Lopez’s philosophy is that everyone is inherently good — “Kids don’t want to act out or not try. Everyone has the capability to come to an agreement or put in the effort.'
When it comes to mediation between students, sometimes the best asset isn’t an adult but a friend — someone who understands what it’s like to be a teen.
Lopez’s philosophy is that everyone is inherently good — “Kids don’t want to act out or not try. Everyone has the capability to come to an agreement or put in the effort,” she told The Examiner. Ex // Top Stories Millennium Tower officials: Our sinking skyscraper stopped sinking San Francisco’s beleaguered high-rise is sinking no more
“The outcome can be, ‘We’re just not going to be friends.’ And that’s OK, too. Solutions are different based on different cases. We’ll check in with students and see if they are following the agreements they made. It can be leaving the other person alone or actively working with them,” she said. Peer mentorship programs are rooted in restorative justice practices: a tried-and-true method in criminal justice traditionally used in prison settings between perpetrators and victims. According to the Restorative Justice Exchange, a nonprofit that has advocated for prison reform since 1996, it’s a response to wrongdoing that prioritizes repairing harm and recognizes that maintaining positive relationships with others is a core human need.