Pubdate: Tue, 17 May 2005
Source: Gwinnett Daily Post, The (GA)
Copyright: 2005 Post-Citizen Media Inc.
Contact:  http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2480
Note: Letters can run as long as 400 words.
Author: Abigail Caspari, in Rotorua
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

SCHOOL TRIES NEW APPROACH TO OFFENDING

'Sorry' may seem the hardest word for some, but it plays an important role 
in a new approach to student offending.

For the past two years Rotorua's John Paul College has been running a 
restorative justice programme - with a focus on rebuilding relationships 
rather than punishing students.

The programme involves a meeting between the offender and the victim.

At the meeting the victim talks about what happened and the offending 
students apologise and generally do something to make up for what they have 
done.

The facilitators, guidance counsellors Warren Lockie and Annette Bealing, 
are adamant the programme, which came from Australia, is working, with no 
repeat offending.

It's a programme that focuses on restoring relationships instead of blame 
and retribution, Mr Lockie says.

"I don't think punishing them is the most effective way of changing their 
behaviour. It often leads to bitterness and resentment or kids find more 
sneaky ways to offend."

About 50 students went through the programme last year. Conflict between 
students accounted for two-thirds of the cases while the rest involved 
conflict between a student and a teacher.

In one case a student grabbed a $200 cellphone off another student and 
smashed it on the ground.

The upset cellphone owner approached Mr Lockie who organised a meeting 
between the two students. The cellphone owner told the offender how he felt 
and the offender was asked to give feedback."The boy understood how his 
behaviour had affected the victim. The boy apologised for that. He never 
realised how devastating [it was for the victim] and he said he would pay 
for the damage."

The victim, who does not want to be identified, told the Daily Post he 
thought meeting with the boy who damaged his cellphone had helped both parties.

"He apologised to me and gave me the money to fix the phone. I got what I 
wanted and he got what he wanted . If kids are stood down they get really 
angry. If they get the restorative justice they feel a bit better."

While the students don't talk to each other the victim says they tolerate 
each other.

Vandalism, fighting and bullying are some of the offences resolved through 
the restorative justice programme.

Mr Lockie said this method did reduce the number of suspensions and 
stand-downs but that was a by-product. However, restorative justice only 
works if both parties want to be involved.

Sometimes the parents are also included in the meeting but the counsellors 
find that most students would rather resolve problems without their 
families' involvement.

Most of the time there is no need for the parents to be involved, Mrs 
Bealing said.

Although the programme has been a success, the school had to stand-down 19 
students last year, 11 of whom had been drinking alcohol before a school 
social.

Principal Patrick Walsh said the school did not give out 'Kiwi' suspensions 
as some other schools did.

A Kiwi suspension, which is illegal, can involve a principal advising 
parents to remove a student from the school either short-term or 
permanently without any official record being made.

"Schools do that for administration expediency and in an attempt to hide 
their disciplinary problems," Mr Walsh said.

Although the majority of the principals released last year's figures some 
were reluctant.

Taupo-Nui-A-Tia College principal Graeme Ryan questioned why the Ministry 
of Education had to release the region's figures as it did nothing to 
support schools.

"The ministry seems to suggest that schools that use these measures are bad 
schools when really schools are using them to keep students safe."

Mr Ryan said students at his school were stood down or suspended only as a 
last resort.

His colleague at nearby Tauhara College, Peter Grant, said schools needed 
more resources for the "social work side" of school which may in turn 
reduce suspensions and stand-downs. Taupo has one truancy officer working 
20 hours a week covering 20 schools.

Meanwhile, drugs continue to be responsible for the highest number of 
suspensions.

Many of the students stood down or suspended at Trident High School in 
Whakatane had either supplied or smoked drugs and while principal Peter 
Tootell would like there to be no cannabis in schools he said that "might 
be a bit of a pipe dream".

"The drugs are readily available. I'm aware of kids who go home to a drug 
environment."

Of the stand-downs at Whakatane High School two were for squirting a 
chemical on some students' lunches.
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MAP posted-by: Beth