ALSA 2025 meeting

This presentation explores the socio-legal mechanisms that enable individuals—particularly those who, due to accumulated psychological trauma, have engaged in oppositional or criminal behavior—to move beyond social exclusion and pursue reintegration.
These individuals, often labeled as “offenders,” experience a vicious cycle in which trauma leads to hostile behavior, which in turn causes further isolation, loss of social trust, and entrenched stigma.
When psychological trauma accumulates, individuals may lose the ability to reflect on their situation, directing their pain outward and thereby reinforcing their exclusion. This process often results in a deteriorating relationship with society and deepens stigma.
Focusing on the recovery process of such individuals, this presentation examines how they can overcome hostility and voluntarily seek reconciliation with society.
Drawing on Judith Herman’s trauma recovery model and Amartya Sen’s capability approach, this research employs case studies to investigate the effectiveness of various social interventions—particularly within the framework of restorative justice—in fostering trust, agency, and a sense of inclusion.
Ultimately, the study aims to identify mechanisms that enable these individuals to reconnect with society and break the cycle of exclusion, thereby preventing the reinforcement of stigma and contributing to a more inclusive form of justice.