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Repairing Harm

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Ronica Lien

Tier 2
For Schools

Lesson Plan

Steps to Repairing Harm

Students will be able to identify the impact of their actions on others and construct a plan to repair harm using restorative principles.

Understanding how to repair harm strengthens relationships, builds empathy, and creates a more positive school environment. This lesson helps students take responsibility and learn from their mistakes.

Audience

8th Grade

Time

90 minutes

Approach

Guided discussion and interactive activities.

Materials

Whiteboard or projector, Restoration Road Map (Slide Deck), Markers or pens, Impact & Needs Reflection (Worksheet), Facilitating a Repair Circle (Script), and Paper for notes

Prep

Preparation

15 minutes

  • Review all generated materials: Steps to Repairing Harm (Lesson Plan), Restoration Road Map (Slide Deck), Impact & Needs Reflection (Worksheet), and Facilitating a Repair Circle (Script).
    - Arrange seating in a circle if possible to facilitate discussion.
    - Ensure projector/whiteboard is ready for the slide deck.
    - Print enough copies of the Impact & Needs Reflection (Worksheet) for each student.
    - Have pens or pencils available.

Step 1

Introduction & Warm-Up: What is Harm?

10 minutes

  • Begin with a brief welcome and an explanation of the session's purpose. (Refer to Facilitating a Repair Circle (Script) for opening remarks).
    - Introduce the concept of 'harm' not just as a rule broken, but as an impact on individuals and relationships.
    - Ask students for initial thoughts on what 'repairing harm' means. (Use Restoration Road Map (Slide Deck) Slide 1-2).

Step 2

Understanding Impact: The Ripple Effect

20 minutes

  • Use Restoration Road Map (Slide Deck) Slides 3-5 to introduce the idea of a 'ripple effect' when harm occurs.
    - Guide a discussion on how one action can affect many people (the person who caused harm, the person harmed, bystanders, the community).
    - Distribute the Impact & Needs Reflection (Worksheet). Instruct students to complete Part 1 individually, focusing on a hypothetical scenario or a past conflict (without naming specific individuals if discussing real situations).

Step 3

Identifying Needs

20 minutes

  • Discuss with students that understanding needs is crucial for repairing harm. What does the person harmed need? What does the person who caused harm need to do or understand?
    - Use Restoration Road Map (Slide Deck) Slides 6-8 to explain different types of needs (e.g., safety, understanding, apology, restitution, change in behavior).
    - Have students complete Part 2 of the Impact & Needs Reflection (Worksheet), identifying potential needs in their hypothetical or past scenario.

Step 4

Developing a Repair Plan: Steps to Reconciliation

25 minutes

  • Introduce the steps of a repair process using Restoration Road Map (Slide Deck) Slides 9-11.
    1. Acknowledge: What happened and its impact.
    2. Apologize (sincerely): Take responsibility.
    3. Action: What will be done to make things right and prevent recurrence.
    - In small groups (2-3 students), have them share their worksheet reflections (if comfortable) and brainstorm specific, actionable steps for repairing harm based on the identified needs. Emphasize that the goal is genuine reconciliation, not just saying 'sorry'.
    - Students should complete Part 3 of the Impact & Needs Reflection (Worksheet).

Step 5

Closing & Reflection: Moving Forward

15 minutes

  • Bring the small groups back together.
    - Facilitate a brief discussion using prompts from Facilitating a Repair Circle (Script) for reflection.
    - Emphasize that repairing harm is a continuous process that builds stronger relationships and a more supportive community.
    - Collect Impact & Needs Reflection (Worksheet) if desired for further review or individual check-ins.
    - Thank students for their participation.
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Slide Deck

Restoration Road Map: Repairing Harm Together

Understanding how our actions affect others and making things right.

Welcome students. Briefly introduce the topic of repairing harm and why it's important for our community.

What is Harm?

Beyond breaking rules, harm is about the impact our actions have on others.

Ask students for their initial thoughts on 'harm'. It's not just breaking a rule, but how it impacts people and relationships.

