Abstract
This work proposes a classification of the types of victimizers or perpetrators and the importance of working with their life stories for social research. By means of a bibliographic review, a classification of four general types of perpetrators is proposed: those of counterinsurgency and repression (focusing on key individuals of dictatorships in Latin America); the perpetrators outside of political power (commonly related to the popular classes); those of “white collar” (illegal acts committed by individuals or entities privileged in political and economic power) and structural victimizers (who reproduce behaviors such as male chauvinism, racism, and/or xenophobia. In addition, a section of ethical and methodological issues is built when working with life stories of those who have violated guarantees and rights to avoid falling into apologies of committing crimes.
Keywords: Life stories, Report, Victimizers, Perpetrators, Crime