The application of family group conferencing as a child justice intervention in South Africa

Abstract

The aim of this study is to consider the application of family group conferencing (FGC) as child justice intervention for children in conflict with the law. An exploratory qualitative approach was followed to provide insight into the perceptions of experts with regards to the suitability of FGC for South Africa and for children, as well as the current application of, and potential context and scope for the application of FGC as a South African justice intervention. Semi-structured interviews were used as the data collection tool. Accordingly, experts from diverse disciplines, to wit social work, psychology, criminology, law, and education (and sub-speciality in FGC and restorative justice), were interviewed telephonically, face to face or via video chat. The sample was collected using purposive sampling through perusal of research articles and academic electronic sites, as well as snowball sampling whereby potential participants were identified. The findings show that FGC is an ideal intervention within the South African criminal justice context, and more particularly for child justice. The inclusion of family was noted as specifically important in dealing with children, and within an Afrocentric, Ubuntu-laden, socio-cultural environment. Furthermore, the suitability of FGC to the South African child justice context was linked to victim support and inclusivity, reconciliation aims, cultural flexibility, and ability to support offenders yet hold them accountable without criminalisation. Findings reiterated that FGC is inclusive of support persons, whilst Victim-Offender Mediation (VOM) is not. Resultantly, and with due consideration for the importance of support persons in child related interventions, the necessity of an amendment to the Child Justice Act 75 of 2008 (CJA) - pertaining specifically to VOM - is advocated. Provisions for the implementation of FGC in a child appropriate manner were recommended, namely, adequate preparation; age, needs, and context consideration; maintenance of safety and respect of all parties; and adequate facilitation. The findings regarding the current application of FGC as a child justice intervention in South Africa evinced that it is rarely implemented due to a lack of funding and resources, hesitancy of criminal justice professionals, and a decrease in diversion referrals due to a lack of knowledge and poor performance of the South African Police Services (SAPS). With the aim of extending and promoting FGC, findings noted the necessity for awareness and educational campaigns for both community and criminal justice persons; a multi-dimensional approach whereby various disciplines, societal sectors, government, and civil society work collaboratively; and lastly the importance of the launch of South African Restorative Justice Accreditation Board (SARJAB), an accreditation board for restorative justice practitioners was noted. Recommendations with regards to the findings were made with calls for advocation, action and further research.

