Shame and guilt in restorative contexts

Source: (2000) Paper presented at the Fourth International Conference on Restorative Justice for Juveniles. Tübingen, Germany, 1-4 October. TMs.

Starting from Braithwaite’s reintegrative shaming theory, Harris reports on a research study – conducted in Australia as part of the Reintegrative Shaming Experiments – to ascertain the nature of shame-related emotions in restorative justice conferences and court cases, and the impact of those emotions. The paper begins with a literature review on distinguishing the sources of shame and guilt, the object of shame and guilt, and the seriousness of shame and embarrassment. Harris then explains the current study and its examination of the relationships between shame, guilt, and embarrassment. This involves description of the research method; the key findings on shame, guilt, and embarrassment; and analysis of those results.