Problematizing the healing metaphor of restorative justice

Conflict Resolution Qtrly

Swan

2018

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As the use of restorative justice processes continues to grow in the West, it is helpful to understand the factors that influence people's support for the use of restorative processes. Working from a conflict goals perspective, this study explores how support for the use of victim–offender conferencing following instances of first‐time, nonviolent offending by youth is influenced by perceived importance of justice outcomes, perceived effectiveness of conventional and restorative processes at accomplishing those outcomes, and perceived appropriateness of conventional and restorative processes. It concludes with a discussion of implications for restorative justice research and advocacy.

Section: Restorative and Conventional Justicementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Offender-related Outcome Importancementioning

confidence: 99%

Receptivity to restorative justice: A survey of goal importance, process effectiveness, and support for victim–offender conferencing

Conflict Resolution Qtrly

Swan

2018

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“…Such comparisons imply or claim that retributive and restorative justice are constituted by different values, beliefs, and practices. RJ values include healing, moral learning, meaningful stakeholder participation, growth, respectful dialogue, reparation, empowerment, and support (Borton & Paul, ; Braithwaite, ; Doolin, ; Okimoto et al., ; Tsui, ; Van Ness & Strong, ; Zehr & Mika, ). Typically implied is the assertion that retributive justice holds to opposite values.…”

Section: Defining Restorative Justicementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Victim‐related outcome goals include healing (Armour & Umbreit, ; Shapland et al., ; Umbreit et al., ; Zehr & Mika, ), reparation or restoration of losses (Latimer et al., ; Paul, ; Shapland et al., ; Umbreit et al., ), satisfaction (Kurki, ; Latimer et al., ), empowerment (McCold, ; Morrison, ), safety (Zehr & Mika, ), support (Zehr & Mika, ), growth (Borton & Paul, ; Daly, ), information (Paul, ; Zehr & Mika, ), closure (Armour & Umbreit, ), and forgiveness (Armour & Umbreit, ; Braithwaite, ; Chapman & Chapman, ). Offender‐related outcome goals include accountability (Umbreit et al., ), lower (or eliminated) likelihood of recidivating (Latimer et al., ), growth (Borton & Paul, ), moral learning (Wenzel et al., ), rehabilitation (Shapland et al., ), and the general goal of making things right (Paul, ). Process‐related goals include stakeholder participation, process satisfaction, and involvement (Bazemore & Ellis, ; Dzur, ; Kurki, ; Tyler, ).…”

Section: Assessing Restorative Justicementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although this goal‐attainment approach is conventional and fits with dominant cultural assumptions, it can be problematic for a few reasons. First, satisfaction alone as an evaluative heuristic may be too general to adequately capture restoration (Bolívar, ; Presser & Van Voorhis, ) or account for differences in how victims make sense of what restoration means or what they need (Borton & Paul, ). Second, it risks glossing over other hypothesized consequences of RJ practices that are less concrete, such as healing, closure, growth, dignity, and sense of control (Braithwaite, ; Johnstone, ; Morris, ; Umbreit et al., ; Zehr, ).…”

Section: Assessing Restorative Justicementioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Toward a Communication Perspective of Restorative Justice: Implications for Research, Facilitation, and Assessment

Negotiation Conflict Man Res

Borton

2017

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As the research and practice of restorative justice has grown, conversations have been ongoing about how to define and evaluate such practices. In this conceptual review, we argue for the utility and importance of adopting a communication perspective (Pearce, 1989, Communication and the human condition. Southern Illinois University Press, Carbondale, IL.) for defining, evaluating, and practicing restorative justice. We begin by describing a communication perspective before reviewing scholarly literature regarding defining and evaluating restorative justice. We also illustrate how a communication perspective can prompt useful questions about defining, evaluating, facilitating, and administering restorative justice. We conclude with a discussion of implications for research, facilitation, and organizational administration.

Beliefs about Victim‐Offender Conferences: Factors Influencing Victim‐Offender Engagement

Conflict Resolution Qtrly

Schenck-Hamlin

2017

Self Cite

Victim-off ender conferences provide victims an opportunity to pursue their justice goals while talking directly with their off ender. Although research on victims' conference participation willingness is growing, it has tended to neglect the infl uence of context factors. Drawing on the theory of planned behavior, the study reported in this article elicited beliefs about justice goals, emotions, perceived support, and external control beliefs related to intent to participate in a victim-off ender conference. Analysis indicated that beliefs about justice goals, anticipated emotions, social support, and behavior control infl uence conference participation willingness. Th e article identifi es implications for research and practice regarding restorative justice and conference participation.