University of Twente Student Theses
Empathy, Crime Seriousness, and Procedural Justice: Understanding Dutch Public Perceptions of Victim-Offender Mediation
Rödel, F.J. (2024) Empathy, Crime Seriousness, and Procedural Justice: Understanding Dutch Public Perceptions of Victim-Offender Mediation.
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| Abstract: | This study investigated how the seriousness of crime and empathy influence the view of the Dutch public towards victim-offender mediation (VOM). VOM is a restorative justice method where victims and offenders meet in the presence of a mediator to restore harm. However, how the Dutch public views VOM has not yet been explored. In this study, it was expected that higher crime seriousness would lead to more negative views of the Dutch public towards VOM. For higher empathy towards offenders, the perception of the Dutch public towards VOM would become more positive. It was also proposed that the perception of procedural justice among the Dutch public will worsen if judges do not take mediation into account in their verdict. It was hypothesised that the disregard of mediation by the judge influenced the punitiveness gap, and the punitiveness gap negatively influenced the perceived procedural justice. An online survey with 110 participants was conducted, using an experimental 2x2 design measuring the variable crime seriousness (high/low), and the variable judge reckons with mediation (yes/no). The variable offender empathy was measured as well, investigating the relationship between offender empathy and the attitude the Dutch public has towards VOM. Results indicated that empathy and the seriousness of a crime did not influence the attitude towards VOM. Nevertheless, the disregard of the judge did negatively influence the perception of procedural justice, however, this effect was not mediated by the punitiveness gap. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Bachelor) |
| Faculty: | BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences |
| Subject: | 77 psychology, 86 law |
| Programme: | Psychology BSc (56604) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/100486 |
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