Advoz: Mediation Services

Beth taught music in local schools for 34 years. In April 2023, she was assaulted by a student who burst into her classroom with the intent to harm another student. The incident sparked PTSD, anxiety, and depression in Beth as she tried to wrap her head and heart around what she experienced.

Beth and the student were both asked to be part of Advoz’s Harmed-Offender Conferencing, a restorative justice practice that addresses harm caused by crime through face-to-face dialogue. It’s an opportunity for an offender and a person who was impacted by a specific crime to come together for a conversation, exploring what it could look like to restore peace. Beth hoped for closure. The student hoped to apologize and reach a resolution.

“It was like nothing I had ever experienced,” Beth shared. “We got to sit and talk and listen to one another. I heard her story and it broke my heart.”

Learn more about restorative justice practices like this at the link in our bio.