Restorative Justice and Harmful Sexual Behaviour: A Commentary

Restorative Justice (RJ) has been practiced around the world in various settings, including criminal justice, for many years (Shapland et al., 2004; 2006). In the UK, there has been a long history of its use with the intent to allow those who have committed offences and victims of crime to interact with one another via letters or direct meetings (known as a restorative justice conference). These processes enable the person who has caused the harm to apologise for, or at least acknowledge, the crime they committed, and the victim-survivor to express what the consequences of the offence were for them. The intention is to achieve a constructive outcome from which each party can move forward positively with their life