Abstract

This study investigated Colombian adolescents’ evaluations and expectations about different solutions to seeking justice in the aftermath of group-based harms and how their judgments of solutions were associated with self-reported levels of trust. In individual interviews, 74 adolescents (M age = 16.48 years; 36 girls, 38 boys) in Bogotá, Colombia were presented with scenarios depicting two forms of group harm (involving damage to infrastructure and loss of life) based on events relevant to the Colombian armed conflict. For each scenario, adolescents rated the desirability and likelihood of five solutions (apologies, compensation by the FARC, compensation by the government, punishment, and a combination of compensation and punishment). Participants also completed a questionnaire assessing their general levels of trust. Compensation by the FARC and the government were more strongly endorsed in the context of damage to infrastructure, whereas punishment was endorsed more in response to loss of life. Youth also expected compensation by the FARC to be more likely to occur for damage to infrastructure, while they believed punishment was more likely for loss of life. Higher levels of trust were associated with support for restorative solutions, particularly in response to loss of life. Youths’ open-ended justifications for their evaluations of different solutions to address the harms reflected varied concerns, including their perceptions of how to meet the needs of victims and communities, ensure accountability for the harms committed, and achieve revenge.