Treating Victims with Transitional Justice

• In Event: The Psychology of Violence

Abstract

In post-conflict societies, transitional justice policies aim to reduce the likelihood of a reversion to conflict while addressing the wounds from repression or war. How do these policies impact victims? We analyze how exposure to transitional justice after conflict affects victims’ emotions, attitudes toward politics and reconciliation, and behaviors related to political participation and reconciliation. To do so, we survey victims of Colombia’s internal conflict, randomly exposing them to filmed segments of actual transitional justice measures. These segments show various ways of addressing the conflict; while some subjects are shown videos of perpetrators apologizing, others see perpetrators punished or victims offered material compensation. We examine how these different approaches to justice shape victims’ emotions, institutional trust, and subsequent participation in transitional justice. We examine heterogeneity according to type/severity of victimization, political ideology, and socioeconomic status. The findings from this project have significant implications for societies transitioning to peace and aiming to maximize prospects for reconciliation and peace-building.

Authors

• Elsa Voytas, Princeton University

• Sarah Zukerman Daly, Columbia University