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To Keep Kids Out of Trouble—And Prison—Teach Them to Understand Their Emotions

"After teaching students to understand and talk through their conflicts, schools in Denver and Los Angeles have seen major reductions in disciplinary action....

"Suspensions fell 40 percent in Denver Public Schools after the district started using restorative justice practices....

"For decades, many of our nation’s schools have instituted zero-tolerance disciplinary policies that criminalize what used to be considered minor     infractions and send scores of young people—especially young men of color—into an involvement with the criminal justice system that in many cases will continue     throughout their lives....

"A concerned group of educators, citizens, and philanthropists is raising the alarm about this epidemic of criminalization, which these advocates of change     call the “school-to-prison pipeline.” They are calling for for an alternative to these punitive practices, namely the institution of mediation methods that     help students learn to deal with their emotions, talk about their problems, and confront the consequences of misbehavior in a supportive environment.

"Strong evidence is piling up that their approach improves behavior while reducing the need for punishment....

"In many schools with high rates of suspension, the SEL-aligned approach of choice is “restorative justice,” a concept common to many indigenous traditions that focuses on integrating wrongdoers into the community and reciprocally addressing conflict, instead of meting out punishment...."

http://www.yesmagazine.org/peace-justice/keep-kids-out-of-trouble-and-prison-teach-them-about-their-emotions

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Thanks to AC member Loren Taylor for this story.

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