Global perspectives on preventing violence and upholding justice

Abstract

The prevention of violence and the pursuit of justice are two fundamental aims of civil society that have long been recognized and supported across the globe [1]. Far too often, however, they are addressed independently: one initiative focused on preventing violence and another on upholding justice. This is also the case in criminological research and scholarship, but there are some exceptions. Perhaps one of the best examples is the U.S. National Research Council’s report on fair and effective policing [2]. The report called for more concrete action to integrate these two principles in addressing crime and violence: greater use of effective policing strategies coupled with improved police fairness and legitimacy can produce better outcomes for the community [3, 4]. If society places more emphasis on the prevention of violence—in communities, schools, and families—might we be able to reduce some of the need for formal social control as well as inculcate a greater sense of justice for individuals and the community at-large? This is what Meares [5] refers to as an overt curriculum, which is rooted in democracy and fairness. If law enforcement as well as other branches of the criminal justice system exercise greater fairness toward suspected and convicted offenders, might we be able to improve police-community relations and help to reduce future acts of violence by these groups? It is these questions that guided the development of this special issue of Crime, Law and Social Change. We recognize that these are big picture questions and we do not pretend to answer them in full. Through a series of thoughtful, scholarly articles, we Crime Law Soc Change (2015) 64:205–209 DOI 10.1007/s10611-015-9594-2