Repairing Harm

Bystander intervention is a strategy for preventing harm or violence by encouraging people who are witnesses to a potentially harmful situation to take action to intervene and stop it. This can include speaking up, calling for help, or physically stepping in to stop the situation from escalating. Bystander intervention is based on the idea that everyone has a responsibility to help keep their community safe and that people are more likely to intervene if they have the skills and confidence to do so. Bystander intervention programs often teach people how to recognize situations that could potentially turn violent, how to assess the risks and benefits of intervention, and how to safely intervene to de-escalate the situation. The goal of bystander intervention is to prevent harm and create a culture of safety and support within a community.

Interpersonal Violence is a term used to identify abuse that is directed at a specific person from a specific person(s). This includes but is not limited to sexual violence, domestic/dating violence, and stalking. Interpersonal violence involves an imbalance of power with one person maintaining or attempting to maintain control of the other person and feeling entitled to behave the way they do. Often interpersonal violence is called "gender-based violence". This occurs as women (cis and trans) are disproportionately impacted by these types of violence. However, we also use the term "power-based violence" as gender doesn't always factor into the imbalance of power.

Rutgers–Camden Office for Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance

Restorative justice is an approach to justice that focuses on repairing the harm caused by crime, rather than simply punishing the offender. The goal of restorative justice is to bring together the victim, the offender, and members of the community to discuss the impact of the crime and to find ways to make amends and restore relationships. This can include things like the offender apologizing to the victim, paying restitution, or performing community service. Restorative justice is based on the idea that crime harms not only the victim, but also the community as a whole, and that all stakeholders should be involved in finding a resolution that is fair and healing for everyone involved. Restorative justice is often used as an alternative to traditional criminal justice processes, and it can be an effective way to address the underlying causes of crime and prevent future offenses.