In August 2022, Dr. Ian Marder spent a week in Bristol as part of the In-Residence Professional Scheme with the University of the West of England’s (UWE) Department of Health and Social Sciences.
Organised by Dr. Paul Gavin and Prof. Kieran McCartan, and funded through UWE’s Expanding Research Excellence Scheme, Ian’s trip took place in the context of the hosts’ research on the prevention of sexual violence and the support of perpetrator desistance and victim recovery.
As part of this trip, Ian delivered a keynote session at a conference on Sexual Offending and Restorative Justice. After a morning keynote and panel on the topic of desistance from sexual offending, Ian’s keynote was entitled ‘Using Restorative Principles and Processes to Empower Survivors of Sexual Violence’. Here, he spoke about the need to maximise the accessibility of restorative justice for victims of serious sexual offences, and the potential to meet victims’ needs with the broader, flexible application of restorative processes and restorative principles.
Ian then participated in a panel discussion, alongside Dr. Jon Hobson (University of Gloucestershire), Dr. Rebecca Banwell-Moore (University of Nottingham), Linda Millington (Why Me?) and Stephen Barry (Circles of Support and Accountability South West).
More information about Ian’s research can be found on his university profile and on www.restorativejustice.ie.