The strategic use of terminology in restorative justice for persons harmed by sexual violence
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Date
2020-09-10
Open Access Location
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Volume Title
Publisher
Eleven International Publishing
Rights
The author of a scholarly publication has the right to make his/her publication online available to the public free of charge, six months after publication, provided a reference to the original source of publication is clearly given. This means that, as long as there is no commercial purpose, the author can archive the final PDF file of his/her publication in the repository of the academic institution where the author works, in an independent repository or on the personal website of the author.
Abstract
An argument for the importance of strategically selected terminology in the practice of restorative justice in sexual violence cases is presented through reviews of restorative justice, communication, social constructivist and feminist literature. The significance of language and its impact on those who use it and hear it is established from its use in classical antiquity, psychotherapy and semantics. The use of the terms ‘victim’ and ‘survivor’ is explored in the fields of legal definitions and feminist theory. Reports in the existing restorative justice literature are used to bring together the literature on the impact of the use of terminology and the legal and feminist understandings of the significance of the use of the terms ‘victim’ and ‘survivor’. We argue that the restorative justice practitioner has a crucial role in guiding the person harmed in sexual violence cases in the strategic use of ‘victim’ and ‘survivor’ to enhance the positive impact of terminology on the persons harmed in acts of sexual violence. Conclusions from our explorations support the creation of a proposed sexual violence restorative justice situational map for use as a navigational aid in restorative justice practice in sexual violence cases.
Description
Keywords
Feminism, Restorative justice, Sexual violence, Survivor, Victim
Citation
The International Journal of Restorative Justice, 2020, 2020, 3 (2), pp. 215 - 234