Receptivity to restorative justice: A survey of goal importance, process effectiveness, and support for victim–offender conferencing

Abstract

As the use of restorative justice processes continues to grow in the West, it is helpful to understand the factors that influence people's support for the use of restorative processes. Working from a conflict goals perspective, this study explores how support for the use of victim–offender conferencing following instances of first‐time, nonviolent offending by youth is influenced by perceived importance of justice outcomes, perceived effectiveness of conventional and restorative processes at accomplishing those outcomes, and perceived appropriateness of conventional and restorative processes. It concludes with a discussion of implications for restorative justice research and advocacy.