Evidence-based Restorative Justice: What Works for Young People
International Restorative Justice Week | November 16-22, 2025
Every young person deserves a chance to make things right.
a
RJiNEAR Resilience Model
At RJ4All, we have developed the RJiNEAR resilience model, an evidence-based psychosocial restorative justice approach tested across 12 European countries over eight years. This model shifts the focus from managing young people as “risks” to nurturing their talents and strengths, helping them build positive identities through five core domains: positive identity, emotional intelligence, ideological flexibility, resilience, and a restorative justice ethos.
The results are compelling: reduced reoffending, improved psychosocial wellbeing across multiple areas, and greater community satisfaction. Through structured team sports, art workshops, and resilience-building sessions, RJiNEAR demonstrates that restorative approaches work in prisons, schools, universities, and online prevention programmes.
Restorative justice - the evidence: A pilot for the youth justice system of England & Wales
As a Delivery Partner for the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF), RJ4All is leading a pioneering pilot project to build robust evidence for restorative justice within the youth justice system in England and Wales. Through a Randomised Controlled Trial and comprehensive evaluation, we are co-designing a shared practice model of direct restorative justice, supported by practical guides and capacity-building programmes for youth justice services.
This partnership represents a crucial step towards addressing the current lack of consistent and comprehensive restorative justice practices within the youth justice system and demonstrates how restorative justice can effectively prevent young people from becoming involved in violence and offending.
Join Us for International Restorative Justice Week 2025
We invite you to explore the week’s events and join us on this journey of discovery and reflection. From 16-22 November, practitioners, researchers, young people, and communities will come together to explore evidence-based restorative justice through a range of interactive experiences.
Please see the event calendar below for the full programme and learn how to get involved. Whether you are a practitioner seeking training, a young person looking for support, or simply curious about what restorative justice can achieve, there is something here for you.
Events Calendar
Young people deserve more from restorative justice: #rjweek annual blog
Happy International Restorative Justice Week 2025! I have been writing annual blogs for #rjweek since 2012! I have always been critical and honest with my views, as I believe this is the best way to advance the restorative justice practice and knowledge. I have chosen for this year’s overarching theme to be “Evidence-based restorative justice: What works for young people”.
But first, let me extend my warm congratulations to all the practitioners, researchers and campaigners who kept the restorative justice flame burning for one more year. And what a year it has been with the development of our free International Fellowship of International Restorative Justice Practitioners (IFRJP) and the worldwide spreading of our International Restorative Justice Pledge. Gratitude and respect to the harmed and harming parties for being brave to opt for restorative justice.
Professor Margot Van Sluytman was 16 when her father was murdered. Thirty years later, she received an unexpected email from the man who killed him. She chose to meet him, not for forgiveness or closure, but for understanding.
In this conversation with Professor Theo Gavrielides for Restorative Justice Week 2025, Professor Van Sluytman reflects on how restorative justice helped her transform deep pain into healing and purpose.
Key insights from their discussion:
1) Healing does not require forgiveness, and waiting for it can keep us stuck
2) The Sawbonna Project reframes justice through connection rather than condemnation
3) How to meet young people on their terms
4) What young people can teach us about transformation and hope
For anyone who has questioned whether healing is possible after devastating loss, this exchange offers quiet, honest insight.
LaToya Fernandez is a leading voice in youth empowerment, Restorative Justice and equity. After thirteen years of community work in San Jose as a teacher, Restorative Justice Coordinator and activist, she returned to Connecticut to continue her leadership in state agencies, serve as Norwalk’s first DEI Officer and join the West Hartford Board of Education. She also founded Beyond Circles, a consultancy bringing Restorative Justice into daily practice.
She speaks with clarity and passion about how Restorative Justice helps young people build resilience, find their voice and strengthen their sense of belonging.
Addressing Violent Radicalisation and Extremism: A Restorative Justice and Psychosocial Approach
The recorded version of RJ4All’s 5th Annual Conference is now live, marking the final day of #RJWeek2025. Originally held on 27 October, this event featured Professor Theo Gavrielides introducing RJiNEAR, an evidence-based resilience model designed to prevent radicalisation and support youth growth. It also marked the launch of his new book of the same title, offering practical tools for preventing and addressing harmful behaviours linked to violent radicalisation and extremist worldviews.