The Ripple Effect of Harm

When something goes wrong, the impact often spreads further than we realize.

Introduce the idea of a 'ripple effect'. An action can affect more than just the immediate people involved.

Who is Affected?

  • The person directly impacted
  • The person who caused the harm
  • Witnesses or bystanders
  • The wider community or school climate

Discuss how one action can affect the person harmed, the person who caused harm, witnesses, and the wider community.

Recognizing the Impact

Understanding the full scope of harm helps us address all affected parties.

Emphasize that recognizing this wider impact is the first step towards true repair.

What is Needed to Repair?

Moving from "What happened?" to "What do we need to do to make it right?"

Explain that once we understand the impact, we need to identify what's needed to make things right.

Common Needs After Harm

  • Safety: Feeling secure and protected
  • Understanding: Knowing why something happened
  • Apology: A sincere expression of regret
  • Restitution: Making up for damage (not always financial)
  • Change: Ensuring it doesn't happen again

Provide examples of different needs people might have after experiencing harm.

Listening for Needs

Each person's needs are unique and essential for genuine repair.

Stress that needs can vary greatly between individuals and situations. It's important to ask and listen.

Steps to Repairing Harm: 1. Acknowledge

Clearly state what happened and the impact it had on others.

Introduce the structured steps for repairing harm. Start with acknowledging.

Steps to Repairing Harm: 2. Apologize

Express genuine regret and take responsibility for your actions.

Explain the importance of a sincere apology and taking responsibility.

Steps to Repairing Harm: 3. Take Action

Propose and commit to specific steps to address the harm and prevent future issues.

Focus on concrete actions. What will be done to make amends and prevent recurrence?

The Path to Restoration

Repairing harm is a journey towards healing and stronger relationships.

Reiterate that this is a process, not a one-time event, and builds stronger relationships.

Building a Restorative Community

By repairing harm, we learn, grow, and strengthen our bonds with each other.

End with an encouraging thought about community and growth.

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Worksheet

Impact & Needs Reflection

This worksheet will help you think through situations where harm has occurred and consider how to make things right.

Part 1: Understanding the Event and Its Impact

Think about a situation where someone's actions (yours or someone else's) caused harm or upset. (If you're uncomfortable sharing a real situation, you can imagine one or use a scenario discussed in class).

  1. Briefly describe what happened.





  2. Who was directly affected by this event? (e.g., yourself, a friend, a teacher, a family member, etc.)




  3. How do you think this event impacted the person(s) directly involved? (e.g., emotions, trust, physical well-being, reputation)






  4. Were there any others who were also affected (even indirectly)? How?






  5. What was the overall impact on relationships or the community?










Part 2: Identifying Needs

Now, let's think about what might be needed to address the harm and begin to heal.

  1. If you were the person harmed, what would you need to feel better or to move forward? (Think about safety, understanding, an apology, something to be done, etc.)










  2. If you were the person who caused the harm, what do you think the person(s) harmed might need from you?










  3. What might you need as the person who caused harm (e.g., to understand why it happened, to learn how to prevent it, support)?










Part 3: Developing a Repair Plan

Based on your reflections, what steps could be taken to repair the harm and prevent it from happening again?

  1. Acknowledge: What would you say to clearly state what happened and acknowledge its impact?










  2. Apologize (Sincere): How would you sincerely apologize and take responsibility for your part?










  3. Action: What specific, concrete steps could be taken to make things right or prevent recurrence? (Be specific!)











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Script

Facilitating a Repair Circle: Repairing Harm

I. Welcome & Setting the Stage (10 minutes)

Teacher: "Welcome everyone. Thank you for being here today. In this session, we're going to talk about something really important: how we make things right when harm has happened. We all make mistakes, and sometimes our actions, even if unintentional, can cause hurt or problems for others. Today is about understanding that impact and learning how to genuinely repair harm, strengthening our relationships and our community."

