The Promises and Pitfalls of Restorative Justice for Intimate Partner Violence (Internet Journal of Restorative Justice Book 1) (English Edition)

This research paper discusses the implications of using restorative justice (RJ) for intimate partner violence (IPV). This arose from research (Hayden (2010) which examined the extent to which reporting of IPV could be improved through the use of RJ. The research was motivated by an awareness of the small minority of reporting of IPV, the scarcity of options available for couples experiencing IPV, and the reluctance of stakeholders to explore the use of RJ in appropriate cases. The largely qualitative study presents comments from stakeholders whose voices are seldom heard on this subject, namely victims and perpetrators of IPV, as well as key informants working in the field. The majority of participants (79%) believed that using restorative justice for these cases would increase reporting, and no one excluded its use altogether.