Restorative Justice With Older Adults: Mediating Trauma and Conflict in Later Life

In a bold statement, the United Nations declared violence, abuse, and financial exploitation of older adults to be a worldwide human rights challenge (United Nations, 2010). To minimize the damage of victimization and the resulting trauma, the United Nations also encouraged member nations to adopt R...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Traumatology (Tallahassee, Fla.) Fla.), 2015-09, Vol.21 (3), p.219-226
Main Authors: Beck, Elizabeth, Lewinson, Terri, Kropf, Nancy P.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aging
Conflict
Family
Female
Human
Human Rights
Justice
Male
Restorative Justice
Trauma
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Summary:In a bold statement, the United Nations declared violence, abuse, and financial exploitation of older adults to be a worldwide human rights challenge (United Nations, 2010). To minimize the damage of victimization and the resulting trauma, the United Nations also encouraged member nations to adopt Restorative Justice (RJ) in the wake of crime and violence (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2006). Although RJ holds promise as an intervention to heal trauma and resolve conflict in later life, a limited literature exists in this area. This article explores ways that RJ can be used to help older adults bring closure to past wounds and harms, and to heal from trauma experiences. Using case studies, the article focuses on the RJ modalities of Victim-Offender Dialogue and Family Group Conferencing, both of which involve facilitated interactions between victims, offenders, and other involved stakeholders. The intent of the article is to highlight ways that RJ facilitates trauma healing, and its potential utility in work with older adults.
ISSN:1085-9373
1085-9373
DOI:10.1037/trm0000035