RESTORATIVE PRACTICES AS A TOOL FOR MODULATING SOCIAL BEHAVIOR AND RELATIONAL DYNAMICS IN THE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT – RESULTS OF THE SCHOOL+PEACE PROJECT Guilherme Nogueira, Leoberto N. Brancher

Abstract

School is a space that resembles society on a smaller scale and shares a multitude of experiences, values ​​and family beliefs, and is not immune to sociocultural problems such as interpersonal conflicts and violence. In recent years, school violence has received special attention in the field of scientific research, as it represents a major and worrying social problem due to the harmful impact it has on both physical and mental health. School violence can manifest itself in different ways, such as physical, verbal and symbolic aggression, and is also understood through the facet called “bullying”, a subset of aggressive behaviors. The still scarce quantitative studies on this harmful phenomenon “school violence”, direct predominant attention to the effect among students, but the impacts also extend to teachers. Neuroscientific principles regarding aggressive behavior, which increases the probability of violent outcomes, indicate neurochemical changes that modulate mood, exacerbate stress levels and violate the principles of forming emotional bonds or attachment. In 2002, an alternative and complementary form of conflict resolution called “Restorative Justice” was applied in Brazil by the 3rd Regional Court for Children and Youth in Porto Alegre, proposed by Judge Leoberto Brancher, giving rise to a powerful and effective movement that is increasingly consolidating in different parts of the country, even transcending the spheres of the judiciary. In the school environment, findings indicate that the implementation of Restorative Justice was pioneered by school counselor Margaret Thorsborne, who began using restorative practices in a secondary school in Queensland, Australia, with 1,600 students. In Brazil, restorative practices applied in schools, seen as pioneering, were introduced through the program "Restorative and Community Justice in São Caetano do Sul: partnership for citizenship", in 2005. Based on the theoretical principles of Howard Zehr, about crime and justice, the restorative movement in the world seeks to deal with conflicts and crimes centered on the individual and the relationships that he or she establishes, aiming to better understand the motivational triggers, based on the principles of human motivation - desire and need, as well as on repairing the damage and rebuilding the "social fabric" damaged by the criminal act. Howard Zehr, professor of sociology and restorative justice in the undergraduate course in Conflict Transformation at Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia/USA and known worldwide as one of the pioneers in restorative justice, emphasizes that the way we look at certain events suggests the resolution perspective. In other words, there is a real need for a deeper understanding of human behavior and the triggers of violence, so that we can contribute more efficiently, effectively and effectively to resolving conflicts and, consequently, reducing violence. “Peacebuilding Circles”, one of the methods of Restorative Justice, are inspired by models of indigenous cultural organization, such as the Maori community of New Zealand and communities in Canada, offering important procedural resources for conflict resolution, with collective interests taking precedence. To the extent that the civilizing progress of society can be measured by the way in which it repudiates the use of violence, whether physical, moral or political, in favor of domination and subjugation of others, investing in strategies that allow us to reduce violence and mitigate the harmful impacts caused by it, whether in the school or broader social context, becomes an important path towards new ways of thinking and acting in human relations, with a view to a more harmonious and healthy coexistence. Considering the above, this article aims to demonstrate the modulatory impact of “Restorative Practices”, through the “Peace Building Circles” method, developed in schools and youth centers, through the Escola + Paz Project, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul (RS).