Project SAFE is dedicated to providing individuals and communities impacted by gender- and power-based harm and sexual violence on 做厙惇蹋app's campus with opportunities to reclaim voice, agency, and autonomy in their healing journeys. We create spaces for growth, learning, and accountability through dialogue and resolution for individuals who have caused harm with the goal of repairing relationships and communities.
All Project SAFE staff members, which includes our Director, Prevention Education & Program Manager, Survivor Advocate, and Peer Advocates (PAs), are trained to apply a restorative model of care through trauma-informed, survivor-centered approaches that prioritize the needs and experiences of survivors while holding individuals who cause harm accountable for their actions.
At Project SAFE, effective restorative care means...
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Survivors needs and experiences are prioritized and provided an opportunity to express the impact of the harm they experienced.
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Project SAFE restorative curriculum is accessible and equitable.
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Project SAFE restorative curriculum is safe for all students, and/or provides resources for safety.
Project SAFE restorative curriculum fosters healing through dialogue and accountability.
- Our Restorative Curriculum
- Our Restorative Model of Care
- Frequently Asked Questions about Restorative Justice
Our Restorative Curriculum
Engaging in restorative justice can have a profound, transformative effect on survivors, the individual(s) who have caused harm, and their communities by enabling the articulation of community agreements and action items to ensure the survivor feels safer, accountability is taken, and the harm will not be repeated.
There are several benefits to engaging in restorative justice. For survivors or person(s) harmed, some benefits include:
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Possibility to express your experience and story
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Plan a reparation for the harm suffered
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Ability to reclaim your voice or re-narrate your experience
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Challenge harmful societal narratives about being a survivor
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Engage in dialogue with the person(s) who caused you harm to have questions answered, or to share a message (i.e., I have questions which only they can answer. I want them to know how their actions have affected me. They took away my control and I want a chance to get it back.)
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Can provide an opportunity for closure
For the individual(s) who caused harm, some benefits include:
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Plan a reparation for the harm caused
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Encourage genuine acceptance of accountability
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Encourage sincere expression of remorse
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Encourage a commitment to treatment and rehabilitation to prevent future harm caused
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Generate a personal journey or transformation
When engaging in Project SAFEs Restorative Curriculum, you can expect
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~5-week commitment
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Assignments given throughout to ensure learning
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Person accused of doing harm meets one-on-one with advocate
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Primary survivor(s) may be as involved as they want
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Final meeting and continuance of care
During meetings with the Survivor Advocate, students can discuss how they interact with personal and social boundaries and consent. Based on this session, we can curate a plan for how to emphasize boundaries throughout the sessions.
Students will also discuss their relationship to safety how they feel safe and how they show up for their community to make them feel safe as well. This provides a foundation for personal responsibility and for responsibility as part of a community. Using the Bay Area Transformative Justice Collective (BATJC) pod mapping exercise, students will have an opportunity to identify the people in their lives whom they would turn to for support around violent, harmful, and abusive experiences, whether as survivors, bystanders, or people who have caused harm.
Our Restorative Model of Care
Through a trauma-informed, survivor-centered, and harm-reduction lens, Project SAFE utilizes the three core pillars of the - encounter, repair, and transform.
Our model of trauma-informed care shifts the focus from solely seeing what happened to understanding why it happened.
We practice a survivor-centered model by incorporating the needs and wants of the primary survivor of any harm that has occurred. The survivor may be as involved or as uninvolved in the restorative process as they want, but their voice is always centered.
If you are interested in requesting any sort of confidential, restorative process or support from Project SAFE, please request it .
Frequently Asked Questions about Restorative Justice
Restorative justice offers an alternative, community-centered approach to addressing harm that emphasizes accountability, healing, and relationship-building rather than punishment. At 做厙惇蹋app, restorative practices can support survivors, respondents, and communities in navigating conflict and harm through dialogue, repair, and collaborative problem-solving.
This FAQ provides an overview of what restorative justice is (and isnt), how it works on campus, and what options may be available to students seeking resolution outside of formal conduct processes. Whether you are exploring restorative approaches for yourself, supporting a friend, or learning about community accountability, this page is meant to help you make informed choices grounded in consent, care, and dignity.
What is Restorative Justice?
Restorative Justice is a collaborative approach to repairing harm caused and addressing the context in which the harm occurred. This process focuses on restoration, accountability, and behavior change moving forward.
When can restorative practices be used? When can a restorative justice process be initiated?
Restorative Justice can be used for any type of harm caused, as long as both parties consent to participating in the process.
The decision to offer Adaptable Resolution is made by the College (specifically the Civil Rights & Title IX Office), after an initial assessment of the reported conduct, considering campus safety, institutional obligations, and parties interests. For example, an Adaptable Resolution process may not be used in certain serious cases (e.g., when an employee is alleged to have committed Title IX sexual harassment of a student).
