ABSTRACT
For some decades now, the victim has been ensconced as a central figure in Western cultures, especially in crime-related arenas. A Young’s (1996) insightful deconstruction of the broad discursive resources used to sustain notions of ‘crime’ and associated Victims’ illustrates the degree to which these concepts are entwined with one another and indeed contemporary visions of citizenship. Criminal justice arenas now also place renewed emphasis on victims (for example, victim rights and victim support movements), and there is a well-established discipline of victimology specifically directed to the study of crime victims. 1 Such developments have helped to erect, sustain and advance conditions that expressly champion victim identities, and restorative justice’s emphasis on victim-centred processes adds a specific dimension to that ethos.
