Restorative Justice for Domestic Violence Victims

Marilyn Fernandez is professor of sociology at Santa Clara University.

Marilyn Fernandez does an exceptionally good job of navigating the very controversial landscape of the interface between restorative justice and family violence. Restorative Justice for Domestic Violence Victims: A Supplemental Approach to Their Hunger for Healing is very timely and compelling, particularly since it represents an empirical approach to the topic that is grounded in the actual stories of a diverse range of survivors. Fernandez is appropriately cautious and offers very clear guidelines that outline core principles that cannot be compromised in a restorative justice based domestic violence program. Neither a quick fix nor a one-size-fits-all approach is put forth. Rather, a range of options that can supplement the court process and support survivor's hunger for healing is offered. This is a must read for all in the restorative justice and domestic violence fields.

• Chapter 1. Hunger for Healing — Is There a Role for Introducing Restorative Justice Principles in Domestic Violence Services? Chapter 2. From Domestic Violence to Restorative Justice in Domestic ViolenceServices: Methodologies and Analyses Plans Chapter 3. Portrait of the Battered Women - Potential for Restorative Justice Intervention Chapter 4. Power & Control Dynamics in the Batterer-Battered Relationships Chapter 5. Help Seeking Patterns: Are Women Victims or Survivors? Chapter 6. How Well do Extant Domestic Violence Services Serve Survivors? Some Restorative Justice Implications Chapter 7. A Hunger for Healing and Closure: A Case for Restorative Justice Approaches in Domestic Violence Services Chapter 8 Appendix #1 Interview Schedule for the Qualitative Interviews Chapter 9 Appendix #2 Survey Instrument for the Domestic Violence Service Utilization Survey