Apology-forgiveness cycles in four restorative justice meetings

Apologies and forgiveness are emerging standards for restorative justice meetings, but these should not be encouraged and should arise voluntarily. When apologies and forgiveness are not freely given, their moral and restorative value may be undermined. This study used audio-recordings of four restorative justice meetings that were transcribed and examined using the method of conversation analysis to understand why the core sequence of apology-forgiveness was not always achieved. This analysis identified three apology-forgiveness cycles: apology facilitating forgiveness, apology without forgiveness, and forgiveness promoting apology (Suzuki and Jenkins, 2023). Findings show that these sequences are remarkably fragile, and that facilitators play a pivotal role in shaping their remedial potential. These exchanges were most effective when apologies and responses emerged as voluntary, freely given and authentic forms of repair. When the facilitator pursued a fuller apology, this undermined its remedial force.