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What Are SAFE Circles?

With 145 restorative lessons, prompts, & reflective quotes, Safe Circles offers youth a safe space to proactively build community, check-in, and actively participate in a healing centered practice. The Safe Circle is a guiding circle that empowers young people to take an active and thoughtful role in creating their community. SAFE Circles provide youth with a safe space to connect with one another, build trust, show mutual respect, engage in dialogue, and foster a sense of belonging.

The SAFE Approach

Effective SEL approaches often incorporate four elements that are SAFE; Sequenced, Active, Focused, and Explicit. A meta-analysis of 213 social-emotional school programs showed that the most effective SEL programs incorporate these four SAFE elements.

The SAFE approach elements include...

Sequenced activities that lead in a coordinated and connected way to skill development;

Active forms of learning that enable young people to practice and master new skills;

Focused time spent developing one or more social and emotional skills;

Explicitly define and target specific skills.

By integrating the SAFE approach into the restorative process, you can model it in a way that creates a “safe” space for participants. This approach supports children by helping them recognize how they feel or how someone else might be feeling. Importantly, this approach is an exceptional way to promote authentic dialogue, equity of voice, and the social-emotional development of youth.

SAFE Circles Printable Download

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