Focus and Scope

The Journal of Victimology is an international journal published by the Faculty of Syariah and Law, UIN Sunan Ampel Surabaya, Indonesia. Since its inception, JoV has been dedicated to publishing scholarly and authoritative research on critical legal and social issues surrounding victimization. The journal serves an international audience, attracting contributions from scholars across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Australia, and Europe, providing a global platform for dialogue between academic research and legal practice.

The journal aims to publish original work of the highest caliber across the full spectrum of victimological scholarship. The Journal of Victimology prioritizes research that challenges traditional boundaries, explicitly focusing on the following domains:

Criminal Victimology and the Justice System

This domain focuses on the position, rights, and experiences of victims within the formal criminal justice framework. It encompasses the prevention of victimization, the detection and investigation of crimes from a victim-centric perspective, and the role of victims in litigation and dispute settlement. Key areas of interest include victim-offender mediation, restorative justice, witness protection, and the evaluation of judicial institutions (including constitutional and human rights courts) in delivering justice to survivors.

State Crime and Institutional Accountability

JoV seeks to address the complex nature of crimes committed by state actors and governmental entities. This scope includes the study of gross human rights violations, systemic corruption, and state-sponsored violence. The journal encourages submissions that examine legal mechanisms, both domestic and international, designed to hold state institutions accountable and provide redress for victims of political and administrative abuse.

Structural Violence and Social Harm

Recognizing that many forms of suffering are rooted in systemic inequalities, this area focuses on Structural Violence. It moves beyond the narrow definition of crime to explore Social Harm, the injury caused by unjust social, economic, and political structures. This includes research on institutionalized discrimination, the marginalization of vulnerable groups, and the legal policies required to address harms that are often overlooked by traditional criminal law.

Socio Victimological Perspectives

In line with the socio-legal tradition, JoV identifies victimization not merely as a legal category but as a complex social process. This domain applies multidisciplinary perspectives, including legal sociology, anthropology, history, and psychology, to the study of law and victims. It explores the entire lifecycle of victimization, from the socio political context of law-making to the practical challenges of implementation and victim recovery in diverse cultural settings