Dianne McKillop

Apology in Restorative and Juvenile Justice

In this article, we present a mixed method study that we undertook as part of a programme of research to explore the utility of the multidimensional theory of apology developed by Slocum et al. in explaining the function of apologies in family group conferences, healing circles, juvenile justice conferencing and victim offender mediation [Slocum, D., Allan, A., & Allan, M.M. (2011). An emerging theory of apology. Australian Journal of Psychology, 62(2), 83–92]. Slocum et al. theorize that an acceptable apology consists of at least one of three components, each of which has a focus continuum that ranges from an exclusive self focus to a self–other focus. The results of Experiment One were counterintuitive in that participants rated the offender significantly more sorrowful and perceived the offender to be significantly more focused on the needs of victims in the self-focused condition than in the self–other-focused condition. The analysis of the qualitative data, however, indicated that participants perceived the formulation of the self–other apology as demeaning and not age appropriate, and this may have influenced the quantitative findings. When the vignette was changed in Experiment Two to address these limitations, the self–other apology was significantly more likely to be rated as sincere and acceptable than the self-focused apology. The association between apology focus and forgiveness, however, was not significant. An investigation of the qualitative data suggests that this may be because some people forgive for their own sake and not that of the offender. Together the results of the study indicate that the multidimensional theory can be useful to guide both research and practice in respect of juvenile justice.

Parties' Perceptions of Apologies in Resolving Equal Opportunity Complaints

Apologies are known to play an important role in the resolution of discrimination and harassment complaints brought under equal opportunity legislation. Sometimes parties agree on an apology as a term on the basis of which a complaint is settled. Occasionally, where a complaint is not settled, a respondent will be ordered to apologize. The ability to order an apology is a distinctive feature of equal opportunity law in Australia. The aim of the researchers was to gather information on the role of apologies in the equal opportunity jurisdiction in Western Australia. Twenty-four complainants and respondents took part in semi-structured interviews. Qualitative analysis of the interview transcripts revealed that participants placed a positive value on apologies in the settlement process. They believed apologies serve a number of functions and have the potential to play a valuable role in the resolution of discrimination and harassment complaints. It appears that respondents may be more inclined to offer apologies if they have their legal position clarified.

Public Opinion and Criminal Justice: Emotion, Morality and Consensus

The following article is a discussion of some of the findings of the first authors recent doctoral research on the publics reasoning about criminal justice. Psychosocial implications of the research are examined. Specifically, the discussion sounds a note of caution about assuming that the public is emotional or moralistic in its evaluations of offences or that there is a consensual body of public opinion about criminal justice. Analysis of research findings showed little evidence that the public makes punitive judgments about criminal offences on the basis of emotional or moral concerns and there was extensive variability in the data. The article provides sufficient empirical background to inform the discussion but it is not intended as a comprehensive research report.

Current understanding and future direction of the Trans-Theoretical model: The role of adolescent cognitive egocentrism

Abstract Despite being the cornerstone of behaviour change interventions, a review of the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) highlights that younger populations have been excluded in the development of this model. It is not surprising then that interventions underpinned by the TTM have not been shown to be effective when applied to younger populations. Cognitive development was proposed to account for this age discrepancy. One such construct, adolescent egocentrism comprising of the imaginary audience and the personal fable was explored in relation to both unhealthy behaviour participation and behavioural change. It appeared plausible that the cognitive distortions associated with this construct could affect individuals’ utilisation of those cognitive processes of change proposed by the TTM as being necessary for successful behaviour change. This may provide a fertile avenue for future behaviour change research, extending the interventional scope of the TTM.