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Abstract: 

Victim offender mediation and conferencing has been adopted in numerous criminal justice jurisdictions in the United States and abroad. It has become a popular programmatic option under the restorative justice banner. Increasingly, it is being used with victims of serious and violent crime. While its proponents increase in number, there remains the question among supporters and detractors alike: “Why do victims choose to meet with offenders?” This study focuses on this question, determining that there are several reasons, including the desire to help offenders change their behavior and the opportunity to tell offenders how they feel about their actions, among other reasons.

Keywords: victim offender mediation

Affiliations:  1: University of Minnesota School of Social Work; 2: University of Minnesota School of Social Work; 3: University of Minnesota School of Social Work.