What is Restorative Justice?
What is Restorative Justice? What does is look like in the world of fraternities and sororities? There are a couple of big-picture questions to focus on when you think about most of our organizations’ history.
What role do the traditions and composition of our groups have in the process of establishing restorative justice?
How do we use restorative justice as a tool for accountability and handling conflict?
Have you ever been asked the question: “What do you think your punishment should be?” I remember a number of times as a youth where that question gave me great pause.
Pick a punishment that was too light, and it could get worse.
And you certainly didn’t want to pick a stiffer punishment than you felt you should get.
Those were never fun decisions. It’s hard to hold the scales of justice when you’re just a kid. But as adults, those same scales can be powerful tools.
The idea of including an offender in the process for determining their punishment or sanctions is a piece of restorative justice that is not a new concept to fraternity/sorority communities. This has been practiced by many of our organizations over the years.
What’s the point of letting someone help choose their sanctions?
The main takeaway is not always about determining punishment. It is much more developmental than that and can be much more impactful than a jarring childhood memory.
So, if restorative processes aren’t new to Greek communities, then why does it feel new?
I am not certain of that answer, but in upcoming Connections articles, we will highlight:
the challenges that we face in our organizations
how to use restorative processes to make our community and its members stronger
As we face the many challenges that lie ahead, we know that the best way forward is to work together, and hopefully, you will find these stories beneficial for your own journey.