Why would I want to have contact with the person who harmed me?
The majority of individuals who experienced harm and went through Restorative Justice processes find the process beneficial. Many people want to ask questions about the experience directly to the person who harmed them. Many want to tell the person responsible what the consequences of their actions were. Many want to ensure that the person who harmed them does not harm them or anyone else again in the future. Some want to forgive the person responsible, although forgiveness is a personal choice.
Is an Adaptable Resolution considered disciplinary?
No, the Adaptable Resolution process is a voluntary, remedies-based, structured interaction that balances support and accountability without taking formal disciplinary action against the respondent.
This process is designed to provide the respondent with an opportunity to acknowledge harm and accept responsibility for repairing harm (to the extent possible) that was experienced by the affected party and/or the College community.
Does participating require admitting to a policy violation?
Because it is not a formal disciplinary process, participation does not equate to a formal admission or finding of a policy violation in the disciplinary sense. The process is more about acknowledging harm and agreeing to repair it. Parties may end the process at any time and pursue formal resolution instead. Additionally, a facilitator may advise the Title IX and Civil Rights Coordinator in ending the Adaptable Resolution process should they see fit.
Can I switch to an investigative process?
Yes, according to the Sexual and Interpersonal Misconduct Policy, either party (complainant or respondent) can request to end the Adaptable Resolution at any time and pursue a formal resolution instead. If that happens, the processes are separate and distinct: the information gathered during the Adaptable Resolution cannot be used in the retrospective formal process.
In other words, opting into an Adaptable Resolution process does not lock you in. You (or the other party) can decide to move to the investigative/disciplinary pathway at any point.
Can I bring an advisor or attorney?
Yes, you may be accompanied by an adviser at any meetings related to the adaptable resolution process.
How does Adaptable Resolution work?
The complainant and respondent must voluntarily agree to the process that best meets the interests and needs of both parties. One or more of the following restorative approaches may be initiated:
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Facilitated Dialogue: A structured and facilitated conversation between two or more individuals, most often the complainant, the respondent, and/or other community members. The focus is often on providing a space for voices to be heard and perspectives to be shared. Depending on stated interests, the participants may sometimes work towards the development of a shared agreement, although working towards an agreement is not always the intended outcome.
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Restorative Circle or Conference Process: A facilitated interaction where the individuals who have experienced harm can come together with an individual(s) who assumes responsibility for repairing the harm (to the extent possible). A circle or conference may include multiple members of the community to explore individual and community impact, harm, obligations, and opportunities for repairing them. Parties must agree on all those who will be present.
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Shuttle Negotiation: An indirect, facilitated conversation individually with the complainant, the respondent, and/or other participants to discuss experience and perspective and explore interests while working towards meeting expressed needs. This negotiated process does not require direct interaction between the parties or the parties and other participants, but rather, independently, with a coordinator.
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Circle of Accountability (COA): A facilitated interaction between the respondent and College faculty and/or staff designed to provide accountability, structured support, and the development of a learning plan. The focus of a COA is to balance support and accountability for an individual who has acknowledged their obligation to repair harm and willingness to engage in an educational process. The COA model does not require participation from the complainant, but as with other types of adaptable resolution, it must be voluntary for the complainant and the respondent.
Measures that may be agreed to as a result of the adaptable resolution process may include:
- Alcohol education classes for the respondent
- Regular meetings with an appropriate College individual, unit, or resource
- Permanent extension of a no-contact directive
- Respondent restriction from participation in specific clubs and/or organizations
- Respondent restriction from participation in particular events
- Respondent completion of an educational plan with regular meetings with the adaptable resolution coordinator or other appropriate College staff or faculty member; and/or
- Counseling sessions for the respondent
Individuals who wish to participate in an adaptable resolution process must have successfully completed preparatory meetings with the adaptable resolution coordinator.
What is the role of a facilitator?
A trained facilitator will oversee the Restorative Justice process. This includes substantive preparation with both parties, who they speak with multiple times in advance of an intervention taking place. In these conversations, they prepare the participants for what to expect and help them to decide what they need from the process. Once both parties have been suitably prepared, and if the facilitator agrees that a further restorative process is safe, the facilitator will oversee a restorative process. For a face-to-face meeting, this involves the facilitator attending the meeting and prompting all participants with structured questions that they were prepared for in advance. For indirect communication, such as letter writing, the facilitator would work with both parties on ensuring that they express what they want to say in their letter.
Can I request a restorative process via Project SAFE without initiating a Civil Rights & Title IX report?
Yes, parties may choose to go through a restorative process without initiating a Civil Rights & Title IX Office report. However, should the parties reach any agreements (i.e., permanent extension of a no-contact directive, restriction from participation in organizations or events), then a formal Adaptable Resolution process via the Civil Rights & Title IX Office must be initiated.