Family Group Conferencing With Children Under Twelve: A Discussion Paper

• NCJ Number: 186900
• Author(s): Margaret Shaw; Frederick Jane
• Date Published: June 1999
• Length: 43 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Canada Department of Justice
• Sale Source: Canada Department of Justice
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Issue Overview
• Language: English
• Country: Canada
• Note: accessed 02/06/2001

Annotation

This paper discusses the potential for using family group conferencing in Canada to respond to serious delinquent behavior by children under 12 years old.

Abstract

Family group conferencing is a form of collective decision making and conflict resolution that has developed over the past 10 years in a number of countries and forms part of the wider restorative justice movement. It brings together family members of offenders and victims, friends, people from the local community, and professional social workers or justice personnel to discuss an offense or family abuse, as well as care and protection issues. A coordinator contacts all parties prior to the conference to explain the process, ask who should be invited, and discuss possible outcomes and issues of safety for victims and others. At the second stage, the families and supporters of both victims and offenders decide on a plan. Finally, the group develops a written contract that is based on the consensus of views of those at the meeting. Family group conferencing is being used for a widening range of issues, including young offenders, child care and protection, and family violence and abuse. Section I of this paper outlines the policy context and provides an account of family group conferencing. Section II outlines the origins and development of family group conferencing, its current international and Canadian development, and outcomes and benefits. Section III examines the roots and philosophies of family group conferencing as well as its links to restorative justice, shaming, and emerging social work practice. Section IV considers the current use of family group conferencing with young children, its potential for responding to serious offending, and some of the problems highlighted by past practice or implicit in the models. Section V outlines some proposed options for family group conferencing with children under 12 years old. 65 references and appended additional information on conferencing models