Unpacking Shame and Confucian Relationalism in Taiwanese Restorative Justice

While Braithwaite’s Reintegrative Shaming Theory is the basis of restorative justice policy in Taiwan, little research has been conducted to understand how the theory and its rationale are integrated into restorative practice in Taiwanese juvenile justice. The unique political and cultural context Taiwan, including its embrace of Confucian relationalism, presents an opportunity to refine our understanding of how shame may operate in restorative justice encounters. Based on a review of restorative justice programmes in Taiwanese juvenile justice, governmental documents, and academic scholarship, this paper will explore the work of shame in Taiwanese restorative justice, focusing on the unique characteristics of shaming in the context of Confucian relationalism. We then propose a framework that links shame, relationalism, and transformation, which can help understand the practice of restorative justice within Taiwanese juvenile justice. This framework can be beneficial to the future development of restorative justice theory and practice in Confucian relationalistic societies and beyond.