Answer

Juvenile Corrections
Restorative justice is a form of reform that points out the need to restore the harm caused by criminal behavior whereby crime causes harm to offenders, and the justice system should repair the harm done through criminality by finding resolutions. Therefore, for this to be effective, restorative justice incorporates several core values: hope, humility, honesty, accountability, interconnectedness, empowerment, participation, and respect (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), 2019). Of these core values, accountability, participation, and empowerment are important in helping change the behavior of juvenile delinquents.
Accountability is an important step towards helping change juvenile delinquent behavior as a core value of restorative justice. Once an offender imposes harm upon another, the offender should take up responsibility and suffer the consequences of their actions. Therefore, accountability puts juvenile delinquents in a position to express their contrition over harm inflicted on others. Juvenile delinquents who take responsibility for their actions usually are on a path to get treatment to help them get better (Weinstein, 2019). The result of offenders being accountable for their actions opens up room for reconciliation to develop as they reintegrate into society as reformed civilians; hence, juvenile delinquent behavior is changed through accountability.
According to Van Camp (2016), participation is an essential core aspect to consider when changing juvenile delinquent behavior. Through participation, juvenile delinquents get to present themselves in the reconciliation and reformation process, and the victims and community at large will participate in forming strategies that will help in rehabilitation programs and initiatives for juvenile delinquents. Communities and victims who actively participate in ensuring that juvenile delinquents do not revert to criminal tendencies will help ensure that there are better reforms to help in rehabilitation and behavioral change of juvenile delinquents (Van Camp, 2016). Ultimately, participation is essential in involving society and professionals in outline proper rehabilitation and reconciliation initiatives for juvenile delinquents towards behavioral change.
Lastly, empowerment as a core value of restorative justice is significant in juvenile delinquent behavioral change. Criminal behavior is responsible for stealing power from people who end up being victims of crime (Aertsen et al., 2011). Therefore, through empowerment, victims are given a chance for victims to have control. Simultaneously, juvenile offenders also take up responsibility for committing crimes and find ways to remedy their behavior through rehabilitative initiatives and integrating reforms that help reformed juvenile delinquents into society.
In conclusion, restorative justice is important in helping reducing recidivism rates by increasing awareness that helps strengthen communities by helping empower victims and help improve participation that brings about accountability for both juvenile delinquents and victims of crime—the significance of participation, empowerment, and accountability help in improving restorative justice.