Feelings that Offenders Have Towards their Victims: Role-Overlap from a Psychological Perspective

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Version: Final published version
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Serval ID
serval:BIB_97B8E3138EF5
Type
A part of a book
Publication sub-type
Chapter: chapter ou part
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
Feelings that Offenders Have Towards their Victims: Role-Overlap from a Psychological Perspective
Title of the book
Victimization in a Multidisciplinary Key: Recent Advances in Victimology
Author(s)
Pedra Jorge-Birol Aline, Aebi Marcelo F.
Publisher
Wolf Legal Publishers
Address of publication
Nijmegen
Publication state
Published
Issued date
2009
Editor
Winkel Frans Willem, Friday Paul C., Kirchhoff Gerd F., Letschert Rianne M.
Pages
355-384
Language
english
Abstract
In the field of victimology, the literature on the relation between prisoners and victims is very scarce. Research about the relationship or interaction between the offender and the victim before the crime are frequent. However, after conviction it seems that the interest for this relationship is over, whereas the interaction itself is not necessarily over. Some prison workers, mediation or probation services promote meetings between victims and offenders of which impacts are reported to be positive to the healing process of both. This paper pretends to provide information about the feelings that offenders have towards their victims, highlighting the positive aspects of verbalizing such feelings. We conducted a qualitative study interviewing eight female inmates convicted of property and drug crimes which showed that common feelings are shame, remorse and guilt. Yet, some offenders blamed the victims for their contribution to the criminal act and others did not succeed in their attempts to contact the victim. However, the ones who succeed declared to feel relieved. The interaction between these two participants increases the possibility of healing for both and therefore we agree with the promotion of a restorative and humanistic justice.
Create date
15/08/2010 16:03
Last modification date
07/08/2024 7:15
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