SRO Restorative Justice in Schools 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following is a core principle of restorative justice as applied in school settings?
- Punishment should be swift and severe to maximize deterrence
- Harm done to the community should be ignored if both parties reconcile privately
- Those who caused harm must be given an opportunity to make things right (Correct answer)
- Only certified judges may oversee restorative processes
Correct answer: Those who caused harm must be given an opportunity to make things right
A core restorative principle is that the person responsible for harm should have a structured opportunity to make amends.
Question 2: A student who was caught tagging school property agrees to participate in a restorative process. The most fitting restorative action would be:
- Mandatory expulsion with no appeal
- Community service hours painting over the graffiti and meeting with affected staff (Correct answer)
- A written apology sent anonymously
- Immediate arrest and referral to juvenile court
Correct answer: Community service hours painting over the graffiti and meeting with affected staff
Hands-on repair of the damage combined with meeting those affected directly addresses both harm and accountability restoratively.
Question 3: What role does the SRO typically play during a formal restorative conference?
- Primary decision-maker who determines the outcome
- Neutral facilitator or supportive resource, not the primary leader (Correct answer)
- Prosecutor presenting evidence of wrongdoing
- Silent observer with no active involvement
Correct answer: Neutral facilitator or supportive resource, not the primary leader
SROs in restorative settings generally serve as support or co-facilitators, deferring leadership to trained restorative practitioners.
Question 4: Restorative circles in schools are most effective when they include:
- Only the offending student and school administration
- All directly affected parties including witnesses and support persons (Correct answer)
- Exclusively trained psychologists and no law enforcement
- Only teachers and parents, not students
Correct answer: All directly affected parties including witnesses and support persons
Including all affected parties — students, witnesses, support persons — ensures comprehensive harm acknowledgment and community healing.
Question 5: Which scenario would most appropriately be handled through restorative justice rather than traditional discipline?
- A student found in possession of a loaded firearm
- Two friends who had a falling-out that led to a shoving incident (Correct answer)
- A student caught selling controlled substances on campus
- A student making credible bomb threats
Correct answer: Two friends who had a falling-out that led to a shoving incident
Low-level interpersonal conflicts like a shoving incident between peers are well-suited for restorative processes; serious safety threats require law enforcement response.
Question 6: The 'affective statement' technique in restorative practice is used to:
- Assign blame formally in front of witnesses
- Express how an action impacted you emotionally without judgment (Correct answer)
- Demand a public apology from the responsible party
- Document violations for the student's permanent record
Correct answer: Express how an action impacted you emotionally without judgment
Affective statements communicate personal emotional impact — 'I felt… when you…' — to build empathy without accusation.
Question 7: Research on school-based restorative justice programs most consistently shows:
- Increased suspension rates among repeat offenders
- Reduced disciplinary disparities for students of color (Correct answer)
- Higher rates of student expulsion in treated schools
- No measurable effect on school climate
Correct answer: Reduced disciplinary disparities for students of color
Studies consistently find that restorative approaches reduce racial and socioeconomic disciplinary disparities by moving away from exclusionary punishments.
SRO Restorative Justice in Schools 3
Which of the following is a core principle of restorative justice as applied in school settings?