Birds of a Feather? Examining the Connections Between Restorative and Punitive Practices

• In Event: Moscone Center West Roundtable Session 14

Session Type: Roundtable Session

Abstract

School discipline policy and practice are in flux. While some schools and districts have adopted restorative practices aimed at repairing harm and restoring community, many maintain frequent use of punitive practices including in and out of school suspension as well as tools of law enforcement, including School Resource Officer (SRO) programs, metal detectors, and surveillance cameras. Moreover, restorative and punitive practices are often intertwined in practice. Focusing on four qualitative studies, the papers: 1) demonstrate how restorative practices can be absorbed into punitive discipline, 2) illustrate the policy landscapes that shape and allow for this, 3) examine the consequences for children and communities, and 4) suggest ways forward for more equitable discipline policy and practice.

Sub Unit

• Division L - Educational Policies and Politics / Division L - Section 7: Social Context and Structural Inequalities

Chair

• Thalia González, Occidental College

Discussant

• Maisha T. Winn, University of California - Davis

Papers

• Sustaining Restorative Practices...With Punitive Discipline Routines - Eleanor Anderson, University of Pittsburgh

• They Will Build Relationships or Else: Restorative Justice in the Context of Neoliberal Schooling - Dani O'Brien, Northland College

• Going Restorative, Staying Tough: Principals' Perceptions of Restorative Practice Implementation - Hilary Lustick, University of Massachusetts - Lowell

• "Softening" School Resource Officers: The Extension of Police Presence in Schools in an Era of Black Lives Matter, School Shootings, and Rising Inequality - Erica Owyang Turner, University of Wisconsin - Madison; Abigail J Beneke, University of Wisconsin - Madison