Restorative Journeys: Youth Offending Trajectories and Victim Recovery Following Restorative Justice Conferencing

Abstract

Restorative justice (RJ) is associated with offenders’ movement away from crime and victim recovery. However, little is known about the circumstances under which RJ can simultaneously achieve the dual objectives. Using secondary data from the South Australian Juvenile Justice study, this research examines how RJ conferencing shapes short-term youth offending trajectories and victim recovery through relational analysis. Drawing on 60 case observations as well as 60 paired interviews and 60 paired follow-up interviews, totalling 240 interviews, the study demonstrates that outcomes are shaped less by offence characteristics than by relational alignment, emotional readiness, and meaning-making during RJ conferencing. While some encounters support both short-term non-offending and victim recovery, others produce asymmetrical benefits or fail to generate meaningful change. The study highlights the value of paired relational analysis and cautions against treating RJ as a uniform or universally effective intervention in youth justice.