Direct participation and restorative justice program satisfaction in Melbourne, Australia

Abstract

Restorative justice can give opportunities to victims to voice harms and shape responses, although the quality, safety, and level of practical support in which they are engaged can vary. This article explores how direct involvement is related to satisfaction with restorative justice programmes in Melbourne, Australia. A mixed methods approach was used with a convergent parallel design guided by a Reintegrative Shaming Theory. The target population consisted of 17,605 victim adults who were registered to have gone through restorative programmes from January 2022 to December 2024. The final number of questionnaires obtained was 373 as a result of a target sample of 391, which was stratified and then randomly selected. Fourteen justice professionals were purposively interviewed. Descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation and simple regression were employed in quantitative analysis, while qualitative accounts were analysed according to a thematic analysis. There was high acceptance for respectful facilitation (84.72 %), agreement fairness (81.50 %), empowerment (78.82 %) and opportunities for expression of emotions (78.29 %). There was less support for Physical safety (54.42%). While 91.96% said they received family or friend support, only 29.49% said that they would want to go through this process again. The reported association for direct involvement and satisfaction was positive (r = .684, p < .001; R² = .468). Professional accounts all highlighted facilitator competence, time, preparation and suitable meeting rooms. Results indicated that the account of participation was not always positive. Cross-sectional self-report data and overlap between participation and satisfaction measures limited causal interpretation. Providers should strengthen facilitation, preparation, safety arrangements, and flexible participation formats, and evaluate reasons for reluctance to participate again.