RT Article
T1 Inside the restorative justice black box: the role of memory reconsolidation in transforming the emotional impact of violent crime on victims
JF International review of victimology
VO 23
IS 3
SP 233
OP 255
A1 Bolitho, Jane
LA English
YR 2017
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1565451031
AB This paper is concerned with why and how restorative justice works to alleviate the emotional effects of crime on victims. It posits a new explanation for the ‘aha’ moment; the turning point seen in some, though not all, restorative justice conferences where longstanding, negative emotions and beliefs that have persistently dogged a victim since the crime event, affecting their ability to enjoy the same everyday activities as in their pre-crime daily life, are seemingly eliminated. Focusing on victim experiences, an in-depth analysis of 20 cases collected as part of an empirical study into post-sentencing restorative justice practice after serious crime shows how a typical restorative process can mimic the conditions needed for ‘memory reconsolidation’, a powerful and adaptive neurobiological mechanism that rewrites emotional memories. The findings suggest that the process of memory reconsolidation is a unique tool in the restorative justice ‘black box’. While the use of restorative justice within Western criminal justice systems is routine for juvenile offenders following minor crimes, greater attention should be paid to victim-focused models in the aftermath of crime experienced traumatically; these include post-sentencing practices.
K1 Restorative justice
K1 Victim
K1 Serious crime
K1 Memory reconsolidation
K1 Gewaltopfer
K1 Posttraumatische Belastungsstörung
K1 Wiedergutmachung
K1 Täter-Opfer-Ausgleich
K1 Gedächtniskonsolidierung
DO 10.1177/0269758017714549