Is VOD the same as victim offender mediation?
Not in the precise sense. Although these terms are often used interchangeably by some in the field, victim-centered VOD is definitely not, technically, “mediation.” That is, the process is not about getting to some middle ground, or “agreement.” And while facilitators must sometimes be capable of “mediating” discussion of certain issues, they should not be directing the preparation and dialogue process toward anything more than enabling the fullest meeting of the victim/survivor’s needs, and the fullest expression of the offender’s readiness for this. Violent victimization is not a misunderstanding; it is not a conflict to be resolved. It is a profoundly devastating experience from which survivors are working to recover and to heal, and from which they seek and expect a personal sense of justice – whatever that means for them. For these reasons, the work of facilitators is to facilitate, or make easier, the process by which survivors and offenders give voice to the pain and the shame o
