ABSTRACT
Anarchist criminology, which emerged in the late 1970s and reappeared in the 1990s, sees all hierarchical systems of power and authority, whatever their configuration, as flawed. It desires a more just world. Anarchy is a society without rulers, but this does not mean it is a society without order. Peacemaking is also predicated on individual responsibility and a belief that consideration of the "other" is what binds society. Instead of making "war" on problems, peacemaking advocates believe that celebrating mutual respect and understanding are less likely to produce conflict, and when problems arise these should be approached in ways that diffuse them rather than solidify them. Even in the more moderate restorative justice perspectives, government laws and punishment take a back seat in favor of reintegrative processes that emphasize the harmful nature of offenses, rather than offenders, and promote processes that are facilitative of reconciliation between victims and offenders.
