A Domestic Argument

Ann and her son, Nicky, had been enjoying an evening in together.  As the evening progressed, an argument started, which then escalated.  Nicky threw the house phone against the wall, which shattered a large picture frame, covering Ann with glass.  Ann was frightened and phoned the police.

“Things like this have happened before.” explained Ann, “Usually when there’s been alcohol involved. When that happens, Nicky gets bailed back to my house and we carry on as normal. But this time I couldn’t have him back in my house.” 

Nicky and Ann heard about Restorative Justice through the police, and decided it might be something that could help them both.

“We both knew that if we didn’t do something about this, if this wasn’t addressed, that we couldn’t keep on having a good mum and son relationship. But families can be difficult – it’s hard to know what to do for the best. It’s hard to know what to say when it’s family. We needed someone else to come and help.”

Working with facilitators, Nicky and Ann sat and talked about what had happened. They decided to set themselves some ground rules to stop arguments escalating in the future. “Just talking – just getting a lot of things off our chest was good.”

“Things have been better since we were involved with Restorative Justice. They’ve improved. Those ground rules that we worked out together have helped me stand my ground with him. They’ve helped him see that there’s a line that he can’t cross. We know where we stand with each other again.”

If you are interested in finding out more about how Restorative Justice might help you, and you are based in West Yorkshire, please give us a call on 0800 783 1550, or email us at rjwestyorkshire@restorativesolutions.org.uk and we will be glad to help you.