victimology

• United Nations definition of victim


  This term:

  - someone who has suffered harm (including mental, physical, emotional suffering, economic loss and impairment of the basic rights) through acts or omissions that violate the laws of the state.
• Christie


  This sociologist:

  - Victim is a concept like crime that is socially constructed, who is and isn't a victim changes depending on the context.

  - Stereotype used by Media and CJS is often weak, vulnerable old, female,or child.
• Victimology


  This term:

  - the study of victims
• Positivist victimology (Miers)


  This type:

  - Focuses on the PATTERNS of Victimology (why some groups are more likely to be a victim) and CAUSE AND EFFECT.

  - Focused on interpersonal crimes of VIOLENCE.

  - It aims to identify victims who have contributed/CAUSED their own victimisation.
• Victim proneness (Hans Von Hentig)


  This term/Sociologist:

  - This term means to find the social and psychological characteristics that made them more vulnerable to become a victim.

  - He Included 13 characteristics, e.g. female, elderly, lower intelligence and lifestyle factors.

  - Implication is that in some way 'invite' victimisation
• Example of Positivist victimology (Wolfgang)


  This study:

  - 588 homicides in Philidelphia.

  - He found that 26% involved victim precipitation, that the victim tiggered the events leading up to the homicide.
• Victim precipitation


  This term:

  - the victim triggered the events leading to the homicide. E.g. using violence first.
• Evaluation of positivist victimology

  Evaluation includes:

  - Wolfgangs research highlights the importance of victim-offender relationships and often with homicides it is a matter of chance who becomes the victim.

  - this approach identifies PATTERNS of interpersonal victimisation BUT ignores the wider structural factors such as class and patriarchy.

  - It can also be accused of victim blaming.

  - It also ignores situations where the victim DOESN'T know they are victims, and also ignores crimes against the environment - where there is no victim.
• Critical victimology


  This view:

  - based on conflict theories such as Marxist and Feminist, and shares the same approach as critical criminology.
• Structural factors


  This term:

  - part of critical Victimology

  - Patriarchy and poverty which place powerless groups such as women and poor at a greater risk of victimisation.

  - Victimisation is a form of structural powerlessness
• structural powerlessness


  This term:

  - Used by Mawby and Walklate to suggest that being female OR poor means less power resulting in more victimisation.
• Denial of the victim status


  This term refers to:

  - The state through the CJS apply the victim status to some and not to others.

  - E.g. Not prosecuting a man who beats his wife.
• Tombs and Whyte


  These Marxist sociologists:

  - E.g. Employers flout health and safety BUT blame it on 'accident-prone' workers.

  - Ideological function of de-labelling

  - Hides the true extent of victimisation and the causes of it.

  - Hides crimes of the poweful (such as corporate crime) and denies the victims.

  - In the HIERARCHY OF VICTIMISATION the POOR/POWERLESS are more likely to be victimised BUT less likely to have it acknowledged by the state/government.
• Evaluation of Critical Victimology

  Evaluation includes:

  - Ignores the role of the victims in bringing victimisation on themselves, e.g. not making their home secure.

  - However, it is useful to highlight the way that 'victim' status is constructed by power and how this benefits the powerful at the expense of the powerless.
• Patterns of Victimisation: Age

  This group:

  - Younger people are more at risk of victimisation. - Those most likely to be murdered are victims under 1

  - although teenagers are more likely to be victims of assault, sexual harassment , theft or abuse at home.
• Patterns of Victimisation: Class

  This group:

  - The poorest groups are more likely to be victimised. Crime rates are typically highest in areas of high unemployment and deprivation.
• Patterns of victimisation - ethnicity

  This group:

  Minority groups are at greater risk of being victims of crime in general as well as racially motivated crime. In relation to the police, minority, the young and the homeless report feeling under protected and over controlled.
• Patterns of victimisation: Gender


  This group:

  Men are more likely to be victims of violent attacks by strangers whilst women are more likely to be victims of domestic violence, sexual violence, stalking and harassment.
• Repeat Victimisation


  This term:

  This refers to the fact that if you have been a victim once you are more likely to be a victim again. According to the BCS 4% of the population are victims of 44% of the crime committed in any given year
• Impact of Victimisation


  The result:

  Crime may have a serious physical or emotional impact on its victim e.g. Feelings of helplessness, increased security-consciousness. May also create indirect victims e.g. Families.