ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to contribute to the Handbook’s objectives by providing an up-to-date picture on victims’ perspectives and experiences of restorative justice. First, it starts by giving an overview of the latest research on the significance of restorative justice for victims of crimes and the position and role of victims in restorative practices. Existing theories of restorative justice are critically reviewed from the perspective of victims, and new arguments and empirical evidence in this field are identified. Furthermore, critical and sceptical positions from the perspective of the victim support movement are explained and discussed. The chapter also looks at the EC Victims Directive, and its implications for restorative justice. Restorative justice theory and its prominent aspects are then confronted with victimological, criminological, legal and also ethnological thinking and research on victims of crime. In order to obtain a multifaceted picture, the term “victim” is also analyzed. The merits and weaknesses of restorative justice are examined for victims of different crimes, gender, age and social class. The chapter concludes with an evidence-based proposition for new restorative justice directions.
