Is Victim Offender Dialog Mediation?
No. Although some programs are called Victim Offender Mediation, the process is very different from civil mediation because when a crime occurs there are no disputants and there is no conflict. Facilitation Parties are not disputants; one is a victim and the other an offender. One person has been victimized while the other is the perpetrator. Guilt or innocence is not mediated. There is no expectation that the victim will compromise or request less than what they need to manage their losses. VOD is dialog driven. Mediation Used in a number of conflict situations. Parties are called disputants and both are assumed to contribute to the conflict. End result of mediation is to reach a settlement. Mediation is settlement driven.
