![Sample our Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing & Allied Health journals, sign in here to start your FREE access for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5944/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Medicine-Dentistry-Nursing-Allied-Health.jpg"})
ABSTRACT
Restorative justice (RJ) practices have expanded significantly with the aim of improving school safety. Despite RJ’s potential for transformative change, the factors driving these changes have rarely been the focus of rigorous scientific investigation. This qualitative study applies a system change framework to examine how organizational system structures (i.e., resources, beliefs, policies, decision-making, and power) affect RJ implementation. This study leverages an experimental design to understand how enhancing staff capacity to implement RJ programming can promote system change. Findings highlight the influence of material resources, social relationships, beliefs about teaching and discipline, and decision-making by principals on the implementation of RJ practices. Findings also underscore the importance of developing RJ staff capacity to create a resource-rich environment that promotes implementation and drives system changes.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Additional information
Funding
Notes on contributors
Andrew Martinez
Andrew Martinez is a Principal Research Associate at the Center for Court Innovation. Mr. Martinez conducts research in the areas of school safety and community violence including violence prevention, school discipline, violence directed against teachers, school climate, and anti-bullying policies. Most recently he led evaluations of school-based interventions including a randomized controlled trial examining the impact of restorative justice practices in New York City schools and a study examining the impact of a trauma-informed school-based intervention. He also recently co-directed a mixed-methods study of young illegal gun carriers across New York City. Before joining the Center, he was the principal investigator on a collaborative project with the Connecticut State Department of Education examining the implementation of newly amended anti-bullying legislation. Mr. Martinez worked as a guidance counselor earlier in his career and is currently a member of the American Psychological Association Task Force on Violence Against Educators and School Personnel. He holds a Ph.D. in Community Psychology and a Master of Social Work degree.
Lina Villegas
Lina Villegas is a Senior Research Associate at the Center for Court Innovation. Her current work includes two evaluations: a Therapeutic Justice program in Mexico, and a wellness-to-treatment- court. She is also participating in the development and implementation of two risk-need assessment tools, one for Native Americans and one in Colombia. Before joining the center, she worked as a Women Equality Outreach Coordinator, for the Women’s Secretariat in Medellin, Colombia, encouraging and recruiting women to participate in economic and political decisions in their communities (participatory budgeting). She also collaborated with Heidelberg University in the design of the street pedagogy initiative, which explored ways to educate children who live on the street. She received her Ph.D. in Sociology from the New School for Social Research.
Lama Hassoun Ayoub
Lama Hassoun Ayoub (MSPH, Harvard University) is a Senior Researcher at Mathematica with a focus on equitable evaluation, and culturally responsive research in education, justice, and public health. Ms. Hassoun Ayoub serves as principal investigator or senior advisor on research and evaluation projects funded by foundations and the federal government. She has over a decade of experience leading rigorous research projects, including multi-site evaluations, randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental studies, and mixed-methods projects. Previously, Ms. Hassoun Ayoub was Director of Interdisciplinary Research at the Center for Court Innovation. She is also a PhD candidate in developmental psychology at Wayne State (anticipated summer 2022) where her work focuses on integrating critical race theory with ecological systems theory to advance our understanding of the impacts of parent incarceration on childhood outcomes.
Elise Jensen
Elise Jensen, Ph.D. is a Principal Research Associate at the Center for Court Innovation. Dr. Jensen has 10 years of experience at the Center conducting a wide range of research and evaluation studies. Her school-based research includes a comprehensive examination of the role of school discipline and climate on student behavior, a randomized controlled trial on the impact of restorative justice peace circles in New York City schools, and an evaluation of impact of a trauma-informed school-based intervention. Dr. Jensen is currently researching prosecutorial responses to violent crime. She previously led a multi-site study of coordinated community responses to intimate partner violence. She has also worked on multi-site process and impact evaluations, such as the Defending Childhood Initiative and the Minority Youth Violence Prevention Initiative. Dr. Jensen holds a Ph.D. in Criminology and Criminal Justice from Florida State University.
Michelle Miller
Michelle Miller is a doctoral student in Human Development and Family Sciences at the University of Connecticut. Her research focus is on contextual influences on immigrant families and the development of immigrant children such as the experience of acculturative stress, bias, and discrimination. Michelle worked as a research assistant at the Center for Court Innovation on an evaluation examining the impact of restorative justice peace circles in New York City schools. Currently, she is completing a fellowship at the Ford Foundation through the American Evaluation Association’s GEDI program. Michelle received a Master of Arts degree in Human Development and Family Sciences from the University of Connecticut and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Fairfield University.