Victimology

• Criticisms of positivist victimology-

  -Conflict sociologists- ignores structural factors e.g. poverty

  -LR (Lea and Young)- poor and women are at greater risk of being repeat victims

  -Victim blaming (Amirs)- 1/5 rape victims are victim precipitated.
• Critical victimology-


  Wether a person is regarded as a victim depends on their position in their power structure
• Positivist victimology-


  -Changes of becoming a victim is effected by group divides

  -Repeat victimisation- only 4% of the population of victims are 44% of all crime

  -Class- the poor are more likely to be victims

  -Age- young are more likely to be assaulted and face SH

  -Ethnicity- EMs are more at risk of becoming victims
• Findings-

  Victims proneness- characteristics of someone that makes them more likely to be a victim

  Hans Von Hently- identified factors- female, elderly or mental abnormality

  Victim precipitation- victim contributes to be becoming a victim e.g. Wolfgang- 28% of crime involve a victim triggering the events leading to their death
• Miers- 3 parts of positivist victimology-

  1. Aims to identify factors that produce patterns in victimisation and factors that make people more prone to be victims
  2. Focuses on interpersonal crimes of violence
  3. Aims to identify victims which have contributed to their won victimisation
• Criticisms of critical victimology-

  -Walkate- need to pay attention to the role of the state as they have the power to socially construct victimhood

  -Sclater (feminist)- in DV punching and kicking are recongnised as abusive but manipulation isn't leading to women sometimes not being recognised as victims

  -NR- neglects the view that some victims may be responsible for crimes committed against them e.g. no CCTV