A/70/289 build strong partnerships between advocacy groups, religious communities, human rights organizations and businesses. 110. Some campaigns are directed primarily at children. Alongside school initiatives to improve children’s safety and skills for peaceful conflict resolution and increase awareness of gun violence, some countries have promoted the recycling of toy guns for artwork in schools, as well as exchanging them for books and other school supplies. 111. As in conflict and post-conflict situations, disarmament and demobilization programmes can be used in communities affected by armed violence to reduce the number of guns in circulation. In such initiatives, guns are surrendered in return for collective or individual rewards, such as building materials, vouchers for groceries and support for development projects. Those efforts are particularly successful when there is a high degree of public awareness, transparency and community involvement. Securing public safety, access to justice and restorative justice approaches 112. The security of citizens is highly dependent on respect for the rule of law, transparent and accountable institutions and community engagement in public safety efforts. It requires collaboration between local violence prevention groups and the police to identify challenges and promote intervention strategies. Those strategies should support children’s access to justice and to counselling and reporting mechanisms to address incidents of violence; avoid the stigmatization and detention of children at risk; promote programmes to prevent the recruitment and support the reintegration of children affected by armed violence, including those associated with gangs and criminal networks; set in place whistle-blower and accountability systems to counter institutional violence and arms trafficking; and develop initiatives to promote the disarmament of communities and change attitudes towards guns and the tolerance of violence. It also requires restorative justice processes to address those affected through mediation, conciliation and reintegration strategies. 113. Society demands strong responses when violence occurs and crimes are committed. However, ensuring accountability for those acts can be achieved through channels other than just the formal criminal justice system, especially when ch ildren and young people are the alleged perpetrators. 114. Rather than focusing on punishment, restorative justice addresses the causes and consequences of offending and aims to repair the harm caused by wrongdoing. Through a voluntary process, which involves all those concerned, it helps to strengthen community ties, while fostering repentance and forgiveness and shaping genuine and purposeful process of social reintegration. 17 115. Restorative justice can be introduced into every stage of the criminal justice process and is relevant in other contexts, such as family, school, care institutions and communities. It allows for the design and implementation of holistic interventions in line with children’s development and the achievement of their potential in all aspects of life. 116. The participatory dimension of restorative justice gives adolescents the opportunity to take responsibility in a constructive and forward -looking way and is associated with positive results. In fact, those participating in resto rative __________________ 17 15-13244 See the report of the Special Representative, “Promoting restorative justice for childre n” (2013). Available from srsg.violenceagainstchildren.org/page/919. 23/25