Willingness to Adopt Restorative Discipline in Schools: An Analysis of Northwest Justice Forum Pre-Training on Restorative Justice and Schools Survey Data

• Main Author: Etheredge, Corrie
• Other Authors: Girvan, Erik
• Language: en_US
• Published: University of Oregon 2014
• Subjects: Discipline policy; Implementation; Restorative discipline; Restorative justice; Schools; Youth
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1794/18550

Concerns over skyrocketing school disciplinary rates have driven the search for alternative methods to address disruptive student behavior. Restorative disciplinary practices are a promising option for our nation's schools. This investigation explores the willingness of educators to adopt restorative discipline by analyzing survey data from the Northwest Justice Forum Pre-Training on Restorative Justice in Schools. Data analysis was conducted using the Theory of Planned Behavior as a model for understanding and predicting future behavior--in this instance, willingness to be contacted for more information or willingness to participate in a future study. A concurrent review of the participant's school disciplinary policies demonstrated how participant views are reflected in practice. The analysis suggested that the respondent's attitude significantly predicted intention, and both attitude and intention predicted behavior. Furthermore, the policy review confirmed that restorative discipline is largely absent and cautioned that there may be misconceptions about its use.