Myth buster
There are some common myths and misperceptions about what restorative justice is and what it can do. Below you can watch short video clips about some of these mistaken views.
Myth 1
Restorative justice is compulsory on the perpetrator – and you can’t withdraw
Myth 2
Restorative justice is not safe and may re-traumatise the person harmed
Myth 3
Restorative justice can only be a face-to-face meeting with the person who has harmed
Myth 4
Restorative justice must involve forgiveness (from the person harmed towards the person who has harmed) and an apology by the person who has harmed
Myth 5
Restorative justice is a light touch or easy way out for the person who has harmed
Myth 6
The perpetrator must admit their guilt to take part in restorative justice
Myth 7
Restorative justice is not suitable in serious cases such as homicide or violent assault
Myth 8
Restorative justice is just a meeting between the person harmed and the person who has harmed and not a process that involves a lot of pre-planning. The amount of preparation will obviously vary according to the offence, but the preparation is a very important part of the restorative justice process
Credits: We would like to thank Ailbhe Griffith, Ambassador for Restorative Justice International and Thriving Survivors for kindly sharing this material. These media clips were used to raise awareness of Restorative Justice during a Scotland wide consultation, known as ‘Survivors Voices’. This aimed to ascertain the views of Restorative Justice from survivors of domestic and sexual abuse.