Universities should offer restorative justice for sexual misconduct victims

When the individual against whom the allegation has been made is willing to admit to their wrongdoing, restorative justice can be a powerful part of dealing with the harm done, and can also help the offender in addressing their misbehaviour and (hopefully) not doing whatever it was again. If there is dispute over what happened, such as when one party believes there was consent and the other party states that there was not, restorative justice is inappropriate, although mediation may be a part of discerning whether there was an innocent mistake or deliberate refusal to accept the other party's wishes.