Trauma and restoration: a perspective on trauma-informed conflicts in the restorative vision of justice

Abstract

The paper discusses the integration of trauma awareness into the restorative vision of justice, proposing an ethical, relational, and methodological expansion of the restorative paradigm through the approach of trauma-informed conflicts. It begins from the understanding of conflict as a constitutive experience of life, traversed by internal and external dimensions that reflect individual histories and collective bonds. Drawing on authors such as Van der Kolk, Levine, Maté, Zehr, and Pranis, the article analyzes trauma as the reactivation of memories and survival defenses that shape present behaviors and emotional responses. It argues that a trauma-informed restorative practice must recognize these dynamics, creating spaces of safety, listening, and co-regulation that promote not only the repair of harm but also the reintegration of the fragmented human experience. The article concludes that integrating trauma and Restorative Justice broadens the very meaning of justice, repositioning it as a field of care, reconnection, and shared humanity.