In Restoring Safe School Communities: a whole school response to bullying, violence and alienation, author Brenda Morrison proposes responsive and restorative practices to counter problems of bullying and violence in schools and to build safer school communities. Morrison introduces a whole school approach with three levels of practice.

The first and most proactive level of practice aims to develop all students' social and emotional competencies in order to enable students to resolve their differences in caring and respectful ways.

The second level of practice widens the circle of care around the participants. Other members of the school community step in to assist in the resolution of the conflict or concern. Typically this level of response occurs when the problem has become more protracted or has involved (and affected) a larger number of people.

The third and final level of practice involves the participation of an even wider cross-section of the school community, including parents, guardians, social workers, and others who have been affected. This tertiary level of intervention is normally only used for serious incidents within the school.

Morrison explains the thinking behind the suggested responses and shows how they can be implemented by practices such as a responsible citizen program and restorative justice circles and conferences.

Table of Contents

Foreword by John Braithwaite
Preface

Introduction: Safe school communities
CHAPTER 1: Bullying, violence and alienation
CHAPTER 2: Alienation, shame and humiliation
CHAPTER 3: Beyond ignorance, band-aids and zero tolerance
CHAPTER 4: Restorative Justice
CHAPTER 5: Responsive regulation
CHAPTER 6: Practicing restorative justice in schools: The evidence
CHAPTER 7: Responsive implementation, sustainability and development: A restorative framework
CHAPTER 8: Reflections and revelations on being responsive and restorative

APPENDIX 1: Principles of restorative justice: as applied in a school setting
APPENDIX 2: Responsible Citizenship Program: Building respect, consideration and participation in schools

References
Index

"This book represents educational innovation in the philosophy of restorative justice, an approach that enables us to be more responsive and more restorative to the needs of those affected by bullying and violence. The contribution of this book occurs both at the level of how to better meet the individual needs of students and how to transform institutions to accomplish this. It is path breaking in illuminating the hopes and hazards of the journey to building safe schools and communities."

- Professor John Braithwaite, Australian National University