kids are worth it! by Barbara Coloroso

Author:Barbara Coloroso [Coloroso, Barbara]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2010-01-14T16:00:00+00:00

Neither harsh punishment nor full pardon will heal the victims or the perpetrators of the mayhem. It is nonviolent engagement that is at the heart of true reconciliatory justice: the willingness to confront the wrongdoing and reach out to the wrongdoer. In Parenting with Wit and Wisdom in Times of Chaos and Loss, I wrote a section on reconciliatory justice, a topic that is dear to my heart and one that was at the core of my work with troubled youth. I believe that how young offenders are treated will greatly influence what kind of people they will grow up to be, and what kind of lives the rest of us will live. If we don’t help them to reconcile with the community, we might well condemn ourselves to a lifetime of fear, distrust, and mayhem.

We can point fingers, place blame, fortress our schools, seek revenge, and hold one more generation hostage to the manacles of bigotry, hatred, and intolerance. Or we can, as individuals and whole communities, do what is necessary to take the weapons out of the hearts and minds and hands of our children. When an entire community is committed to reconciliatory justice, young offenders are invited to rise above their misdeeds and violent acts. The goal is to mend and restore, rather than isolate and punish. The search is not for vengeance but for ways to heal people and relationships.

Reconciliatory justice is perhaps the one tool that can begin to cut through the chains of violence. It does not deny the dignity and worth of the victim or the humanity of the oppressor. It does justice to the suffering without perpetuating the hatred. It is a triumph of mindfulness and compassion over vengeance and retribution.

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