Tier 3 Intervention: Family Group Conferencing

Authors

Ann O'Connor, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Reece L. Peterson, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

Document Type

Learning Object

Date of this Version

2-2014

Citation

Strategy brief

Building and Sustaining Student Engagement series (Febuary 2014)

Barkley Center, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States

Abstract

Conclusion

The family group conference model is a useful tool for bringing together members of a family, a school, and a community to create a plan and offer support for students with chronic behavioral or mental health needs, as well as students who might otherwise be suspended or expelled for a variety of behavior serious incidents. It is an effective restorative practice for teaching offenders about the harm they caused (Bazemore & Umbreit, 2001). In the school setting, conferencing helps to address the power imbalances between school officials and the student and community. In the conference, everyone must listen respectfully, not interrupt, and adhere to the agreement made in the conference. Such conferencing can be used in place of suspensions and expulsions while still repairing the harm or hurt that has been caused (Wearmouth, McKinney, & Glynn, 2007). Although there has been limited research on the use of this procedure in schools, on disgnificant study has provided strong support for the potential value of this intervention. As a result family group conferencing should be considered a promising Tier 3 intervention for students with serious problematic behaviors which violate school codes of conduct.

This fact sheet draws heavily from the OJJDP Bulletin NCJ 184738 on Restorative Conferencing Models by C. Bazemore and M. Umbreit (2001). However, any errors in this fact sheet are claimed by the authors.