CYP Now - Resources: Know How - Restorative justice

If someone has caused hurt or harm to another person, they should apologise and try to make it better. This appeals to a natural sense of justice, but it is also the basis of restorative justice. PJ White explains the premise behind the process 1. What gets restored in restorative justice? If it works well, the victim of a crime gets peace of mind restored. Any damage to the property of individuals or community gets restored. And the offender is restored to the law-abiding society. Typical events might be meetings or letter exchanges between offender and victim, and some form of agreed practical reparation, such as repairing damage or cleaning. There may well be a conference, bringing together the offender and, perhaps, their parents, the victim and a facilitator.

2. Restorative justice can be a great improvement on the depersonalised adversarial court and sentencing model of justice. Victims of crime often complain that courts ignore them. They see little connection between the sentence and the crime. Offenders will usually have a counsel speaking for them and can remain detached and unaffected by the process.

3. Children and young people often say they simply weren't aware of the impact of what they did on the victims. This learning can change them. They can also develop skills and acquire confidence and knowledge from the reparation activities they agree on. It is not wildly unusual for them to maintain contact with an offender or continue volunteering with a community project beyond the terms of their agreement.

Register Now to Continue Reading

Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:

What's Included