From Retributive to Restorative: An Alternative Approach to Justice in Schools
Anjali Adukia, Benjamin Feigenberg, Fatemeh Momeni
American Economic Review · 2025 · Volume 115 · Issue 8
Abstract
School districts historically approached conflict resolution from the perspective that suspending disruptive students was necessary to protect their classmates, even if this caused harm to perceived offenders. Restorative practices (RP)—focusing on reparation, accountability, and shared ownership of disciplinary justice—are designed to address undesirable behavior without harming students. We study Chicago Public Schools' adoption of RP and find that suspensions and arrests decreased, driven by effects for Black students. We find null effects on test score value added, ruling out meaningful average declines. We estimate a 15 percent decrease in out-of-school arrests, consistent with RP substantively changing student behavior.
Keywords
Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement, Conflict, Conflict Resolution, Alliances, Revolutions, Micro-Based Behavioral Economics: Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making, Analysis of Education, Education: Government Policy, Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants, Non-labor Discrimination, Economics of Gender
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