Peer Support in Action
Community conferencing as transformative justice
(an edited version of this article appears in Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) (2000) Don’t Suffer in Silence, second edition. London: HMSO.)
Community conferencing was originally derived from the concept of the New Zealand Maori ‘family conference’. It has been developed by Transformative Justice Australia (TJA) whose facilitators have extended the method to Canada, the USA and Europe. Through this innovative method, used in schools, Human Resources and the justice system, conflict is neither increased nor ignored, but instead is transformed into something constructive. The conference brings together a community of people in conflict. The conflict may result from a single incident of undisputed harm (or pattern of harmful behaviour), or the conflict may be associated with a series of unresolved disputes. Most cases of school bullying may fit the first category; other cases may fit the second. The perpetrator(s) accompanied by friends, family and/or other supporters meet the victim(s) of that behaviour with their friends, family and/or other supporters.
Aims
One aim is for victims to participate in the official response to the bullying behaviour. Another is for perpetrators to understand the consequences of their actions. A third is that the wider community of people who have been affected by the bullying should contribute to the final agreement.
How does the method work?
The convenor facilitates a group of people who have been affected by a bullying incident to tell the story of what happened, and understand the consequences, and in so doing express and share their emotions in such a way that the ratio of negative to positive emotions is gradually transformed. When the emotional transformation reaches the point where the participants feel that they are a single group addressing a shared problem, they can begin to work together to reach a solution. The method stresses dialogue, mutual respect and the opportunity to develop some sense of empathy for the other’s perspective. Rather than using shame punitively, this method gives the young person’s friends and family the opportunity to demonstrate that their shame at what has occurred arises because they love him or her; at the same time, they can indicate that they do not like what he or she has done. The young person is then supported to put right the wrong that has taken place in a way that is acceptable to the victim and others affected by the event. Once reparation is made, the incident is finished.
[Sources: J Braithwaite, & S Mugford, Conditions of successful reintegration ceremonies: dealing with young offenders, British Journal of Criminology, 32, 2, 1994; and D Moore, Pride, shame and empathy: community conferencing as transformative justice in education, in P T Slee & K Rigby (eds.) Children’s Peer Relations. London: Routledge, 1998, pp 254-271].
The effectiveness of community conferencing
More evaluation of this method needs to be done, particularly with regard to long-term outcomes of the intervention. From the evidence gathered to date it appears a promising approach, especially when tailored to the specific needs of schools. It is supportive of victims and their families. It addresses the needs of troubling young people who are acting in anti-social ways. It also creates an opportunity for the wider community to take responsibility for anti-social behaviour on the part of young people. It is a powerful alternative to school exclusion.
Most of the schools in a pilot programme in Australia changed their approach to behaviour management as a result of participating in the programme. The schools also reported:
- high rates of satisfaction on the part of all participants;
- high rates of compliance with the decisions reached by the community conferences;
- low rates of re-offending on the part of perpetrators;
- increased support for the victims of the aggressive behaviour;
- widespread appreciation of the schools for providing this form of intervention.
[Source: M Hyndman, M Thorsborne & S Wood, Community Accountability Conferencing: Trial Report. Brisbane: Department of Education, 1996].
Implications for implementation
Training: Much depends on the skill of the group leader for this method to work. If schools plan to use this method, they will need to train a member of staff or call on a trained facilitator from the local community. Up-to-date information can be found from TJA, 115 Curlewis Street, Bondi Beach, NSW 2026, Australia, or on the TJA website: www.tja.com.au. In the UK, there is a Restorative Justice strategic partnership that involves Thames Valley Police, Surrey Police and Nottinghamshire Police with the statutory partner agencies. For further information, contact Thames Valley Restorative Justice Consultancy, c/o Thames Valley Police Headquarters, Oxford Road, Kidlington, Oxfordshire OX5 2NX, tel: 01865 375218.
Resources: Implementation involves staff being available to facilitate the conference. Alternatively, it may be necessary to involve the support of other agencies where experience of community conferencing has already been gained.
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