ABSTRACT
People moving as a result of or affected by criminal violence in Mexico, Central America and elsewhere often face limited possibilities for protection. First, because criminal violence and its impacts are rarely interpreted as creating humanitarian crises, countries facing these situations are often reluctant to implement a protection and humanitarian assistance approach to assist victims. Responses are often dominated by the prevalent retributive approach to crime, which focuses on punishing criminals, reducing crime, and re-establishing public order, rather than assisting victims.
