Restorative justice (RJ) is both a philosophy and a set of practices meant to repair harm and maintain connection in the face of wrongdoing. While RJ is becoming increasingly popular among K–12 educators and in schools, emphasis is typically on its social justice...
school social work
Trauma-Informed Restorative Justice Practices in Schools: An Opportunity for School Social Workers
Restorative justice (RJ) is both a philosophy and a set of practices meant to repair harm and maintain connection in the face of wrongdoing. While RJ is becoming increasingly popular among K–12 educators and in schools, emphasis is typically on its social justice...
Exploring linkages between school climate, behavioral norms, social supports, and academic success
How are the school-lives and success of students affected by environmental factors? What factors in a child’s environment are likely to have the most impact on learning and behavior? In the December issue of Social Work Research, Laura M. Hopson, PhD, MSSW, Kathryn S....
School Social Work in Louisiana: A Model of Practice
The role of school social workers has continually been fragmented and determined by the context in which they work as well as policy changes at the federal. School social work has evolved over the past 100 years from enforcing mandatory school attendance in 1918 to...
Restorative Discipline: From Getting Even to Getting Well
As commonly understood, school discipline seeks to stop misbehavior, teach pro-social behavior, and motivate healthier decision making in the misbehaving student. In practice, the means to these ends often takes a punitive path that fosters a self-protective posture...
School Violence Solutions: Social workers focus on mental health aspect
By Paul R. Pace, News staff Headlines announcing the latest incidents of school violence have become common, and calls for solutions have been open to debate. Rather than promote a fortress mentality to protect students from violence, social workers are urging more...
Social work school staff help with Philippine relief mission
By Paul R. Pace, News staff Staff from the University of Southern California School of Social Work performed the first phase of a relief mission in the Philippines to aid the survivors of a devastating typhoon that struck the region in November. Typhoon Haiyan, known...
School Social Work with Grieving Children
Many children will experience the death of a loved one, and naturally this can affect the performance of a child in school. School social workers can play a critical role in helping bereaved children to process their grief. However, the impact of the death of a loved...