ABSTRACT
School safety could be possibly enhanced by integrating restorative justice principles and practices into the school resource officer (SRO) model. In its solicitation for a national assessment of SRO programs in the United States, the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) recognized the training of students in conflict resolution and restorative justice as one of numerous versions of SRO programs (NIJ, 1999). However, when the assessment was complete,
Introduction 129 A Note on the Restorative Philosophy130 e School Resource Officer Model132
Summary of SRO Programs136 Restorative Models in the School Setting: e eoretical Perspective137
Restorative Justice in the School Setting: In Practice139 Summary of Restorative Justice in Schools142
Police Involvement in Restorative Justice in Nonschool and School Settings142
Putting It All Together: Problems and Opportunities146 Strengths and Weaknesses of SRO Programs146 Integrating a Restorative Component148
Summary and Conclusions150 References150
restorative justice was not identified as a major component of any of the established or relatively new SRO programs surveyed in its national sample (Finn and McDevitt, 2005). Furthermore, the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO), which offers training to its 15,000 members, does not highlight restorative justice among its workshop offerings (NASRO, 2005b). Nor are its university/educational partners affiliated with restorative justice education. is suggests that restorative justice is largely a footnote within the SRO community. Given its mission, could the SRO community benefit through the more explicit development of a restorative justice focus? To address this question, it is necessary to (1) evaluate the restorative approach to school safety, (2) review and analyze the mission statement of the NASRO and other related literature on SRO programs, (3) examine literature on the use of restorative models in schools, (4) peruse literature where police have worked closely with schools in promoting restorative justice, and (5) finally make recommendations concerning the advantages and disadvantages of integrating restorative principles and practices more systematically within SRO programs.
