As gatekeepers to restorative justice (RJ) programs for domestic and family violence (DFV) and sexual violence, stakeholders in referring agencies perform the critical role of assessing the suitability of cases for entry into these programs.
This article draws on interviews with 47 stakeholders in an RJ program for DFV and sexual violence in the Australian Capital Territory to better understand stakeholder decision-making about referrals.
Findings show stakeholders’ decisions around which matters to refer to RJ centre on assessments of victim‑survivors’ safety and offender accountability. Many stakeholders are risk averse when deciding whether to make a referral, which may inadvertently reduce opportunities for victim-survivors to benefit and achieve their justice goals.
References
URLs correct as at August 2024
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2023. Family, domestic and sexual violence. https://www.aihw.gov.au/family-domestic-and-sexual-violence/resources/fdsv-summary
Barocas B, Avieli H & Shimizu R 2020. Restorative justice approaches to intimate partner violence: A review of interventions. Partner Abuse 11(3): 318–349. https://doi.org/10.1891/PA-2020-0010
Batchelor D 2021. Challenging cases: A guide for helping victims achieve their restorative justice goals with different degrees of offender participation. https://figshare.com/authors/Diana_Batchelor/11432335
Blagg H, Tulich T, Hovane V, Raye D, Worrigal T & May M 2020. Understanding the role of law and culture in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in responding to and preventing family violence. Research report 19/2020. Sydney: ANROWS. https://www.anrows.org.au/project/understanding-the-role-of-law-and-culture-in-aboriginal-and-or-torres-strait-islander-communities-in-responding-to-and-preventing-family-violence/
Bolitho J 2015. Putting justice needs first: A case study of best practice in restorative justice. Restorative Justice 3(2): 256–281. https://doi.org/10.1080/20504721.2015.1069531
Braithwaite J & Strang H (eds) 2002. Restorative justice and family violence. Melbourne: Cambridge University Press
Broadhurst R, Morgan A, Payne J & Maller R 2018. Restorative justice: An observational outcome evaluation of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) program. Report for the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Justice and Community Safety Directorate. Australian National University and the Australian Institute of Criminology. https://ssrn.com/abstract=3414715
Curtis-Fawley S & Daly K 2005. Gendered violence and restorative justice: The views of victim advocates. Violence Against Women 11(5): 603–638. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801205274488
Daly K 2014. Reconceptualizing sexual victimization and justice. In I Van Fraechem, A Pemberton and F Ndahinda (eds), Justice for victims: Perspectives on rights, transition and reconciliation vol. 1. Routledge: 378–396
Gang D, Loff B, Naylor B & Kirkman M 2021. A call for evaluation of restorative justice programs. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse 22(1): 186–190. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524838019833003
Gavrielides T 2015. Is restorative justice appropriate for domestic violence cases? Social Work Review 14(4): 105–121
Jeffries S, Wood WR & Russell T 2021. Adult restorative justice and gendered violence: Practitioner and service provider viewpoints from Queensland, Australia. Laws 10(1): 13. https://doi.org/10.3390/laws10010013
Jülich S & Landon F 2017. Achieving justice outcomes: Participants of Project Restore’s restorative processes. In E Zinsstag & M Keenan (eds), Restorative responses to sexual violence:Legal, social and therapeutic dimensions. London: Routledge: 192–211
Lamanuzzi M 2023. Restorative justice in cases of gender-based violence against women: Perspectives on shame, symbolic interactionism and agency. International Journal of Restorative Justice 6: 24. https://doi.org/10.5553/TIJRJ.000157
Lawler S, Boxall H & Dowling C 2024. Restorative justice conferencing for domestic and family violence and sexual violence: Evaluation of Phase Three of the ACT Restorative Justice Scheme. Research Report no. 33. Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology. https://doi.org/10.52922/rr77680
Marshall T 1999. Restorative justice: An overview. London: Home Office
Miller SL, Hefner MK & Iovanni L 2020. Practitioners’ perspectives on using restorative justice with crimes of gendered violence. Contemporary Justice Review 23(1): 65–90. https://doi.org/10.1080/10282580.2019.1700372
Nancarrow H 2006. In search of justice for domestic and family violence: Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australian women’s perspectives. Theoretical Criminology 10(1): 87–106. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362480606059986
Nascimento AM, Andrade J & De Castro Rodrigues A 2023. The psychological impact of restorative justice practices on victims of crimes—A systematic review. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse 24(3): 1929–1947. https://doi.org/10.1177/15248380221082085
Proietti-Scifoni G & Daly K 2011. Gendered violence and restorative justice: The views of New Zealand opinion leaders. Contemporary Justice Review 14(3): 269–290. https://doi.org/10.1080/10282580.2011.589666
Ruggiano N & Perry TE 2019. Conducting secondary analysis of qualitative data: Should we, can we, and how? Qualitative Social Work: Research and Practice 18(1): 81. https://doi.org/10.1177/1473325017700701
Sherman LW et al. 2015. Twelve experiments in restorative justice: The Jerry Lee program of randomized trials of restorative justice conferences. Journal of Experimental Criminology 11(4): 501–540. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11292-015-9247-6
Smyth MR, Teicher S & Wilde DJ 2023. How does denial, minimization, justifying, and blaming operate in intimate partner abuse committed by men: A systematic review of the literature. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse 25(3): 1853–1870. https://doi.org/10.1177/15248380231196108
Stubbs J 2007. Beyond apology? Domestic violence and critical questions for restorative justice. Criminology & Criminal Justice 7(2): 169–187. https://doi.org/10.1177/1748895807075570
Thomas DR 2006. A general inductive approach for analyzing qualitative evaluation data. American Journal of Evaluation 27(2): 237–246. https://doi.org/10.1177/1098214005283748
Wolthuis A & Lünnemann K 2016. Restorative Justice and domestic violence: A guide for practitioners. Verwey-Jonker Institute https://www.unodc.org/e4j/data/_university_uni_/restorative_justice_and_domestic_violence_
a_guide_for_practitioners.html