In the spring of 2018, two middle school students were suspended for fighting – a physical altercation that cost them the remainder of the school year. Because the boys had not seen each other since the suspension there hadn’t been an opportunity to work out their differences. Fast forward to the new school year; both students felt that the incident was hanging over their heads and were concerned about how this situation would affect the current school year. Since neither had a chance to apologize to anyone affected by their behavior they needed a supportive solution.
The Dispute Resolution Center conducted a restorative circle enabling both boys to take responsibility for their actions, see clearly how their behavior affected others, and to actively play a role in a plan to move forward in the future to be successful. The teens now have access to a healthy, productive method, within the school, for conflict resolution.