Inhloso yalolu cwaningo ukubheka ukusebenza kwenqubo ye-family group conferencing (FGC) njengendlela yokungenelela ukusizana nezingane ezinqubuzana nomthetho. Kulandelwe inqubo ye-exploratory qualitative approach, ukuhlinzeka ngemibono yochwepheshe ngendlela ababona ngayo ukufaneleka kwe-FGC eNingizimu Afrika kanye nezingane, kanye nokusetshenziswa kwale nqubo manje, nokumumethwe yisimo kanye nokwendlaleka kwe-FGC njengenqubo yokusiza kwezomthetho nezinkantolo eNingizimu Afrika. Kusetshenziswe ama-semi-structured interviews njengethuluzi lokuqoqa ulwazi. Ngakho-ke, ochwepheshe bemikhakha ehlukene, efana neye-social work, isayikholoji, i-criminology, umthetho nemfundo (umkhakhana kwi-FGC kanye nenqubo yokulungisa nokubuyisela kahle kwisimo kulabo abonelwe kwezobulungisa, kwenziwe ama-interview ngezingcingo, ukubhekana ubuso nobuso kanye nokwenza izingxoxo ngamavidiyo. Kuqokelelwe isampuli ngokusebenzisa i-purposive (ukufunda ama-atikili ezocwaningo kanye nama-sayiti esiakhademiki ngendlela ye-elektroniki) kanye nokwenza amasampuli ngendlela ye-snowball, lapho khona okwaphawulwa khona ababambi qhaza kucwaningo. Okutholakele kukhombisa ukuthi inqubo ye-FGC yiyo elungile kwinqubo yezomthetho nezinkantolo zobugebengu eNingizimu Afrika, ikakhulukazi lapho kubhekwane nomthetho nezinkantolo nobulungisa maqondana nezingane. Ukubandakanywa komndeni kuqashelwa njengento ebalulekile ekubhekaneni nezingane, kanti futhi kwinqubo ebonelela indlela yobu-Afrika, indlela egxile kubuntu kanye nokubonelela amasiko endabuko yesintu. Kanti futhi okunye, ukufaneleka kwenqubo ye-FGC kwisimo seNingizimu Afrika sokubhekana nenqubo yomthetho yobulungisa maqondana nezingane, kuxhumene nokusekelana nabonelwe zingane ngendlela eyongamelayo, izinhloso zokubuyisana, ukuguquguquka kwezendabuko kanye nekhono lokusekela abonile, kodwa ngendlela yokuqikelela ukuthi izingane zibhekana nezenzo zazo ngaphandle kokuzibona njengezigebengu. Lezi zinto ezitholakele ngocwaningo, ukuthi inqubo ye-FGC ibandakanya ukusekela abantu, kodwa inqubo yokuqikelela ukuthi kube nokubonisana nabonelwe ngenqubo ye-victim-offender mediation (VOM) ayikuboneleli lokhu. Ngenxa yalokhu, kanti futhi ngokubonelela ukubaluleka kokusekela abantu kwinqubo yokungenelela ukusizana nezingane, umcwaningi uphakamisa ukuthi kuchitshiyelwe umthetho wokubhekana nezinkantolo nezingane, umthetho we-Child Justice Act (CJA) 75 ka 2008 – oqondene nenqubo ye-VOM. Kunconywa izindlela zokusebenza nge-FGC ngendlela ebonelela izingane, ngokwenza amalungiselelo afanele; ukubonelela iminyaka yobudala, izidingo kanye nezimo; ukuqikelela ukuphepha kanye nenhlonipho yazo zonke izinhlangothi ezithintekayo, kanye nosizo ngokuxhumanisa. Okutholakele maqondana nokusetshenziswa kwamanje kwenqubo ye-FGC njengendlela yokungenelela ukusizana nezingane kwinqubo yezomthetho nezinkantolo eNingizimu Afrika kuyinqubo engasetshenziswa ngokwanele ngenxa yokusweleka kwezimali neminye imithombo yosizo, ukungabaza kulabo ababhekene nenqubo yezinkantol o nobulungisa; kanye nokuncipha kwenqubo yokubonelela ezinye izindlela ezakhaya ngaphandle kokusebenzisa izinkantolo maqondana nezingane, ngenxa yokusweleka kolwazi, ukungasebenzi ngezinga elifanele kwenqubo yezamaphoyisa aseNingizimu Afrika, abe-South African Police Services (SAPS). Ngenhloso yokunabisa kanye nokuqhubela phambili i-FGC, umcwaningi, uphawula isidingo sokuqwashisa kanye nemikhankaso yemfundo emiphakathini kanye nakubantu abasebenza ezinkantolo ezibhekana nobulungisa; inqubo enezinhlaka ezehlukahlukile, lapho kusetshenziswa khona imikhakha ehlukene, abantu besizwe, uhulumeni, izinhlangano zemiphakathi, ukuthi yonke le mikhakha isebenzisane; kanti okokugcina, ukusungula inhlangano yaseNingizimu Afrika ye-South African Restorative Justice Accredidation Board (SARJAB) ukuze abasebenza ngenqubo yobulungisa nokubuyisela okulungile kulabo abonelwe basebenzise yona. Izincomo maqondana nokutholakele kucwaningo kwenziwa ngokwenza isimemezelo sokugqugquzelela ukwenziwa kwenqubo, izinyathelo kanye nolunye ucwaningo.

