THE EFFECTIVENESS OF RESTORATIVE CIRCLES IN FAMILY CONFLICT

Abstract

Restorative circles are discussion groups aimed at resolving existing conflicts, in which each individual has the opportunity to express their feelings, how they were affected, what they would like to do to resolve or extinguish the conflict, and consequently, adopt measures to live in harmony. This scientific article aimed to explain the restorative circle, analyze the impact of the procedure on resolving family conflicts, and evaluate the effectiveness of the circles in improving interpersonal relationships in families with a history of conflict. Consequently, the theoretical framework will be based on the thoughts and writings of Kay Pranis (2010 and 2011), Howard Zehr (2012), Furtado (2012), and other authors throughout the work, affirming and demonstrating the relevance and applicability of this procedure and the need for its application. Thus, the methods employed for developing the highlighted points and their improvement were bibliographic, reaching the case in question, deductive, and explorable, with the intention that all information be explained clearly and objectively, in order to demonstrate the effectiveness of circles for resolving family conflicts. Therefore, the results obtained demonstrate what was expected: restorative procedures are effective in resolving and/or reducing conflicts within the family context through the active and in-depth participation of the people involved, making any imposition of rules and decisions by the Judiciary unnecessary. In this way, it exposes the effectiveness of applying circles to resolve conflicts that will often only be resolved through the speaking out of each individual involved.