Periagoge
Concept
1 min read

Justice Beyond Punishment and Forgiveness

Frameworks that address harm to children through accountability, repair, and systemic change rather than retribution alone.

Juana
Why It Matters

Sor Juana experienced injustice from institutions she could not sue or overthrow; traditional justice frameworks would have offered her nothing. For children, this remains true: when the family system harms them, when schools abuse them, when society exploits them, conventional justice—arrest, trial, punishment—often fails. Justice for harmed children requires something different: acknowledgment of the harm, accountability from those responsible, repair and healing for the harmed child, and systemic change to prevent recurrence. Sor Juana's domain of justice insists on addressing root causes, not merely symptoms. Applied to children's rights, this means asking: Why did this child become vulnerable? What systems allowed this harm? How can we transform those systems? It means creating space for children's own visions of justice, which often prioritize acknowledgment and change over punishment. It means holding institutions accountable, not just individual perpetrators. This concept reframes child welfare from a model of rescue and punishment to one of accountability, repair, and transformation. It honors children's right to justice that actually addresses their harm and protects other children from similar fates.

Helpful guides
Juana
Identity & Justice
Peri
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