Language Competence, Emotion and Restorative Justice Conference Processes

• In Event: Empirical Testing of Restorative Justice Theory

Abstract

Restorative justice (RJ) processes require young offenders to effectively engage in a conversation about their wrongdoing and ways of repairing harms they have caused. As such, the RJ process draws heavily on the oral language abilities (everyday talking and listening skills) of the young offender, who needs to listen to complex and emotionally charged accounts of the victim’s perspective on the offence, and formulate their own experiences and perspectives into a coherent narrative that is judged as adequate and authentic by the parties affected by the wrong-doing. Prior research on the language skills of young people in the youth justice system shows that approximately 50% of young offenders have a clinically significant language deficit. This paper draws on observational and interview data from a number of young offenders who attended a restorative justice conference to explore the impact that language impairments may have on the “success” of restorative justice conference processes and how young offenders and other key stakeholders (e.g., victims) perceive outcomes.

Author

• Hennessey Hayes, Griffith University