Item of Interest: Restorative Justice, what is it?

Savannah Sawle

Item of Interest

11/09/2016

I chose to discuss restorative justice in the school settings for several reasons, particularly because I feel it has the potential to be very effective. In my field placement, we have had a group called Alternatives Inc. provide training on implementing Restorative Justice in the school setting. I feel that that my placement is the perfect candidate for utilizing this intervention, as there is ample opportunity to restore justice in the classroom settings and among peers. Many of the school facility and staff have a strong mindset fixed on punitive intervention and feel as though their hands are tied because suspension is not an acceptable intervention any longer. Almost daily I observe school faculty and staff feeling helpless because suspension is off of the table when a student misbehaves. Unfortunately, it seems as though most school facility and staff let this sense of helplessness overcome them, and as a result, do not buy-in to tools that are provided such as Restorative Justice.

As an intern, I am trying to implement Restorative Justice as much as possible and allowing myself to be the guinea pig who uses the intervention to see how it works in the school. So far, it appears as though the students are very responsive to it; especially when circling for conflict resolution. I’m hoping I can show the school faculty and staff that Restorative Justice will be a more proactive approach to school related issues so that, if anything, it can make their lives a little more harmonious. I would encourage other interns to use Restorative Justice approaches in their placement because now is a time for trial and error, and we are currently in a very neutral position being “just interns.” I understand that change can be hard at times; however, I feel that Restorative Justice is actually the path of least resistance and will in turn create a better learning environment for both teachers and students.

Below are videos shared during Item of Interest share time:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8_94O4ExSA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOKs4eZCHaQ

Anger Management Groups

Anger Management Groups

This item of interest is based off of a CBT-based anger management curriculum called Healthy Choices. This is geared towards high school students, but can be easily adapted for younger students. The goal of this group is to work towards three social and emotional learning goals: 1A.4a: Analyze how thoughts and emotions affect decision making and responsible behavior. This is achieved through focusing on the A, B, C model of the relationship between events, thoughts and feelings. The second goal it focuses on is: 1A. 3b: Apply strategies to manage stress and motivate successful performance. The focus of this goal is to help teach relaxation techniques, including deep breathing, counting backwards and positive imagery. The last goal is: 2D.3a: Evaluate strategies for preventing and resolving conflicts. In this strategy you will help students be able to use assertiveness and positive decision making to stay out of conflicts.

The format is an 8-week session with small groups of students who either have been identified from your experience, the Dean’s office or a teacher referral. Below is an example of what the 8-week outline resembles.

Session Outline

 Session 1 – Introduction

 Overview of the purpose and goals of group

 Review group rules, expectations, and confidentiality

 Icebreaker Activity

 Pre-Test

 Anger Thermometer

 Introduce Hassle Logs

 Session 2 – Triggers and Cues

 Identifying Triggers (Anger Buttons worksheet from Strategies for Anger Management workbook)

 Identifying Physical Cues (body signs) (Physical Cues to Anger worksheet from SAM workbook)

 Session 3 – Anger Reduction Techniques

 Deep Breathing

 Counting Backwards

 Positive Imagery

 Session 4 – ABCDE Model

 ABCDE of Anger Control

 ABCDE Analysis of Student Examples

 Session 5 – Effective Communication

 Assertiveness Training

 Conflict Resolution

 Session 6 – Skill Building #1

 Dealing with an Accusation

 Keeping Out of Fights

 Session 7 – Skill Building #2

 Dealing with Someone Else’s Anger

 Understanding the Feelings of Others

 Session 8 – Review and Closure

 Review of Past Sessions

 Completion Ceremony

Reference:

http://www.schoolsocialwork.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Anger-managment-group.pdf

Stress Balls or Pick Apart Corks to Relieve Anxiety/Stress

Stress Balls or Pick Apart Corks to Relieve Anxiety/Stress

                  This mode of therapy is well suited for the school atmosphere since it does not require any additional supports from other students or staff members. Stress balls or pick apart corks are used when students are experiencing levels of anxiety that they are either not able to control or that leads (or can lead) to trichotillomania or excoriation. Trichotillomania is defined as a compulsive desire to pull out one’s hair. Excoriation is defined as the repeated urge to pick at one’s own skin. Research has been documented to show that with this desire is the body’s reaction to stress. The stress balls or corks are given to the student to keep and can be used in and outside of the school setting to help distract their hands when they feel the need to start picking at their skin or hair. Since both of these alternatives focus on something simple to keep your hands busy, in a repetitive movement, it eventually relieves your stress on to the ball or cork versus internalizing feelings and self-harming. Stress balls can be used to crunch or block the stress or anxiety you are feeling, in a repetitive motion which can become a subconscious movement. As the social worker you will have to guide and explain how and when a stress ball is used (to reduce the urge to pick or pull). A pick apart cork is used in the same manner. It is a cork that can easily be picked apart to stimulate the same action as if the student was doing it to themselves, yet in a non-harmful manner.

