The Impact of Restorative Justice on the Development of Guilt, Shame, and Empathy among Offenders

Abstract

Restorative justice as a philosophy consistently highlights the importance of dialogue among the offender, the victim, and the community as a signifi cant component of repairing the harm done. However, without understanding whether or not offenders are developing the emotions of guilt, shame, and empathy which are necessary for reconciliation, the healing dialogue may be misguided. The present study utilizes a panel design approach with the primary goal of examining the effect of a Missouri Department of Corrections Restorative Justice Program—Victim Impact Training (VIT) on the emotional development of guilt, shame, and empathy among offenders. The MANCOVA results show no overall signifi cant differences in VIT participant’s preand post-test scores on their development of guilt, shame, and empathy. However, regression analysis results indicate signifi cant relationships between shame and empathy among offenders. Results also indicate signifi cant differences among gender, age, and race on guilt, shame, and empathy. These fi ndings and their implications are discussed.

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