Restorative justice in cases of sexual violence: Current and future directions in the UK

Gavin, Paul; Kite, Charlotte; Porter, Cody; McCartan, Kieran; Cawley, Phil

Abstract

Restorative justice seeks to repair the harm caused by crime by bringing together victims, offenders, and affected parties in a facilitated dialogue. Restorative justice is often viewed negatively in relation to cases of sexual violence, due to fears of revictimization, retraumatization, and power imbalances. This paper provides a critical analysis of current literature on restorative justice as a response to sexual violence. It presents findings from a small study (n = 25) held after a one-day conference on sexual violence and restorative justice. Findings include support for restorative justice in cases of sexual offending being contingent on the process being victim/survivor-led and specialist training being provided for restorative practitioners who deal with such cases.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Mar 8, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Mar 15, 2024
• Publication Date: Oct 1, 2023
• Deposit Date: Apr 1, 2024
• Journal: Contemporary Justice Review: Issues in Criminal, Social, and Restorative Justice
• Print ISSN: 1028-2580
• Electronic ISSN: 1477-2248
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis (Routledge)
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 26
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 393-410
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10282580.2024.2330375
• Keywords: Law
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/11830889
• Additional Information: Peer Review Statement: The publishing and review policy for this title is described in its Aims & Scope.; Aim & Scope: http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?show=aimsScope&journalCode=gcjr20; Received: 2023-11-09; Accepted: 2024-03-08; Published: 2024-03-15