Abstract
Passing judgment is an inevitable aspect of human behaviour, particularly in cases of severe wrongdoing or crime. These assessments can affect the individuals implicated in the transgressions, including the victim and offender. This research enhances our understanding of how third parties judge offenders and victims of crime, exploring whether offender participation in rehabilitation, offender remorsefulness, and the victim's forgiveness following a crime influence the third party's judgement of the victim and offender. Participants were presented with a scenario depicting a significant transgression, after which they responded to prompts concerning their perceptions of the event and the people involved. The findings reveal that participants placed considerable importance on offender rehabilitation. This was evidenced by examining their perceptions of fairness, empathy toward the offender, the participant's extent of forgiveness, and the likelihood the offender would re-offend. These findings suggest that actions speak louder than words.
Recommended Citation
Does, Samantha. 2025. "Actions Speak Louder Than Words: Public Perceptions of Victim Forgiveness and Offender Reparative Effort." Bridges: An Undergraduate Journal of Contemporary Connections 8, (1). https://scholars.wlu.ca/bridges_contemporary_connections/vol8/iss1/1
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Criminology and Criminal Justice Commons, Social Psychology Commons, Social Work Commons