Desiring vengeance against those that hurt us is deeply human; justice systems are one means by which those desires can be contained and addressed in ways that avoid cycles of revenge. However, such systems require that people have trust in them. We begin with the relationship between institutional trust and the reduction of vengefulness. We then consider how youth develop their sense of institutional trust, with a particular emphasis on school justice systems in the K-12 context. We propose that a narrative approach to institutional trust might complement existing work, and outline strengths of that approach. We contrast retributive disciplinary and restorative justice systems in schools and consider how each of these systems looks from a narrative lens. Finally, we make recommendations for future research and practice based on ways that institutional trust, narrative, and school-based approaches to justice and discipline may reduce vengeful behavior and promote youths’ development.

How we narrate is intimately related to who we are and how well we are doing. Our narratives are built in social interactions with others, and those interactions are nested within broader sociocultural and historical contexts. Thus our narratives can be validated but also negated, negotiated, and reconstructed in ways that privilege both particular contents and particular ways of narrating those contents. In the process, what is not said (silence) becomes as important for identity as what is said (voice). We explore how voice and silence in narratives are shaped both unconsciously and intentionally in how people tell their stories to and with others. Our sociocultural and developmental perspective also highlights the role of cultural master narratives in influencing the structure and content of individuals’ narratives. Using examples from our research, we demonstrate how these various forms of cultural narratives are embraced, contested, negotiated, and/or negated in specific social interactions – giving rise to narratives that allow the construction of certain voices and leave other voices absent, and what this means for individual identity. We also consider the research context as a specific form of interaction that can shape both voice and silence.