Restorative Conversation Script
A structured conversation after an incident, in the order that works — questions rather than statements, for both parties.
Restorative conversations work through a fixed question order rather than through statements, and they carry three conditions that are routinely broken: participation must be voluntary for the person harmed, it is never a substitute for safeguarding, and it requires a follow-up a week later.
Restorative Conversation Script
Frequently asked
What are the standard restorative questions?
What happened, what were you thinking at the time, what have you thought since, who has been affected and how, and what needs to happen to put it right. The order matters — moving to solutions early is the most common way it fails.
When should restorative practice not be used?
Where there is an ongoing risk, a significant power imbalance, or in cases involving sexual harm or serious violence. It is also not appropriate where the person harmed does not freely want to take part.
Does it actually reduce repeat incidents?
The evidence is reasonably positive on repeat incidents and on perceptions of fairness, with the important caveat that it depends heavily on implementation quality — which is why the follow-up step matters as much as the conversation.
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