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What can we learn from those who have acted violently and what can be gained from giving them a voice? This book, translated from the Italian, takes readers inside the rarely heard world of violent offenders, exploring the story of Stefania Albertani who was convicted of killing her older sister without apparent motive. Through a series of searching interviews with two criminologists, buried memories surface and the dialogue uncovers the unique “cosmology” of her violent act.
Moving beyond explanations rooted in social exclusion and mental illness, the book offers a rare insight into violent human behaviour and its causes. It also shows how dialogue can open new pathways toward restorative justice, challenging us to rethink what we know about violence.
"Penetrating and riveting. Ceretti and Natali bore into our souls, compelling us to contemplate how we feel, think about, and give meaning to violence." Avi Brisman, Eastern Kentucky University
"The book foregrounds sense-making through storytelling, offering deep insight into violence and moral identity while speaking directly to our scholarly and political moment" - Lois Presser, University of Tennessee
"One Woman’s Story of Violence is an artful example of the transformative power of stories and dialogue—deeply intimate, unsettling, and compelling." Anna Di Ronco, University of Bologna
Adolfo Ceretti is Full Professor of Criminology at the University of Milano-Bicocca.
Lorenzo Natali is Associate Professor of Criminology at the University of Milano-Bicocca.
1. The Words of Others
2. Understanding Violent Acts: A Radical Interactionist and Narrative Approach Open to Complexity
3. Methodological Notes
4. The Albertani Case
5. “This Is Me, Stefania Albertani …”
6. “I Am Here”: Towards a Criminology of the Encounter