Restorative Justice Response to Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence and Dating Violence on Campus Demonstration Initiative Program

As colleges and universities continue to strengthen and improve their response to sexual assault, domestic violence, and dating violence, a number of survivors are seeking additional options to redress the harm they have experienced. Some survivors are seeking a response outside of, or in addition to, what the student conduct process or the criminal justice process can provide. A recent survey conducted at nine colleges and universities showed that only a small percentage of sexual assaults were reported to anyone other than a friend or relative and that reasons for not reporting included concerns about confidentiality and being treated poorly, blamed, or punished. Restorative Justice (RJ) is a growing practice in both the criminal and social justice fields that seeks to repair and address the harm experienced by victims of crime, as well as any harm done to their community. RJ also has been identified as a strategy for addressing underreporting of sexual assault, domestic violence, and dating violence on campus by offering victims an option for remedying the harm while also responding to their concerns about how they will be treated by the student conduct or criminal justice systems. The implementation of an RJ framework or the infusion of RJ practices into existing processes may be a viable option to repair the harm and open the doors for continued education, keeping in mind, however, that improving the criminal justice system response and campus adjudication process continues to be a critical strategy for addressing underreporting of these crimes. RJ is intended to promote victim autonomy and change offender behavior through a process that is designed to provide meaningful accountability for the person who has inflicted the harm. More importantly, an effective RJ framework prioritizes healing for the survivor while also aiming to elicit behavioral change in the offender, redress harm to the community, improve campus safety, and address confidentiality concerns. RJ can take various forms, such as circle or family group discussions, community boards or panels with a third party, or victim and offender dialogues, and requires a skilled facilitator who also has sufficient understanding of sexual assault, domestic violence, and dating violence, as well as trauma and safety issues. In addition, RJ is strictly voluntary for victims and requires the offender to willingly and actively take part in the process of rectifying the harm.