This article compares strength-based and restorative justice philosophies for young people and their families. Restorative justice provides ways to respond to crime and harm that establish accountability while seeking to reconcile members of a community. Restorative approaches are an important subset of strength-based interventions.

A metaphor for crossing a frontier into a new territory is explored. The restorative justice principles as used by the United Nations and the International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP) help to translate into restorative practice principles. An action research project in South Africa provides the background to an evaluation process.…

Restorative practices focus on repairing the harm to relationships rather than piling on more punishment for violations. Originally popularized in formal conferences between a victim and offender in the justice system, restorative practices have been extended to educational and treatment settings. This article describes how the adversarial climate…

After a young boy killed Azim's college-aged son, the author left his career in investment banking to build a powerful program of violence prevention. Azim joined with the grandfather of his son's killer to form the Tariq Khamisa Foundation which brings messages of forgiveness, reconciliation, and restorative justice to schools, communities, and…

Restorative justice provides a promising alternative to punitive models in justice and education. Most programs to date have focused on "conferencing," where victims and offenders are brought together for mediation and reconciliation. This article extends the restorative model to the entire milieu of an alternative school setting. (Contains 3…

A prominent leader in the movement towards restorative approaches in juvenile justice presents cutting-edge practices for community service. Such programs balance community safety, accountability for behavior, and development of the competency of youth. This article describes the benefits and challenges of implementing this model and suggests the…

Providing a safe environment for youth placed out of their home is essential to the success of at-risk youth. An environment that also offers the opportunity to empower the youth to partner in his or her own healing and help others in the environment clearly builds on the strengths inherent in youth. Transferring these strengths and reconnecting…

Restorative principles are at the core of effective response to crisis situations. The goal of these interventions is to repair hurt and rebuild trust between persons and within the community. Restorative practices can be implemented in a wide variety of settings, offering an opportunity for healing to take place in a way which benefits not only…

The strength-based approach is an organizing principle for a family of theories and practice strategies that encourage helping professionals to seek out clients' abilities, resources, and gifts and apply them to current life challenges. Despite its successful use in many human service sectors, this approach has not been embraced in the juvenile…

An entirely different approach is needed regarding the way in which troubled learners are perceived and approached. The removal of traditional punitive methods has left many educators unequipped for youth showing destructive behavior. This article reviews the shift towards a restorative approach within education in the Western Cape, South Africa.…