Communication in restorative justice : a case stydy of family and community group conferencing (FCGC) to remedy and rehabilitate children and juveniles who have commited offences
Abstract:
The objectives of this study were to study processes of a conference, communication in a
conference, communicative factors affecting social harmony, and conformity of such
processes with healthy public policy. The data of the study was collected by non-participatory
observation in 5 conferences, sound recordings and record forms, and interviews of 43
victims, offenders, mediators, and academics.
It was found that there were 3 main processes of communication: preparing the
conference, during the conference, and follow-up of offenders’ behavior after the conference.
Communication characteristics of the conference were group size, group members, status of
group members, places and length of a conference, as well as selection of pronouns,
interrogative sentence, paralanguage, listening, and writing. Communicative factors affecting
social harmony were real understanding of offenders and victims’ cases, thoughts, feelings,
and needs; group size, group members of the conference, pattern of communication, and seat
arrangement; status of facilitators, prosecutors, and psychologists; speaking, listening, and
selection of appropriate methods of communication; and informal conference atmosphere.
Moreover, FCGC would become a healthy public policy if the processes could be an effective
conference, bring about participation from all stakeholders, encourage mutual learning among
its participants, and adapt to solve every level of conflict in Thai society.
According to this study, it is recommended that FCGC should adapt itself to solve
conflicts in every level of community, and follow ways of life of such a community. FCGC
should be developed by organizing workshops and conferences for experienced people such as
facilitators, offenders, victims, and their community. Furthermore, non-verbal language in
processes of the conference should be analyzed so that this study could be more complete