Some individuals have defined restorative justice in terms of the way in which concepts such as mediation and reparation have been operationalized in individual projects. Researchers and practitioners, however, have failed to adequately operationalize the concept of restorative justice. Developments in restorative justice have tended to come about in two main ways: (1) as officially sanctioned state-sponsored national developments; and (2) in a more bottom-up or organic sense where projects have broken totally new ground. Crucial questions concerning the effectiveness of restorative justice must be addressed, in particular to determine what both victims and offenders get out of being involved in restorative practices. If restorative justice is to become a widespread and successful method of working with young people, principles and practices must be articulated to identify and evaluate the effectiveness of restorative justice in dealing with juvenile offenders. 62 references