Summary

Rugge, Tanya A and Scott, Terri-Lynne (2009). Restorative Justice’s Impact on Participants’ Psychological and Physical Health. Corrections Research: User Report.Ottawa: Public Safety Canada.

Research on restorative justice has cited many positive benefits for participants. For example, restorative justice processes are satisfying to both victims and offenders. However, despite references made to positive impacts on participants’ well-being, few studies specifically examine the impact of restorative justice processes on participants’ psychological health and physical health using specific health indicators. This study utilized a quasi-experimental, repeated-measures design to assess changes in psychological and physical health in 92 participants (50 victims and 42 offenders) who experienced a restorative justice process. Results indicated that the majority of participants did experience positive changes from pre-program to post-program. Future research directions and limitations are discussed. (excerpt)

Link: http://dsp-psd.pwgsc.gc.ca/collections/collection_2010/sp-ps/PS3-1-2009-3-eng.pdf

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