Restorative practices in universities

Restorative Practice (RP) involves approaches that foster and maintain relationships that are healthy and resilient; promoting positive social interactions that reduce the likelihood of conflict, and provide communities with tools to embed active social learning, to manage behaviours, and to resolve conflicts (Wachtel, 2013; Zehr, 2015). Often, RP is described and used under the concept/framework of Restorative Justice (RJ). RJ is an approach that deals with crime and harm by centring the needs of the affected parties, addressing harm and its causes using a communal and inclusive process, with the objective of achieving accountability of the responsible party (O'Brien, 2007; Zehr, 2015). Although the modern form of RJ developed in the 1970s, restorative processes are rooted in practices of many Indigenous traditions prior to colonisation (Mangena, 2015; Schoeman, 2016). While the RJ process is reactive, intended to respond to conflict and to repair harm, RP is a broader and proactive process that aims to prevent harm by building stronger communities. This chapter explores the ways in which RP has been, and can be, applied to the university sector. Using examples of work at institutions internationally, the chapter explores the areas of universities where RP has been applied most prominently. This is followed by a discussion about the potential for RP to holistically shape all university practices and processes. We argue that developing RP throughout universities could help address many of the challenges faced by universities in the UK and beyond.