ABSTRACT
Research from New Zealand, Australia and elsewhere indicates that family group conferences, particularly when they are well run and managed, have the potential to induce remorse in offenders and to assist families and young people to come together to take responsibility for repairing harm to victims and for taking steps to prevent reoffending (Sherman et al. 2000; Maxwell and Morris 2001). They can produce outcomes that are judged to be satisfactory by victims, offenders, families and a range of justice professionals. Young people who participate in conferences report that, compared to court, they find conferences fair, inclusive of them, involving them in decisions and providing them with opportunities to repair harm and make a new start (Maxwell and Morris 1999). Victims, also, are more likely to report that conferences, compared to courts, allow them to be included, involve them in decisions and assist them to put the offence behind them (Strang 2001). However, the relatively small number of girls who offend has made it difficult for researchers to answer questions about whether or not there are important gender issues in relation to family group conferencing and whether or not girls respond differently from boys when involved in a restorative process.