"This is a safe space for open and honest conversation. We'll be using a tool called a Restoration Road Map (Slide Deck) to guide us. My role is to help facilitate our discussion. I ask that we all commit to listening respectfully, speaking from our own experiences, and being open to different perspectives. Does anyone have any questions about that?"

Teacher: (Display Restoration Road Map (Slide Deck) Slide 1-2)

"To start, when you hear the phrase 'repairing harm,' what comes to mind? What do you think it means?"

(Allow 2-3 students to share initial thoughts. Acknowledge and affirm their contributions.)

II. Understanding Impact: The Ripple Effect (20 minutes)

Teacher: (Display Restoration Road Map (Slide Deck) Slides 3-5)

"Sometimes, when something goes wrong, the impact spreads further than we initially realize. Think of it like dropping a pebble in water – it creates ripples. Our actions can create ripples too. Who are some of the different people or groups that might be affected when harm occurs in our school community?"

(Guide students to identify the person harmed, the person who caused harm, witnesses/bystanders, and the broader community.)

Teacher: "Now, I'm going to hand out the Impact & Needs Reflection (Worksheet). Please complete Part 1 individually. You can think about a hypothetical situation, or a past conflict (without naming specific individuals if discussing a real situation). Focus on describing what happened and who was affected. You'll have about 10 minutes for this."

(Distribute Impact & Needs Reflection (Worksheet). Circulate to offer support or answer questions.)

III. Identifying Needs (20 minutes)

Teacher: (Display Restoration Road Map (Slide Deck) Slides 6-8)

"Once we understand the impact of an action, the next crucial step in repairing harm is to identify what is needed to make things right. It's about shifting from 'What happened?' to 'What do we need to do to heal and move forward?'"

"Needs can be different for everyone. For example, someone might need a sincere apology, while another might need to understand why something happened, or even need to see a change in behavior. What are some things you think people might need after harm has occurred?"

(Prompt students to share ideas, guiding them towards categories like safety, understanding, apology, restitution, change.)

Teacher: "Now, turn to Part 2 of your Impact & Needs Reflection (Worksheet). Based on the scenario you reflected on, consider what needs might be present for everyone involved. What would the person harmed need? What might the person who caused harm need? Take about 7-8 minutes for this section."

(Circulate to offer support.)

IV. Developing a Repair Plan: Steps to Reconciliation (25 minutes)

Teacher: (Display Restoration Road Map (Slide Deck) Slides 9-11)

"So, we've understood the impact and identified needs. Now, how do we actually do the repair? Restorative practices often follow three key steps: Acknowledge, Apologize, and Take Action."

"Acknowledge means clearly stating what happened and its impact. It's about showing you understand the situation and how others were affected."

"Apologize means offering a sincere apology and taking responsibility. A true apology isn't just saying 'sorry' but showing genuine regret for the impact of your actions."

"And Take Action means committing to specific steps to make things right and prevent it from happening again. This is where we move from words to deeds."

"Now, I'd like you to work in small groups of 2-3. You can share your worksheet reflections with your group, if you feel comfortable. Your task is to brainstorm specific, actionable steps for repairing harm based on the needs you identified in Part 2. How would you Acknowledge, Apologize, and Take Action? Please complete Part 3 of your Impact & Needs Reflection (Worksheet) during this time. You'll have about 15 minutes."

(Divide students into small groups. Circulate, listening to discussions and providing guidance. Encourage specific, rather than vague, actions.)

V. Closing & Reflection: Moving Forward (15 minutes)

Teacher: "Let's bring our small groups back together. Thank you for the thoughtful discussions."

"Based on your discussions, what was one key takeaway you learned about repairing harm?"

"What is one way you can apply what you learned today in your daily interactions at school or at home?"

"Remember, repairing harm isn't always easy, but it's a powerful way to build trust, strengthen relationships, and create a more supportive and understanding community. It shows courage and a commitment to growth."

"I encourage you to continue thinking about how you can contribute to a restorative environment. Thank you for your active participation today."

(Collect Impact & Needs Reflection (Worksheet) if desired.)

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