brain is not fully mature enough to handle these difficult situations. There have been times where you have seen two students verbally fight about something. Each one tries to prove something to the other person but inevitably ends up causing more harm than good. This leads to the student being punished in the form of detention and suspension or at times even worse, police intervention. Students should not be punished but instead, have a talk about what is going on to resolve it. This is just a part of Restorative Justice. 

The purpose of Restorative Justice is to view their wrongful behavior differently, truly understanding the impacts of their actions and being mindful of others. It is important for students to embrace the core values into their everyday lives in school and outside. The Restorative Justice has an acronym of RJ. 

 

At UAG, the practice of RJ, is taught in the RJ internship. Few may be familiar with the Restorative Justice Internship. The internship and after school club are led by Mr. Traversa, Lindsey and Mr. Guerrero. Each staff member takes on different roles.

For Students, the Restorative Justice internship is selective and requires a nomination, interview, and selection process. It is not easy to join but extremely worthwhile. Those who are accepted take on various roles of leadership and working with students in sometimes a teaching manner. Interns learn about handling responsibility, communicating well, and taking pride in their work. 

Interns can look forward to being the major players in helping develop a strong school community that feels trusting and safe. The primary goal being to help students think before doing, and remember we are all connected. Restorative Justice is an example of what the core values should be in our school community.