Victim/Offender Mediation in St. Louis: An Assessment

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the Victim/Offender Mediation program in St. Louis, Missouri, and assess whether those juveniles who participate in the program have fewer subsequent referrals to the court. Data were collected from juvenile court records, and independent samples t-tests were conducted to assess differences between those who participated in VOM and those who did not. Results indicate that juveniles who participated in VOM reoffended at a significantly lower rate than juveniles who had no contact with the program.