BEST Restorative Alternative Response
Alternative REsponse to sexual misconduct on campuses
Men As Peacemakers (MAP) is committed to supporting campus partners to provide workplace and educational environments that are free from discrimination, harassment, and sexual violence, and which uphold the inherent dignity of all members of each campus community.
The BEST Restorative Alternative Program was created in response to a request by survivors and community-based advocates for an alternative educational program aimed at helping respondents (both students and faculty): Identify the attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors that led them to cause harm; Take responsibility for the harm they caused; Modify their choices and actions so they do not cause this harm again.
This resource integrates restorative practices with primary prevention strategies, and guides participants through five (5) one-on-one sessions that can take place in-person or virtually, and which are adaptable to the specific circumstances and needs of each participant.
Curriculum outline
The goal the Best Restorative Alternative Response Program is to build connection with participants and create the conditions where a process of growth and accountability can occur. Participants progress through three distinct phases:
Phase 1 – Building Connection
During this phase, Facilitators prioritize building trust and connection with the participant, modeling storytelling and vulnerability, creating a judgment-free environment and asking questions that will elicit honest responses.
Phase 2 - Locating Yourself within Community
During this phase, facilitators will help participants understand that they do not exist in isolation but are connected to the broader community through their relationships with others.
Phase 3 – Adapting Behavior to Match Values
During this culminating Phase, facilitators will use participant responses to the previous modules to guide participants through a process of identifying tangible ways they can modify how they go about getting their needs met, as well as respecting the needs of others.
The curriculum consists of five modules that frame the conversations for each session. Each module contains Learning Objectives with Key Questions aimed at obtaining the information needed to progress to the next module.