Justice,Meaning,and Harm: Compensation Timing and Institutional Confidence Among Swedish Crime Victims

Abstract

In Sweden, crime victims may apply for financial compensation through the Crime Victim's Authority (CVA). These payments are intended to provide both material redress and symbolic recognition of harm. Despite its widespread use, little is known about whether compensation processes shape victims’ confidence in the justice system. This study examines whether time to compensation is associated with institutional confidence and assesses the extent to which perceived meaningfulness of compensation explains variation in confidence. Using survey data from 213 compensated crime victims, with a final analytic sample of 204 for multivariate models, confidence is modeled as an ordinal outcome and estimated using ordered logistic regression with time-to-compensation categories, demographics, and a composite measure of compensation attitudes. Results indicate that waiting more than 24 months to receive compensation is associated with lower institutional confidence, while more positive evaluations of compensation as meaningful redress are strongly associated with higher confidence. Overall, the findings highlight the importance of both compensation timing and perceived meaning for institutional confidence among CVA recipients.

Keywords

victim compensation procedural justice Sweden Nordic Europe

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