Victim-offender mediation

Domain XV · Nature, philosophy, social & rites of passage · Mark Yantzi · 1974 · Ontario

What it is

Victim-offender mediation (VOM; also called victim-offender reconciliation or dialogue, and "penal mediation" in parts of Europe) is a restorative justice process, not a psychotherapy. A trained, impartial facilitator offers the person harmed and the person responsible a direct (face-to-face,…

Format

• The stages below combine Umbreit and Greenwood's sequence with the Scottish step list (A-I) and UNODC's description. Programmes set their own eligibility (offence type, youth or adult, first or repeat offence) and use case-by-case judgement at each step. The sources give no standard number of…
• Stage 3. First contact and informed choice. The mediator usually meets the offender first, so as not to raise a victim's hopes that are then dashed if the offender declines; the victim is then visited in person, usually at home, with other venues offered. Before agreeing, the victim receives full,…

Who practises it, and how they are trained or regulated

• The psychotherapist's place: facilitators are expected to know how restorative justice differs from counselling and advocacy, and programmes routinely refer participants to other services for support. A therapist's usual work is therefore to help a client (the person harmed, or the person responsible) decide whether to take part, prepare, stay safe, and make sense of what happens, in coordination with the programme.…

Evidence status, as the guide reports it

• Evidence status in one line: UNODC reports that rigorous evaluations are few but that findings overall suggest restorative processes can outperform standard justice in resolving conflict, holding offenders accountable and meeting victims' needs; the Campbell review by Strang et al. (2013) concerns…

Questions to explore with your client

• What drew you to it, and what are you hoping it will change?
• Is there physical contact? Was it explained beforehand, and do you feel free to say no or stop at any point?
• Does it involve any substance, plant preparation, remedy or supplement? Has your doctor or prescriber been told, especially about any medication you take?
• Is it a group, retreat or community? How do they respond if someone wants to leave or raises a concern?
• Does it use a device, heat, cold, water or a physical procedure? Has a medical professional checked that it is safe for you?
• Who runs it, and what training or registration do they hold?
• What actually happens in a session or meeting, and how often?
• What does it cost, and is there pressure to commit to more?
• How do you feel afterwards, in the hours and days that follow?
• Does it fit with, or clash with, the work we do here?

What practitioners of it watch for

• assumptions that "everything is confidential". Working if the client knows who will see what.
• plans that leave the client alone that night. Working if the client has a written, specific plan.
• avoidance and shame around missed commitments. Working if the client contacts the programme themselves.
• role drift and pressure to "just help with this one". Working if roles stay separate and clients understand why.
• a format chosen to satisfy the offender or the programme. Working if the client chooses a format they can explain.

When to involve someone else

• New or worsening physical symptoms, or advice to stop or change prescribed medication: involve the client's doctor or prescriber.
• Signs of coercion, isolation from family and friends, escalating costs or secrecy: discuss openly and consider safeguarding.
• A crisis or thoughts of suicide: follow your crisis protocol. In the US, call or text 988; in the UK and Ireland, Samaritans on 116 123.

Drawn automatically from the guide's own sections. Stay curious: neither endorse nor dismiss what the client values, and check anything that matters against the full guide and its sources. Not medical advice.