Month/Year of Graduation

5-2025

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

Department

Criminology and Criminal Justice

First Advisor

Dr. Anne Hobbs

Abstract

This study examines the attitudes toward restorative justice (RJ) among staff and youth at a non-profit residential organization. Using the Restorative Justice Attitude Scale, data was collected from 14 staff members and 14 youth participants (N=28). Results indicated that staff members reported significantly higher mean scores (M = 84.50, SD = 8.38) on the Total Restorative Justice Attitude Scale than youth participants (M = 67.93, SD = 15.81). ANOVA results revealed statistically significant differences between the two groups on attitudes toward restorative justice, F (1, 26) = 12.007, p = .002. Effect size analysis (η² = .316) indicates that approximately 31.6% of the variance in restorative justice attitudes can be attributed to group differences. Significant differences were also found across domains such as empathy, harm recognition, accountability, and community engagement. These findings suggest that staff members hold significantly more favorable attitudes toward restorative justice approaches than youth, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to align perspectives and enhance youth engagement with RJ principles.

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