Positive Criminology

How can we best help offenders desist from crime, as well as help victims heal? This book engages with this question by offering its readers a comprehensive review of positive criminology in theory, research and practice. Positive criminology is a concept – a perspective – that places emphasis on forces of integration and social inclusion that are experienced positively by target individual and groups, and may contribute to a reduction in negative emotions, desistance from crime and overcoming the traumatic experience of victimization. In essence, positive criminology holds a more holistic view, which acknowledges that thriving and disengagement from distress, addiction, mental illness, crime, deviance or victimization might be fostered more effectively by enhancing positive emotions and experiences, rather than focusing on reducing negative attributes.

Each chapter in this book is written by key scholars in the related fields of criminology, victimology and addiction and, thus, assembles varied and extensive approaches to rehabilitation and treatment. These approaches share in common a positive criminology view, thereby enriching our understanding of the concept and other strength-based approaches to dealing with offenders and victims.

This edited book elaborates on positive criminology core ideas and assumptions; discusses related theories and innovations; and presents various benefits that this perspective can promote in the field of rehabilitation. For this reason, this book will be essential reading for those engaged in the study of criminology, criminal justice and victimology and may also assist scholars and professionals to help offenders desist from crime and improve victims’ well-being.

Natti Ronel is the Head of the Department of Criminology at Bar-Ilan University, Israel. Natti is a clinical criminologist who incorporates clinical experience with research to develop theories on crime (criminal spin), recovery (Grace Therapy) and criminal justice. Natti introduced the Positive Criminology and Victimology perspectives, and is currently developing the Spiritual Criminology concept.

Dana Segev is a PhD Candidate at the Department of Criminology, Bar-Ilan University. She has published papers on parole within a communicative sentencing framework and on Therapeutic Jurisprudence. Segev holds a MSc from the University of Oxford, where she wrote her dissertation on desistance.