GAMIFICATION OF RESTORATIVE JUSTICE PROCESSES: A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK AND PRACTICAL APPLICATION

Aleksandar Filipović; Marina Kovačević

doi:10.51738/kpolisa.2026.1r.afmk

Authors

Aleksandar Filipović University Business Academy, Novi Sad, Serbia Faculty of Law for Commerce and Judiciary https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1097-2079
Marina Kovačević CRI Institute for Performative Arts and Social Work, Belgrade, Serbia https://orcid.org/0009-0009-8491-5833

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51738/kpolisa.2026.1r.afmk

Keywords:

restorative justice, gamification, perspective-taking, empathy, interactive simulations, dialogue, reflection

Abstract

This paper examines the possibilities and limitations of applying gamification within restorative justice processes, based on the assumption that contemporary interactive models can enhance participants’ understanding of conflict, the development of empathy, and reflective engagement. Restorative justice is grounded in dialogue between the offender, the victim, and the community, with the aim of fostering accountability, understanding harm, and repairing damaged relationships. However, its practical implementation is often hindered by participants’ limited readiness for perspective-taking, emotional barriers, and the lack of adequate methodological tools for preparation and facilitation. In this context, the paper explores the potential of gamification as an approach that employs game mechanics, such as role playing, interactive narratives, and decision-making simulations, to stimulate experiential learning and engagement. Through theoretical analysis, the paper identifies key phases of the restorative process, understanding harm, perspective-taking, dialogue, reparation, and reflection, and considers how gamified models might support each of them. Particular attention is given to the role of simulations in fostering empathy and preparing participants for restorative encounters, as we l as to the potential of reflective mechanisms to deepen the understanding of conflict consequences. At the same time, the paper highlights significant ethical and methodological limitations, including the risk of trivializing conflict, the psychological sensitivity of participants, and institutional constraints on the implementation of such approaches. In conclusion, gamification cannot be regarded as a substitute for restorative dialogue, but rather as a complementary tool that may enhance specific phases of the process. Its value lies in expanding the space for reflection, perspective, taking, and participant preparation, thereby contributing to the development of contemporary methodological approaches in restorative justice.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Arendt, H. (2000). Eichmann in Jerusalem. Viking Press.

Aristotel. (1988) Nikomahova etika. [Nicomachean Ethics]. Globus.

Augustine. (1988). The City of God Against the Pagans [De civitate Dei contra paganos]. Cambridge University Press.

Bandura, A. (1977). Social Learning Theory. Prentice Ha l.

Batson, C. D. (2011). Altruism in Humans. oxford University Press.

Bjelajac, Ž., & Bajac, M. (2022). Blockchain Technology and Money Laundering. Pravo – Teorija i Praksa, 39(2), 21–38. https://doi.org/10.5937/ptp2202021B.

Bjelajac, Ž., & Filipović, A. M. (2020). Internet addiction disorder (IAD) as a paradigm of lack of security culture. Kultura polisa, 17(43), 239–258.

Bjelajac, Ž., Filipović, A. M., & Stošić, L. V. (2022). Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD) as a Consequence of the Expansion of Information Technologies. International Journal of Cognitive Research in Science, Engineering and Education (IJCRSEE), 10(3), 155–165. https://doi.org/10.23947/23348496-2022-10-3-155-165

Bogost, I. (2007). Persuasive Games: The Expressive Power of Videogames. MIT Press.

Braithwaite, J. (1989). Crime, Shame and Reintegration. Cambridge University Press.

Braithwaite, J. (2002). Restorative Justice and Responsive Regulation. oxford University Press

Byom, L. J., & Mutlu, B. (2013). Theory of mind: mechanisms, methods, and new directions. Frontiers in human neuroscience, 7, 413. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2013.00413

Deterding, S., Dixon, D., Khaled, R. & Nacke, L. (2011). From Game Design Elements to Gamefulness: Defining Gamification. Proceedings of the 15th International Academic MindTrek Conference: Envisioning Future Media Environments, MindTrek 2011. 11. 9, 15. https://doi.org/10.1145/2181037.2181040

Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and Education. Kappa Delta Pi.

Duff, R. A. (2001). Punishment, Communication, and Community. oxford University Press.

Durkheim, E. (1984). The Division of Labor in Society. Free Press.

Facchino, A., Marchetti, D., Colasanti, M., Fontanesi, L., & Verrocchio, M. (2025) The use of serious games for psychological education and training: a systematic review. Frontiers in Education, 10, https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2025.1511729

Tseng, C. I., & Thiele, L. (2024). Actions and digital empathy in the interactive storyte ling of serious games: a multimodal discourse approach. Social Semiotics, 34(3), 412–429. https://doi.org/10.1080/10350330.2022.2128039

Ferreira, P. C., Simão, A. M. V., Paiva, A., Martinho, C., Prada, R., Ferreira, A., & Santos, F. (2021). Exploring empathy in cyberbu lying with serious games. Computers & Education, 166, 104155. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2021.104155

Floridi, L. (2013). The Ethics of Information. oxford: oxford University Press.

Fulham, L., Blais, J., Rugge, T., & Schultheis, E. A. (2025). The effectiveness of restorative justice programs: A meta, analysis of recidivism and other relevant outcomes. Criminology & Criminal Justice, 25(5), 1486, 1512.

