The approach involves first-time or minor offenders discussing with trained officers the impact of their actions on their victims, family or community - sometimes leading to an apology or offer of amends.
Police in Fife, Strathclyde and Dumfries and Galloway have already piloted the method.
The Scottish Executive is investing 727,000 over the next two years to train officers across the country to use the approach with under-16s.
The system should be embedded in police practice by April 2006.
The roll-out has been spurred by the apparent success of the method in the pilots. In Fife, only 14 out of 91 young people have reoffended after receiving restorative warnings.
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