RT Article
T1 Survivors’ Paths Toward Forgiveness in Restorative Justice Following Sexual Violence
JF Criminal justice and behavior
VO 50
IS 6
SP 911
OP 928
A1 Hadar, Natalie
A2 Gal, Ṭali
LA English
YR 2023
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1845101715
AB Sexual violence (SV) yields complex justice and therapeutic needs among its survivors. Restorative justice (RJ), conducted in addition to or instead of the criminal justice process following SV, provides a platform to address these needs and repair the harm. This study describes the dynamics of RJ processes following SV, leading to the emergence of dialogic forgiveness. Dialogic forgiveness refers to a reduction in negative thoughts, feelings, and motivations toward the responsible person (RP), and the emergence of positive ones within a process of mutual communication between the survivor, RP, and supporters. Focusing on survivors’ experiences, this study, conducted in Israel, is based on 16 semi-structured in-depth interviews with SV survivors who participated in RJ encounters, their five supporters, and five RJ facilitators. Gestures of accountability, humanization, and gratitude were identified as crucial elements of implicit and explicit dialogic forgiveness, demonstrating the healing power of RJ following SV.
K1 Accountability
K1 Survivors
K1 Forgiveness
K1 Sexual Violence
K1 Restorative Justice
DO 10.1177/00938548231162108