Garland, D. (2001). The Culture of Control: Crime and Social Order in Contemporary Society. University of Chicago Press.

Goffman, E. (1963). Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity. Prentice Ha l.

Hargittai, E. (2002). Second, Level Digital Divide: Di ferences in People's online Ski ls. First Monday, 7(4).

Healey, M. L., & Grossman, M. (2018). Cognitive and A fective Perspective, Taking: Evidence for Shared and Dissociable Anatomical Substrates. Frontiers in Neurology, 9, 491.

Hegel, G. W. F. (1821/1991). Elements of the Philosophy of Right, Cambridge University Press.

Heidegger, M. (1977). Sein und Zeit. Tübingen: Max Niemeyer.

Herman, J. L. (1992). Trauma and Recovery. New York: Basic Books.

Hobbes, T. (1668). Leviathan, sive, De materia, forma, & potestate civitatis ecclesiasticae et civilis. Joan Blaeu.

Jaspers, K. (2000). The Question of German Guilt. Fordham University Press.

Jin, Y., Ma, M., Hua, D., Coward, S. (2017). Games for Mental and Moral Development of Youth: A Review of Empirical Studies. In: Alcañiz, M., Göbel, S., Ma, M., Fradinho oliveira, M., Baalsrud Hauge, J., Marsh, T. (eds) Serious Games. JCSG 2017. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 10622. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-70111-0_23

Johnstone, G. (2011). Restorative Justice: Ideas, Values, Debates. London: Routledge.

Kant, I. (2018). Religion within the Boundaries of Mere Reason. Cambridge University Press.

Kim, T. W. (2015). Gamification Ethics: Exploitation and Manipulation. Figshare, 2015. https://doi.org/10.1184/r1/6705644

Latimer, J., Dowden, C., & Muise, D. (2005). The Effectiveness of Restorative Justice Practices: A Meta, Analysis. The Prison Journal, 85(2), 127–144. https://doi.org/10.1177/0032885505276969

Marshal, T. (1999). Restorative Justice: An Overview. Home office.

Maruna, S. (2001). Making Good: How Ex, Convicts Reform and Rebuild Their Lives. American Psychological Association.

Mika, H., Achi les, M., Halbert, E., Stutzman Amstutz, L., & Zehr, H. (2004). Listening to Victims—A Critique of Restorative Justice Policy and Practice in Canada. Federal Probation, 68(1), 32, 38.

Niebuhr, R. (1943). The Nature and Destiny of Man. Nisbet & Co. Ltd.

Olivier, L., Sterkenburg, P., & van Rensburg, E. (2019). The effect of a serious game on empathy and prejudice of psychology students towards persons with disabilities. African journal of disability, 8, 328. https://doi.org/10.4102/ajod.v8i0.328

Platon. (2025). Zakoni. Kontrast Izdavaštvo.

Restorative Justice Council. (2016). RJC Practitioners’ Handbook; Manual for Restorative Meetings in Cases of Serious Crime; Restorative Justice Council. https://restorativejustice.org.uk/sites/default/files/resources/files/Practitioners%20Handbook_0.pdf

Ricoeur, P. (1986). The Symbolism of Evil. Beacon Press.

Salen, K., & Zimmerman, E. (2004). Rules of Play: Game Design Fundamentals. MIT Press.

Samuel, S., Cole, G. G., & Eacott, M. J. (2023). It’s Not You, It’s Me: A Review of Individual Differences in Visuospatial Perspective Taking. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 18(2), 293, 308. https://doi.org/10.1177/17456916221094545

Sherman, L. W., & Strang, H. (2007). Restorative Justice: The Evidence. The Smith Institute.

Sherman, L. W., Strang, H., Barnes, G. C., Bennett, S., Angel, C., NewburyBirch, D., Woods, D., & Gi l, C. (2007). Restorative justice: the evidence. ANU Open Research (Australian National University). http://hdl.handle.net/1885/25704.

Sicart, M. (2009). The Ethics of Computer Games. MIT Press.

Staub, E. (2006). Reconciliation after Genocide, Mass Ki ling, or Intractable Conflict: Understanding the Roots of Violence, Psychological Recovery, and Steps toward a General Theory. Political Psychology, 27(6), 867–894. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.14679221.2006.00541.x

Tong, X., Gromala, D., Ziabari, S. P. K., & Shaw, C. D. (2020). Designing a virtual reality game for promoting empathy toward patients with chronic pain: Feasibility and Usability study. JMIR Serious Games, 8(3), e17354. https://doi.org/10.2196/17354

Umbreit, M. S., Vos, B., & Coates, R. (2006). Restorative Justice Dialogue: An Essential Guide for Research and Practice. Springer.

Van Der Lubbe, L., Gerritsen, C., Klein, M., & Hindriks, K. (2021). Empowering vulnerable target groups with serious games and gamification. Entertainment Computing, 38, 100402. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.entcom.2020.100402

van Dijk, J. (2020). The Digital Divide. Cambridge: Polity Press.

Wratha l, M. N. (2025). “Martin Heidegger,” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

Zehr, H. (2002). The Little Book of Restorative Justice. Good Books.