id: roca-circle-restorative
title: ROCA Circle Restorative Practice
description: >-
  A circle-based restorative practice used by ROCA, a youth intervention
  organisation in Massachusetts, to help young people address conflict and
  change behaviour through relational connection rather than punishment.
  Drawing on restorative and Indigenous circle traditions.
source: ROCA Inc.
source_url: https://www.rocainc.org/
tags: [restorative, youth, circle, intervention, usa]
forked_from: null
image: null
steps:
  - headline: Convene the circle
    description: >-
      A youth worker convenes a circle with the young person and those
      affected — family, peers, community. The circle opens with
      guidelines: speak honestly, listen, no blame.
  - headline: Share what happened
    description: >-
      Each person shares what happened from their view and the impact on
      them. The young person hears the impact directly, not second-hand.
  - headline: Identify what is needed
    description: >-
      The circle identifies what the young person needs — support,
      skills, connection — and what those affected need to feel safe.
  - headline: Build a plan
    description: >-
      Together the circle builds a plan: what the young person will do,
      what support the youth worker will provide, what the community will
      offer. The plan is specific and time-bound.
  - headline: Follow up in circle
    description: >-
      The circle reconvenes to check progress. Success is measured by
      changed behaviour and relationship, not by completion of a sanction.
outcome: >-
  A young person moves toward changed behaviour through relational
  connection, with the community invested in their path rather than
  punishing from outside.
practice: >-
  ROCA's evidence base shows that persistent relationship, not sanction,
  drives change. The youth worker's presence in the young person's life
  is the intervention, not just the circle.