2010 Volume 50 Issue 4 Pages 55-68
Behind the rapid advance of policies for crime victims in Japan was the crime victims' movement, composed especially of family members of murder victims. However, by reviewing trends of research on family members of murder victims, research focusing on the victims' movement and social action is sparse. This study examined the experiences of murder victims' family members, especially focusing on their involvement in the victims' movement. The purpose of this study was to analyze what they experienced after the murders, how they were involved in the movement, and what they gained. We interviewed 11 members of a victim advocacy organization (the "Victims' Organization"). This qualitative study analyzed narratives of murder victims' families in regard to the process of their participation in the "Victims' Organization". Through analysis of the interview transcripts, two categories, "Feelings related to the cases" and "The process where the family members started taking part in and continued their activism", were found. Also, we explored the process of their participation from the perspective of empowerment approach in regard to powerlessness, components of empowerment, and levels of action of power.
