Evaluate Methods of Modifying Behaviour - Restorative Justice

Question 1

Evaluate effectiveness from the victim’s perspective…

Answer 1

The UK Restorative Justice Council (2015) reports 85% satisfaction from victims in face-to-face meeting with their offenders

Reports covered a large range of crimes, where the police force in Avon and Somerset reported 92.8% satisfaction

Dignan (2005) stated that victims claim greater satisfaction when cases go through mainstream courts

Question 2

Evaluate effectiveness in temrs of reduced offending…

Answer 2

Seeks to reduce offending

Lawrence Sherman and Heather Strang (2007) reviewed 20 face-to-face meetings in the US, UK and AUS, where it led to an 11% reoffending rate compared to the 37% reoffending rate in those that only went to prison

Question 3

Evaluate effectiveness of selecting which offenders and victims…

Answer 3

Never applicable to all offenders/victims

However, Howard Zehr (2002) stated that it can take place in the absence of the offender

Not suitable for all crime and some victims may decline the offer of restorative justice, suggesting that it can’t be a global solution for offending behaviour

Question 4

Evaluate ethical implications from the victim’s perspective…

Answer 4

Victim may feel worse afterwards as psychological harm may be caused, as the victim may feel that the criminal showed no empathy, causing a loss in self-esteem and may lead to the victim feeling taken advnatage of

Question 5

Evaluate ethical implications from the offender’s perspective…

Answer 5

Can lead to abuses of power, where victims gang up on the offender or shame them, meaning that programmes need to be carefully balanced and ensure benefit to both victim and offender, and avoidance of harm

Question 6

Evaluate social implication of financial implications…

Answer 6

Key aim is to reduce prison population by reducing reoffending

The UK Restorative Justice Council said that reduced reoffending means that £8 is saved fro every £1 spent on restorative justice

May have substantial finanicla benefits for the community

Question 7

Evaluate social implications for a wider approach in the community…

Answer 7

‘Peace circles’ are a programme developed in communities where violence and crime levels are high, which fosters and environment of respect so that the community offers support to victims of crime and also welcomes the offender into the circle