Justice and Child Protection: Misalignment Between Principles and Public Perceptions

Child protection is a non-retributive service aimed at protecting vulnerable children and young people, with many restorative justice principles embedded in practice. However, unfavourable public perceptions plague this service; as a public service that relies on public engagement and cooperation, public support is crucial. Qualitative findings revealed limited public understanding about restorative practices. Experimental findings revealed that although public motives were often aligned with intended restorative frameworks, punitive expectations and biases persisted, and this misaligned public motive directly impacts practitioners. Thus, this project demonstrated a tension between public understanding/motives and child protection that impacts practitioner wellbeing, policy, and practice.