"Restorative Justice in Higher Education: an Analysis of Challenges, Strategies, and Achievements Using Normalization Process Theory"

Abstract

Restorative justice (RJ) is increasingly seen as a meaningful response to harm and conflict in higher education, offering a relational and community-based alternative to traditional disciplinary systems. While RJ has been widely studied in primary and secondary schools, much less is known about how it becomes part of everyday practice within universities, not just as a promising initiative, but as a sustainable and embedded approach. This study explores how RJ is understood, implemented, and normalized across 68 higher education institutions internationally, adopting a qualitatively-driven mixed methods approach. Using Normalization Process Theory as an analytical framework, we examine the depth and breadth of RJ activity across four domains: student conduct, staff and faculty engagement, teaching practices, and academic research. Our findings show that while many institutions are enthusiastic about RJ, fewer have the structures and support systems needed to sustain it. Success depends not only on resources and leadership but also on shared understanding, critical reflection, and the willingness to work through cultural and organizational tensions. This study offers both a map of current practices and a framework for thinking about how RJ can move from the margins to the mainstream in higher education.