The Impact of Restorative Justice on Violence, Psychological Well-being, and Social Cohesion: Evidence from Schools in Bogota

In collaboration with the Secretary of Education of Bogotá, we propose a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of conflict resolution through restorative justice. The experiment involves mediating 120 cases of significant violence between peers in public secondary schools hosting students from low-income backgrounds and dis- placed by conflict, currently facing extremely high levels of school violence. Once conflict between students is identified through the ‘Alert System’ -- a government system designed to report severe or extreme cases of school violence-- a trained facilitator will invite students directly involved in conflict and those around them to participate in a restorative justice process. The process includes four phases: (i) diagnosis with the educational community, where we identify situations eligible for this approach. (ii) Preparation, involving separate meetings with the victim, the aggressor, and their immediate circles (friends, family, teachers). (iii) The Circle Session, which is a restorative practice workshop with classmates to address the conflict and recognize shared responsibility within the community. (iv) Restorative Meeting to reflect together on what happened, who was harmed, and how the harm can be repaired, concluding with a series of agreements that the aggressor commits to fulfill to repair the harm caused to the victim and ensure non-repetition of the incident. The hypothesis is that conflict resolution through restorative principles can effectively tackle violence and have a positive impact on the victim, the aggressor, and the community around them. We will test the effectiveness of the intervention in breaking cycles of violence, enhancing parties’ well-being, and developing human and social capital.