Here is a definition of the terminology used on this site.

• punitive culture: Punitive culture refers to institutional environments where punishment is the primary response to challenges or behavioural concerns. In such cultures, systems may prioritise discipline and compliance over understanding underlying needs or providing supportive interventions. Learn more
• Punitive discipline: Punitive discipline refers to disciplinary practices that focus primarily on punishment rather than addressing the underlying causes of behaviour. These approaches may rely on exclusion, loss of privileges, or other penalties intended to deter behaviour. Learn more
• race: Race refers to a social category used to classify people based on perceived physical characteristics such as skin colour. Although race has no biological basis, it has historically shaped social structures, power relationships, and experiences of discrimination. Learn more
• racialised discipline: Racialised discipline refers to patterns where students from certain racial or ethnic groups are disciplined more frequently or more harshly than others. Research in many education systems has found disparities in disciplinary outcomes that raise concerns about bias and systemic inequality. Learn more
• racialised students: Racialised students are students who experience social categorisation and treatment based on racial identity. The term emphasises that race is socially constructed and that experiences of race are shaped by social and institutional dynamics. Learn more
• racism: Racism refers to beliefs, actions, or systems that produce unequal treatment or disadvantage based on race. Racism can operate through individual behaviour, institutional policies, or broader social structures that reinforce inequality. Learn more
• raising a concern: Raising a concern refers to bringing attention to a problem or issue affecting a student or school community. Concerns may be raised informally through conversations with staff or formally through complaints or appeals. Learn more
• rationing care: Allocation of support based on scarcity logic. Schools frame accommodations, staffing, and resources as limited, distributing them through triage systems that prioritise perceived severity, compliance, or institutional convenience rather than legal obligation. Rationing positions support as charity requiring justification rather than right requiring provision. Rationing care produces hierarchies of deserving students, denies accommodations to those deemed less urgent, and treats systemic underfunding as natural constraint rather than political choice. Learn more
• recovery: Recovery refers to the process of healing and rebuilding stability after harm, stress, or trauma. In education contexts, recovery may involve restoring a sense of safety, rebuilding trust, and ensuring supportive conditions for learning. Learn more
• reframing: Reframing refers to changing how a situation is interpreted or understood. In advocacy contexts, reframing can help shift discussions from blaming individuals toward understanding systemic causes or unmet needs. Learn more
• remedies: Remedies refer to actions ordered or implemented to address harm or resolve a dispute. Remedies may include policy changes, compensation, restored access to services, or other measures intended to repair harm. Learn more
• repair: Repair refers to efforts to address harm and rebuild trust after a damaging event or conflict. Repair often involves acknowledgement of harm, accountability, and steps to restore relationships or access. Learn more
• repair and reflection: Repair and reflection refers to a process where individuals or institutions examine what occurred, acknowledge harm, and consider how practices can change to prevent similar events in the future. Learn more
• resources for families: Resources for families refers to organisations, information, and support networks that help families navigate education systems, disability supports, and advocacy processes. Learn more
• restored access: Restored access refers to situations where a student who was previously excluded or denied support regains the ability to participate fully in school. Learn more
• restraint and isolation: Restraint and isolation refers collectively to practices where a student’s movement or access to others is restricted in response to behaviour or safety concerns. Learn more
• retaliation: Retaliation refers to negative actions taken against someone because they raised concerns, filed a complaint, or participated in an investigation. Learn more
• retraumatisation: Retraumatisation occurs when experiences within institutions trigger emotional responses connected to earlier trauma. Learn more
• risk management: Risk management refers to strategies institutions use to identify, assess, and reduce potential legal, financial, or safety risks. Learn more
• room clear: Room clear refers to a practice where other students are removed from a classroom because one student is experiencing a crisis or dysregulation. Learn more