Sexual Offending and Restoration.

Source: (1989) Waterloo, Ontario and Scottsdale, PA: Herald Press.

As Mark Yantzi explains at the outset of this book, he intends it to be a resource for people who are addressing the complex issues of sexual abuse, whether personally in their family or extended family, or in the broader church and community. Approaching the problem of sexual abuse within a restorative justice framework, Yantzi focuses on dealing with those who have committed sexual offenses, but he clearly states that a holistic response to sexual abuse must account for the gravity of the hurts experienced by victim-survivors of such offenses. With all of this in mind, Yantzi begins with a call for society and churches to acknowledge the problem with candor and sensitivity. Then he discusses the harmful effects of sexual abuse and reasons why abuse occurs. After surveying principles of restorative justice, he examines the application of restorative justice in this area, as illustrated by case examples of sexual abuse within a family and within a church (sexual abuse of a person in the congregation by the clergy). Specific matters covered in the book include healing of hurts from sexual abuse, forgiveness, guidelines and processes for addressing incidents, and the response of churches to victims and those who have offended. Throughout the book, Yantzi sensitively employs real-life situations to highlight issues of sexual abuse and responses to abuse. A useful procedure in writing this resource was his involvement of a group of people with experience in sexual abuse issues in the development of the book. Personal statements from them are included toward the end of the book. Additionally, sample forms and an outline of a community reintegration project contribute to the value of this resource on sexual offending and restoration.