Graham Laurie M, Hopkins C Quince, Cavaletto April, Aggarwal Nikita
University of Maryland-Baltimore, USA.
J Interpers Violence. 2024 Oct 8:8862605241285877. doi: 10.1177/08862605241285877.
Sexual violence (SV), which causes sexual harm, is a significant public health issue globally. In many nations, conventional legal remedies are the prevailing responses to SV. Restorative justice (RJ) shows promise as a potential alternative way to address sexual harm, given evidence that RJ better aligns with expressed needs and safety concerns of those directly impacted by SV. However, few empirical studies exist concerning best practices for and the effectiveness of using RJ for this purpose. This study helped address this research gap by conducting in-depth interviews to understand how organizations choose to use RJ to address sexual harm; how RJ is being operationalized to address sexual harm; how those involved in offering RJ to address sexual harm define success or positive outcomes; and factors that present challenges for or contribute to the success of RJ processes addressing sexual harm. We conducted 24 semi-structured key informant interviews with RJ practitioners and researchers in six countries. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and emergent themes were identified through a rigorous, iterative coding process. Informants discussed using formal RJ practices with a subset of sexual harm cases, typically instances of adult sexual assault or to resolve sexual harm adults experienced as children. These responses generally adhered to this sequence: referral, assessing appropriateness for participation, preparing participants, and conducting the process. Informants shared anecdotal examples of RJ benefits and measurable indicators of program success like participant satisfaction, increased coping skills, and signs that harm will not recur, although, most were not formally evaluating their programs. Challenges included limited resources, unsupportive RJ-related beliefs, and COVID-19. Factors that aid success include funding, partnerships, and positive RJ-related views. Study findings underscore the need for more research on using RJ to address sexual harm with exploration of best practices for delivering such services to diverse communities.
性暴力是一个在全球范围内造成性伤害的重大公共卫生问题。在许多国家，传统法律补救措施是应对性暴力的主要方式。恢复性司法有望成为解决性伤害的一种潜在替代方法，因为有证据表明，恢复性司法更符合性暴力直接受害者表达的需求和安全关切。然而，关于为此目的使用恢复性司法的最佳做法和有效性的实证研究很少。本研究通过进行深入访谈来填补这一研究空白，以了解组织如何选择使用恢复性司法来解决性伤害；恢复性司法如何实施以解决性伤害；提供恢复性司法以解决性伤害的人员如何定义成功或积极成果；以及对恢复性司法解决性伤害过程的成功构成挑战或促成成功的因素。我们对六个国家的恢复性司法从业者和研究人员进行了24次半结构化关键信息人访谈。访谈逐字记录，并通过严格的迭代编码过程确定了新出现的主题。信息提供者讨论了对一部分性伤害案件使用正式的恢复性司法做法，通常是成人性侵犯案件或解决成年人童年时期遭受的性伤害。这些回应通常遵循以下顺序：转介、评估参与的适宜性、为参与者做准备以及开展该过程。信息提供者分享了恢复性司法益处的轶事例子以及项目成功的可衡量指标，如参与者满意度、应对技能提高以及伤害不会再次发生的迹象，不过，大多数人并未对其项目进行正式评估。挑战包括资源有限、对恢复性司法相关理念不支持以及新冠疫情。有助于成功的因素包括资金、伙伴关系以及对恢复性司法的积极看法。研究结果强调需要更多关于使用恢复性司法解决性伤害的研究，并探索向不同社区提供此类服务的最佳做法。
