Advancing child-sensitive, trauma-informed RJ approaches to protect vulnerable children and strengthen justice systems across borders
May 2025 | Athens, Greece
Thailand Institute of Justice (TIJ) participated in the European Forum for Restorative Justice (EFRJ) International Seminar 2025, bringing together global experts, researchers, and practitioners in Athens, Greece to examine the intersection of restorative justice (RJ) and migration, with a particular focus on children on the move.
The seminar highlighted restorative justice as a human-centred approach grounded in dignity, healing, and community participation. Recognised for its leadership in advancing RJ in Thailand and Southeast Asia, TIJ engaged in discussions on future collaboration, including regional RJ training, scaling up RJ in schools across Thailand, and co-developing innovative tools and research.
TIJ presented key insights on “RJ as a People-Centred Approach to Addressing the Needs of Children on the Move – Lessons from Thailand,” reflecting the complex realities of vulnerable children affected by displacement, statelessness, migration, institutional care, and involvement in justice systems. Evidence shared during the seminar underscored the urgent need for restorative interventions. National studies involving more than 1,500 children in institutional settings revealed high levels of violence, abuse, neglect, and psychological trauma. Additional data also highlighted widespread school bullying and a significant number of children outside the formal education system, pointing to systemic vulnerabilities requiring early, restorative responses.
In response, TIJ has advanced several initiatives in partnership with government agencies, including the “RJ in Schools” programme, which implements a Whole School Approach handbook in over 100 schools and has trained more than 300 educators. TIJ also developed RJ Board Game tools (RJ Journey and RJ Journey Express) to support experiential learning, strengthen emotional literacy, and promote empathy-based problem-solving across education and justice settings. A web-based RJ platform further supports conflict resolution and case monitoring, demonstrating positive outcomes such as reduced recidivism, increased victim satisfaction, and improved reintegration through inclusive dialogue processes.
This international engagement reinforces TIJ’s commitment to strengthening global collaboration on restorative justice. Key areas of cooperation include regional RJ training in Southeast Asia, the development of RJ-in-schools tools and frameworks, and joint research on children and vulnerable groups. The meeting reflects a growing partnership to advance restorative justice through knowledge exchange, capacity-building, and evidence-based collaboration.
