Restorative Justice in Cases of Sexual Misconduct at the University of Oregon: Risks, Rewards, and Challenges

• Main Author: Hager, Zane
• Other Authors: Weiner, Merle
• Language: en_US
• Published: University of Oregon 2018
• Subjects: Restorative Justice; Sexual Assault; Sexual Misconduct; University
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1794/23186

The present research seeks to identify the risks, rewards and challenges associated with hypothetical restorative justice based responses to sexual misconduct at the University of Oregon. Prior to this project here was limited research directly applicable to identifying these risks, rewards and challenges because no university-based restorative justice programs designed to respond to sexual misconduct existed to be studied. The present research uses a literature review to investigate the nature of restorative justice, sexual misconduct, and the laws and statutes that govern both at the University of Oregon. The literature review is supplemented by qualitative data gathered from a series of personal interviews with specialists on the subject. The research shows that restorative justice offers a potentially valuable supplement to existing university responses to sexual misconduct, albeit one that has a variety of limitations and barriers that would need to be surmounted in order for it to be beneficial.