To what extent is restorative justice able to restore the harm suffered by victims of crimes of interpersonal violence? To answer this question, Daniela Bolivar Fernandez draws on literature from criminology, victimology and psychology and examines the effectiveness of restorative justice in terms of emotional restoration, rather than victim satisfaction.
Drawing on original research, Bolivar Fernandez examines the victim restoration process from a psycho-social perspective. It offers an integrative, comprehensive and in-depth analysis of victims experiences of restorative justice."

Restorative justice aims to address the consequences of crime by encouraging victims and offenders to communicate and discuss the harm caused by the crime that has been committed. In the majority of cases, restorative justice is facilitated by direct and indirect dialogue between victims and offenders, but it also includes support networks and sometimes involves professionals such as police, lawyers, social workers or prosecutors and judges.

In theory, the victim is a core participant in restorative justice and the restoration of the harm is a first concern. In practice,...