Maikemisetso a patlisiso ena ya boithuto ke ho shebana le tshebediso ya seboka sa sehlopha sa lelapa (family group conferencing (FGC)) jwalo ka mohato ho toka ya ngwana bakeng sa bana ba iphumanang ba le kgahlano le molao. Ho latetswe katamelo ya phuputso ka boleng, ho fana ka lesedi mabapi le maikutlo a ditsebi hodima ho tshwaneleha ha FGC bakeng sa Afrika Borwa le bana ba yona, hammoho le tshebediso ya hajwale, le dikateng le bophara bo ka bang teng ba FGC jwalo ka mohato wa toka wa Afrika Borwa. Ho sebedisitswe diinthavu tse sa hlophiswang ka botlalo ho bokelletsa datha. Ka mokgwa oo, ditsebi ho tswa makaleng a fapaneng, a jwalo ka tshebeletso ya setjhaba, dithuto tsa kelello ya motho le mesebetsi ya yona, dithuto tsa botlokotsebe, molao le thuto (lekala le tlasana la FGC le toka ya puseletso), di ile tsa botswa dipotso ka mohala, mahlong kapa ka puisano ya vidiyo. Sampole e bokelleditswe ka mokgwa wa thero (purposive) (ho balwa ha dingolwa tsa dipatlisiso le diwebosaete tsa elektroniki tsa dithuto) hammoho le mokgwa wa disampole o bitswang snowball, moo teng bao e ka bang bankakarolo ba ileng ba hlwauwa. Diphetho di supa hore FGC ke mohato o loketseng boemo ba Afrika Borwa ba toka ditlolong tsa molao, haholo bakeng sa toka baneng. Ho kenyelletswa ha lelapa ho bonwa ho le bohlokwa ho fetisisa tshebetsanong le bana, le tikolohong ya boAfrika, e kgannwang ke setso le bophelo ba ubuntu. Ho feta moo, ho tshwaneleha ha FGC ditabeng tsa toka ya bana Afrika Borwa ho hokahanngwa le tshebetso ya mahlasipa le kenyelletso, maikemisetso a tshwarelano, ho fetoha ha setso le bokgoni ba ho tshehetsa batlodi ba molao, empa ba ntse ba jariswa maikarabello ntle le ho ba etsa ditlokotsebe. Diphetho di netefatsa hore FGC e kenyeletsa batho ba tshehetsang, ha puisano pakeng tsa lehlasipa le motlodi wa molao (VOM) ese jwalo. Ka lebaka leo, mme le ka ho nahanela bohlokwa ba batho ba fanang ka tshehetso mehatong e amanang le bana, mofuputsi o buelella ho fetolwa ha Molao wa Toka ya Bana (CJA) 75 ya 2008 – e amanang ka kotloloho le VOM. Ho kgothaletswa maemo a ho kenya FGC tshebetsong ka tsela e loketseng bana, ka boitokiso bo lekaneng; kamohelo ya dilemo, ditlhoko le dikateng; poloko ya tshireletseho le hlompho ya baamehi bohle; le tataiso e loketseng. Diphetho tse mabapi le tshebediso ya hajwale ya FGC jwalo ka mohato wa toka baneng Afrika Borwa di supa hore hase hangata e sebediswang ka lebaka la tlhokeho ya tjhelete le disebediswa, qeyaqeyo hara ditsebi tsa toka botlokotsebeng, le phokotseho ya diphetiso ka lebaka la ho hloka tsebo le tshebetso e mpe lehlakoreng ya South African Police Services (SAPS). Ka maikemisetso a ho atolosa le ho phahamisa FGC, mofuputsi o lemosa tlhoko ya tsebo le matsholo a thuto bakeng sa setjhaba le batho ba sebetsang ka toka botlokotsebeng; katamelo ya makala a mangata moo makala a fapaneng, dikarolo tsa setjhaba, mmuso le setjhaba ba sebetsang mmoho; mme qetellong, bohlokwa ba ho theha Boto ya Toka ya Puseletso le Tlhwao ya Afrika Borwa (South African Restorative Justice Accreditation Board (SARJAB)) bakeng sa basebeletsi ba toka ya puseletso. Dikgothaletso tse mabapi le diphetho di etswa ho ntse ho kotjwa tshehetso, ketso le dipatlisiso tse eketsehileng.