The Little Book of Restorative Justice for Campus Sexual Harms

A restorative justice approach to addressing sexual misconduct in colleges and universities.

Written for college and university practitioners and administrators, The Little Book of Restorative Justice for Campus Sexual Harms: A Holistic Approach to Address Sexual Misconduct and Relationship Violence for Colleges and Universities combines explanation, justification, and contextualization for the application of restorative justice (RJ) for sexual misconduct, including for alleged Title IX violations. This book outlines considerations, action steps, and best practices for campuses that are interested in exploring the successful implementation of RJ for sexual misconduct. The authors' backgrounds as practitioners within the higher education context grounds this work with personal reflections, experiences, and stories.

This book provides a primer for colleges and universities who seek to move campus culture in a more restorative direction generally, and specifically for practitioners interested in exploring the possibility of amending existing sexual misconduct policies, including investigative-adjudicatory Title IX policy and procedures, through a restorative justice informed lens. Readers will explore why it makes all the difference (for both students and administrators) to add RJ resolution options.
 

Mikayla (Waters-Crittenton) McCray contracts with local school systems, court systems, and organizations to train their staff in restorative justice facilitation. She is currently helping to launch a new Restorative Justice Diversion program for the city of Charlottesville and Albemarle county (VA) for both young people (through 22 years old) and adults. She previously served as the Assistant Director of Student Accountability and Restorative Justice and as a Residence Director for Eastern Mennonite University. Prior to joining the EMU team, Mikayla worked to advance the awareness and research around restorative practices in the context of domestic violence, intimate partner violence, and sexual violence at Impact Justice (CA). Mikayla trains national organizations across the US in restorative justice and is certified in The Strategies for Trauma Awareness and Resilience program as well as a rape crisis counselor. She earned an M.A. in Restorative Justice from EMU and undergraduate degrees in Criminal Justice and Sociology. She lives in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Dr. Rachel Roth Sawatzky trains national organizations across the US in restorative justice and policy development. She has worked within higher education as a university Title IX Coordinator, Interim Associate Dean of Students, and Director of Student Programs. In addition to serving on many policy advisory groups she has collaborated to lead a team on an Office of Violence Against Women Grant to prevent and eliminate sexual violence and misconduct. Her work has involved providing many training sessions on a variety of topics for students, university personnel, community first responders, and service providers. Rachel’s research interests include institutional policies and protocols in response to misconduct. Bringing a range of additional professional experiences to this project, Rachel has also worked as a social worker in a residential facility for sex offenders, within the foster care and adoption systems, and has experience working with children, families, and students impacted by sexual violence. She lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

"[After learning about restorative justice and attending a few trainings] I wish I could have picked this book up before trying to implement restorative justice practices at my institution. The text serves as a thoughtful and informed guidebook for university administrators and practitioners to consider when addressing sexual harm(s) in campus settings. Rachel and Mikayla invite us to engage in a self-reflective, honest dialogue about relationship violence and sexual misconduct on college campuses. Their analysis of where we fall short with institutional processes and procedures is a timely call-in to those committed to campus safety and the overall well-being of campus communities. The charge to “stray from the beaten path” and the status quo is a dynamic summon for university stakeholders to use creativity to craft and adapt practices that meet the needs of their community and institution. Looking back at my experience, I see that the missing link was the Tier 0 assessment and strategic plan, a vital step for RJ implementation. It would have helped clarify the importance and value of culture, climate, and leadership in striving for fidelity-based sustainable approaches."  —Avery Arrington, Assistant Director, National Center on Restorative Justice  
 
"Rachel Roth Sawatzky and Mikayla W-C McCray offer a powerful Little Book introducing how restorative justice can be applied to campus sexual misconduct and relationship violence. Their personal voices come through and it is clear that they are both motivated to advance this work to help colleges and universities understand that they have options when students need them the most. Traditional investigatory-adjudicatory processes often leave parties wanting more; these traditional processes also rarely satisfy administrators’ goals for an intervention that truly stops the behavior, prevents its recurrence, and remedy its effects. This Little Book provides the rationale, a very helpful introduction to Title IX regulations and restorative justice, and words of wisdom from two scholar-practitioners who have lived this and studied it. Their voices are a gift to those who are interested in learning more and to those who want to join them on the journey."  —Kaaren M. Williamsen, Director, Prevention Education, Assistance & Resources at University of Michigan, and co-editor Applying Restorative Justice to Campus Sexual Misconduct: A Guide to Emerging Practices, 2023, Routledge. Williamsen formally served as a Title IX Coordinator and Deputy Title IX Coordinator.