Healing Community-Based Criminal Victimization Practicing Restorative Justice in Bangladesh

Abstract

The article presents healing approaches through restorative practices and motivations related to community-based criminal victimization in Bangladesh, gathering various strategies and interventions. Community members engage in different events and functions, motivating themselves to perform good works for the broader interest of the community. Community rules and regulations guide individuals in maintaining communal harmony and discipline. However, various forms of criminal victimization have occurred in community settings for different reasons. The community members have been provoked to violate legal orders and social rules that are considered ‘crime’ in Bangladesh. This study traces and understands the underlying causes and contexts of these criminal incidents, exploring the role of restorative practices in healing and alleviating trauma. Insights into community-based criminal victimization are drawn from interviews with victims in community settings. This study is a qualitative effort to explore the changes and dimensions of crime within the community. Victims have been interviewed using the Case Study Method, with eleven individuals from different criminal victimization cases following an interview checklist. In contrast, Restorative Justice Practitioners (RJPs) have been interviewed through Key Informant Interviews (KIIs). Through KIIs, six RJP have been questioned to understand restorative practices and motivations. The major findings reveal that community members are motivated by different perspectives and reasons to violate the rules and community-based Livelihood Instructions (CLI). The study problem presents various insights and considerations emphasizing the importance of maintaining community rules and instructions.