We were delighted to welcome expert speakers from the Violence Prevention Network in Germany and from universities in Italy, Spain and Norway, who shared their insights and experiences during the conference.
We are in Europe!
Empowering Communities through Restorative Justice
RJ4All Europe was born from the Restorative Justice for All International Institute, founded by Dr. Theo Gavrielides, our visionary Director.
What began as a response to a global call for community-driven action against poverty and power abuse has grown into a world-leading movement promoting fairness, dignity and equality through the values of restorative justice.
Today, RJ4All stands at the forefront of social innovation, empowering individuals, organisations and entire communities to have a voice in justice and public life, and to transform harm into healing.
We are proud to be Europe’s largest restorative justice network, and the only independent publisher dedicated exclusively to peer-reviewed research in the field.
Through our certified training programmes, online courses and participation in international advisory boards, we connect knowledge, practice and people — building a more just, inclusive and compassionate world.
Restorative Justice Ecourses - Online Education at your fingertips
RJ4All Education is a Vocational, Educational and Training provider that follows The European Credit System for Vocational Education and Training (ECVET). This is a technical framework that has been introduced by the European Commission and which supports the transfer, recognition and accumulation of learning outcomes across Europe. ECVET provides a set of principles and tools that facilitate the process of learner recognition, with a view to achieving a qualification. Our e-courses are developed within the ECVET Framework. Through the use of learning outcomes, ECVET allows for improved design and enhanced quality assurance in the delivery of our e-courses.
The internet Journal of Restorative Justice
The Internet Journal of Restorative Justice (IJRJ®) is the leading, international peer-reviewed journal on restorative justice. It was established in 2012 to push the boundaries of criminal justice by adopting a unique, practical
approach to researching and investigating restorative justice.
It is indexed and ranked by Scopus, Kudos, The European Reference Index for the Humanities and the Social Sciences (ERIH PLUS) as well Criminal Justice Abstracts and EBSCO Information Services.
Submissions to the IJRJ® must follow the Editorial Guidelines, and can be made by email to ijrj@rj4allpublications.com at any given time. We aim to complete the review process within 4-6 weeks of receipt.
The Editor-in-Chief is Professor Dr. Theo Gavrielides.
The Journal is guided and scrutinised by its Editorial Board and the International Advisory Board. All submissions are first reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief, and if judged suitable for this publication, they are then blind-reviewed anonymously and separately by at least two external, expert reviewers.
The Internet Journal of Restorative Justice (Open Access) can be accessed online following the links below
The Internet Journal of Restorative Justice is published by RJ4All Publications, an independent publisher in social sciences, and the publishing arm of the non-profit NGO, Restorative Justice for All (RJ4All). As a non-profit, RJ4All is pleased to offer this Journal at a subsidised cost. Our current prices are for annual subscriptions (unlimited downloads):
Student: £35 | Individual: £75 | Non-profit organisations: £120 | Corporate: £200
Restorative Justice Series | Webinars
As part of RJ4All’s Youtube channel, we are pleased to offer this webinar series by Prof. Theo Gavrielides. Webinars are added on a continuous basis and cover themes such as what is restorative justice as well as its application within the criminal justice system, schools, the community and much more. Sign up to our channel to receive notifications for new webinars, which you are welcome to use for yourself or your teaching.
Restorative Justice Free Online Library
Implementing Restorative Justice for Hate Incidents and Hate Crimes: A Practical Guide
Publisher: Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, with technical contributions from Dr Theo Gavrielides, RJ4All Founder and Director.
This guide shows how restorative justice can be used to address hate incidents and hate crimes.
It aims to help practitioners navigate the complexities of restorative justice in hate crime and hate incident cases, while addressing the limitations and risks of such practices. It is a resource for anyone involved in supporting victims of hate crime to ensure that restorative justice is a transformative tool for healing, empowerment and social cohesion.
Check Out Open Vacancies
