Restorative justice focuses on rehabilitation of offenders through community involvement. Victims and offenders sit in front of each other and discuss the situation that occurred. While evidence suggests that “restorative justice is far more effective in rehabilitating offenders than incarceration”, it is still a controversial issue, especially in respect to domestic violence cases (Sottile 2015). This is mostly because women are seen as not “safe” when they are in a room with former abusers, inferring that women are not strong enough to stand up to their abusers, which also inadvertently says that women cannot help themselves. And while the media and society collectively fail women, restorative justice can be one of the ways to empower
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One of the arguments in the article that opposes the restorative justice approach, says that women are not “strong enough” when they take the stand and speak about the abuse they suffered to other abusers (Sottile 2015). But in actuality, when women are allowed to speak about their experiences, they prove to everyone – and most importantly: themselves – that they are, in fact, strong enough as women and as victims to overcome the abuse. Being face to face with abusers, talking to abusers, and being questioned by abusers allows women to believe in their own …show more content…
The “blame the victim” narrative is most often used in a statement such as, “they provoked it” – “they” being women. Women are defined by emphasized femininity (the ideal femininity that encourages women to be dominated by men), so they are questioned for their every move that does not fit in with definition of feminine. Thus, in domestic violence cases, women are questioned why they do not allow themselves to be dominated by men; in other words, women need to prove that they did not provoke the situation. Because women are given the chance to voice their side of the story in the restorative justice approach, they are able to connect with other women in similar situations, and collectively reassure each other that they were not to blame for the situations that occurred (Sottile 2015). Not only does the restorative justice approach unite victims and abusers, but victims with other victims. And, therefore, because victims are allowed to talk about their experiences, women are empowered and become more than just “victims”; they become
One of the arguments in the article that opposes the restorative justice approach, says that women are not “strong enough” when they take the stand and speak about the abuse they suffered to other abusers (Sottile 2015). But in actuality, when women are allowed to speak about their experiences, they prove to everyone – and most importantly: themselves – that they are, in fact, strong enough as women and as victims to overcome the abuse. Being face to face with abusers, talking to abusers, and being questioned by abusers allows women to believe in their own …show more content…
The “blame the victim” narrative is most often used in a statement such as, “they provoked it” – “they” being women. Women are defined by emphasized femininity (the ideal femininity that encourages women to be dominated by men), so they are questioned for their every move that does not fit in with definition of feminine. Thus, in domestic violence cases, women are questioned why they do not allow themselves to be dominated by men; in other words, women need to prove that they did not provoke the situation. Because women are given the chance to voice their side of the story in the restorative justice approach, they are able to connect with other women in similar situations, and collectively reassure each other that they were not to blame for the situations that occurred (Sottile 2015). Not only does the restorative justice approach unite victims and abusers, but victims with other victims. And, therefore, because victims are allowed to talk about their experiences, women are empowered and become more than just “victims”; they become