Victims Of Crime

• Main Factors

  Racism against minorities leading to hate crimes

  Institutional racism in the police leading to inadequate protection

  Other factors such as age, unemployment etc.
• Racist Victimisation


  •When an individual is selected as a target of crime due to their ethnicity, race or religion
• •Racist incident = an incident that is perceived to be racially motivated by the victim
• •Racially / religiously aggravated offence = where the offender is motivated by displaying hostility towards to victim
• Hate Crime

  •Hate crime is underreported – the CSEW estimated 89,000 racially motivated incidents in 2014/15.•In 2014/15, 38,000 racially or religiously motivated offences were recorded•It is likely these figures have increased after a reported hate crime surge following Brexit and recent terror attacks.
• Risk Of Crime By Ethnic Group

  •The risk of being a victim of all crime varies by ethnic group.•The 2014/15 official stats showed that people of mixed ethnicity had the highest risk of being a victim of crime:–Mixed (28%)–Black (18%)–Asian (16%)–White (16%)
• Racist victimisation – ethnic minorities are more at risk than white people due to racist views held by some leading to racist victimisation
• Racist victimisation – ethnic minorities are more at risk than white people due to racist views held by some leading to racist victimisation
• Risk factors for victimisation

  • Youth
  • Maleness
  • Unemployment
• Risk factors for victimisation

  • Youth
  • Maleness
  • Unemployment
• Ethnic minorities with large numbers of young males are likely to have higher rates of victimisation
• Ethnic minorities with large numbers of young males are likely to have higher rates of victimisation (remember ethnic minorities are more likely to face job discrimination & unemployment, and immigrant populations especially are younger than the population average)
• Ethnic minorities are more likely to face job discrimination & unemployment, and immigrant populations especially are younger than the population average
• Crime disproportionately takes place in urban areas
• Crime disproportionately takes place in urban areas
• Sociologists have argued crime happens especially in areas with high population turnover (due to migration)
• Sociologists have also argued this happens especially in areas with high population turnover (due to migration)
• What are the responses to victimisation from ethnic minority communities

  •Situational crime measures = fireproof doors••Organised self-defence = campaign groups to help physical defence stategies
• Ethnic minorities are more likely to live in these urban areas with high population turnover and so are more likely to be victims of crime
• Ethnic minorities are more likely to live in these areas and so are more likely to be victims of crime
• The police have been accused of not doing enough to protect ethnic minorities and investigate reported incidents
• What is meant by the idea that ethnic minorities are over policed but underprotected?

  •Police have been critisised for over-representing minority groups of being criminals, but fail to protect/investigate cases where minority groups are the victim.•Stephen Lawrence inquiry is a good example of this
• Institutional racism – the police have been accused of not doing enough to protect ethnic minorities and investigate reported incidents
• If we believe that crime is based on 'rational choice'


  The police efforts may not be enough to discourage crime against ethnic minorities
• If we believe that crime is based on 'rational choice'


  The police efforts may not be enough to discourage crime against ethnic minorities
• Institutional racism – the police have been accused of not doing enough to protect ethnic minorities and investigate reported incidents