The Social Social Work practice model this emulates the most is that it provides evidence-based education, behavior, and mental health services. This treatment should be used to ensure the most effective outcomes. This is also an activity in which you can monitor progress and evaluate the effectiveness. This can and should be achieved by check-ins with teachers and through classroom observations, also by checking with the student and their progress with either the stress ball or pick apart cork.

Stress balls come in a variety of styles, sizes and types. They can be purchased in a store or online easily searched through google. Stress balls can also be made very inexpensively by purchasing a pool “noodle” and cutting it into smaller circular pieces to be easily, inexpensively, distributed. Pick apart corks may been purchased at this link: 

 https://www.therapyshoppe.com/category/P3389-fidgets-tools-fidget-toys-for-skin-pickers-dermatillomania-trichotillomania 

Balloon Stress Balls

Utilized within a group setting and as a tool in individual classrooms. Shown to work with students who have problems in the following areas: Anger management, Emotional Coping. Frustration, anxiety and Fidgeting

A stress ball is a squeezable ball that can help calm nerves, anger, anxiety, and more for both adults and children. You can keep stress balls on hand at home, school, work, or on the go for whenever you may want to de-stress. Choose a filling, fill the balloon, and then decorate it to create your own unique version of this easy homemade craft.

Materials:

balloons

cup of play doh

Sand

Corn Starch

Imagination

Creativity

Sharpie Markers

This proved to be an extremely fun activity to do with the kids. It was presented as a reward since the groups had performed well throughout this first semester and it served as a motivational factor to help the kids remain focused and not giving up!

Below I included the link to the Pinterest page, there are so many combinations, it is something that will not get old and provides the kids with an extra tool to use within their classroom setting.

https://www.pinterest.com/search/?q=ballon%20stress%20balls&referrer=sitelinks_searchbox

Telephonic Interpretation Services

My item of interest is on a laminated sheet we received in a training at my placement at Evanston Township High School. The paper contains a list of all of the languages in which telephonic interpretation services are provided through a program called CCIS, or Cross Cultural Interpretation Services which is offered at Heartland Alliance. This service allows teachers, staff, and student service workers to be able to provide services to students and their families even if they do not speak English. All you have to do is call the number provided at the top of the paper and provide the access code and then request what language you need interpretation services in. I blocked out the access code because that one is specific to Evanston Township High School and cannot be shared but every school should have their own access code. I am not sure if all schools have this service but I do believe that it is a very helpful resource and many student service providers at ETHS have used it multiple times this year. I believe that the cross cultural interpretation services are relevant to school social work because if you work in a diverse school like I do you are going to need to collaborate with the family and they may not always speak English. Especially in a city like Chicago where there are so many different people it is important for there to be one than one way to communicate with families. The school social work model directly speaks to their being a school-family-community link as well as providing effective services. How can this be done if you cannot communicate with the family because neither you nor anyone speaks the same language? CCIS is also a good resource because it provides a variety of different language interpreters and not just some of the more predominant spoken languages and so it can be used with a multitude of populations. 

Group Exercises for Enhancing Social Skills & Self-Esteem

Group Exercises for Enhancing Social Skills and Self-Esteem is a collection of activities and therapeutic exercises to assist in group work. The worksheets were created to help a wide range of individuals, including those who display symptoms of depression, ADHD, developmental disabilities and general social skill deficits with improving their social skills. The goal in mind is to enhance feelings of well-being and positive self-esteem. These exercises can be used in all types of group work settings.

The skills that group members can acquire through these exercises should serve them in their day-to-day social environments. The exercises should stimulate group members to expand their knowledge, explore values and beliefs, challenge creative thinking, and safely consider change for personal growth.

 Reference

Khalsa, S. S. (1996). Group exercises for enhancing social skills & self-esteem. Sarasota, FL: Professional Resource Press.

Article Review: "Shifting from Zero Tolerance to Restorative Justice in Schools"

Article Review: "Shifting from Zero Tolerance to Restorative Justice in Schools"

http://web.a.ebscohost.com.dom.idm.oclc.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=39aa04cf-34b4-45be-aed4-c08c3117ae62%40sessionmgr4010&hid=4104