What Is Justice? Perspectives of Victims-Survivors of Gender-Based Violence

Hester, Marianne; Williamson, Emma; Eisenstein, Nathan; Abrahams, Hilary; Aghtaie, Nadia; Bates, Lis; Gangoli, Geetanjali; Robinson, Amanda; Walker, Sarah-Jane; McCarthy, Elizabeth; Matolcsi, Andrea

Abstract

This article explores “how do victims-survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) experience and perceive justice?” based on interviews with 251 victims-survivors with experience of different types of GBV and criminal, civil, and family justice systems. Victims-survivors were found to have multiple perceptions of justice, related to different points in their journey following abuse and regarding individual, community, and societal responses. Perceptions relate to accountability; fairness in outcome and process; protection from future harm; recognition; agency; empowerment; affective justice; reparation; and social transformation. Current understandings of justice in legislative and policy approaches reproduce the “justice gap” by failing to take account of how survivors themselves understand and demand justice.

Citation

Hester, M., Williamson, E., Eisenstein, N., Abrahams, H., Aghtaie, N., Bates, L., …Matolcsi, A. (2023). What Is Justice? Perspectives of Victims-Survivors of Gender-Based Violence. Violence Against Women, https://doi.org/10.1177/10778012231214772

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 1, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Nov 19, 2023
• Publication Date: 2023
• Deposit Date: Nov 21, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 23, 2023
• Journal: Violence Against Women
• Print ISSN: 1077-8012
• Electronic ISSN: 1552-8448
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/10778012231214772
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1946269