Editorial 1(1)

January 2025

Abstract

Editorial 1(1) - January 2025

With immense pride and excitement, I introduce our inaugural issue for (De)Constructing Criminology: International Perspectives. This milestone represents the culmination of collective effort, passion, and a shared vision to create a journal that advances, deconstructs, and challenges the frontiers of criminology. Our journal serves as a space where research in various forms, critical discussions, and innovative methodologies assemble. We are committed to fostering a dialogue that informs, inspires, and honours the positionality of diverse perspectives.

The editorial team is proud to see this journal come to fruition. It was envisioned from a panel presentation at the virtual 2021 EuroCrim conference of the European Society of Criminology. My presentation was one of several on the subject of gendered violence. Our in-between chats sparked a realization that a journal is needed to support new scholars and scholars outside the global north and west. We wanted to create something truly international, open access, and diverse. Over the years, my colleagues in England (Dr. Helen Williams) and South Africa (Dr. Lufuno Sadiki) and I chatted and strategized the journal’s purpose, values, and positionality within criminology. We created an open-access journal that is anchored at my home institution, Mount Royal University, and with our law librarian joining us in 2022 (Madelaine Vanderwerff), its creation commenced. These scholars bring a generous blend of discerning judgment, demanding standards, unyielding professionalism, and deep commitment to launch our journal. This editorial team also reflects our field’s intellectual diversity, mirroring the intellectual pluralism the journal seeks to embody.

I am deeply grateful to our authors, whose work anchors this publication, and to our reviewers, who have generously shared their expertise to ensure the quality and integrity of our journal. I also extend my heartfelt thanks to the editorial team, whose dedication and meticulous efforts have made this launch possible.

To support our authors the journal adopts a rolling publication model. This being our first year, we are publishing three articles in 2025 and aim to publish more this year. Keep your submissions coming! These publications illustrate our journal's commitment to deconstructing and reimagining criminology by featuring articles that challenge dominant narratives and amplify marginalised perspectives. They demonstrate the journal's commitment to showcasing international scholarship and providing access to publishing for early career researchers. The articles are wide-ranging in topic and method and highlight the creativity of current criminologists. The Good Guest explores the lived experiences of women prisoners in the UK through their writings; The Pink Line critically analyses the impact of anti-homosexuality laws in Uganda; and Homicide with Post-Mortem Dismemberment examines Italian forensic case studies. 

As we continue moving forward, I invite you to engage with us—whether as readers, contributors, or reviewers. Together, we can shape a publication that not only reflects the present state of knowledge in criminology (and its adjacent disciplines) but also charts a course for a path that deconstructs criminology. Thank you for joining us in this exciting new chapter. I look forward to the conversations and discoveries that lie ahead.

Kindly,

Dr. D. Scharie Tavcer

Editor-in-Chief