Harmonizing restorative justice values, programmes, and whole school culture

Despite difficulty finding its role and place in society, the intuitive appeal of restorative justice has contributed to its expansion into schools. In an attempt to explore the “fit” of restorative justice in education, this thesis asks what conditions are necessary for restorative justice to be reflected in school culture. This qualitative study employing 22 in-depth interviews and document review explores the benefits, challenges and place of restorative justice in the educational setting with a view to improving policy and practice. Institutional barriers such as a lack of time and resources, as well as a lack of awareness about restorative justice present themselves as obstacles. A moderately paced whole school introduction to restorative justice is the most appropriate implementation strategy for culture shift. The results tend to suggest that there is a prominent place for restorative justice in formal education, as it inspires a democratic citizenry.