Chapter 5

Question 1

What are victimization surveys ?

Answer 1

Large, randomly selected groups are asked about their victimization during a specific time period.
Helps to measure crimes that are not reported
Has limitations

Question 2

What are limitations of victimization surveys ?

Answer 2

Victimization surveys usually done by phone so people who don’t have access to phones won’t be contacted that mainly includes poor people, prisons, indigenous and also immigrants who don’t understand English nor French.

Question 3

What are self-report surveys ?

Answer 3

A survey asking respondents about the frequency and types of crime they have committed.
Also has limitations

Question 4

What is “risk factor” ?

Answer 4

Those things that make something more likely to occur.

Example: Being young

• Does not explain why it is more likely to occur*

Question 5

What do “theories” do in law?

Answer 5

Seek to relationship

Question 6

What does it mean by “macro” ?

Answer 6

Larger social causes

Example : Where an individual lives aka the city

Question 7

What does it mean by “micro” or “individual” ?

Answer 7

Social causes individual

Example: What family the individual lives with, the neighborhood, what friends they hang out with

Question 8

What are the 3 trends of victimization ?

Answer 8

1. Aging out of crime : Older we get, less likely we are to offend
2. Regional differences : ( North, west to east)
3. Gender gap : Men have higher likeliness to offend in any and all crime

Question 9

What are the risk factors of crime ?

Answer 9

1. Age
2. Region
3. Relationships
4. Gender
5. Social status/income
6. Climate
7. Previous victimization

Question 10

Why is “age” a risk factor for crime ?

Answer 10

15-24 year olds most likely to engage in crime and be victims of crime.
Young people more likely to having a lifestyle that can make them engage in crimes like going out when it is dark, drinking, going to random people’s houses

Question 11

Why is “region” a risk factor to crime ?

Answer 11

Urban vs rural ( Depends on what crime it is and what area it was at)
Crime more in the north, west and east

Question 12

Why is “relationship” a risk factor to crime?

Answer 12

Victims usually know the offender.

Property offences usually done by an unknown

Question 13

Why is “gender” a risk factor to crime?

Answer 13

Men are much more likely to commit crimes
Men and woman have similar levels of victimization but for different crimes each.

Example : Men are more likely to get assaulted/killed by an unknown compared to women where it is more likely for them to get assaulted/killed by a known member

Question 14

Why is “social status/income” a risk factor to crime ?

Answer 14

The poor are more likely to be victimized

Crime rates tend to be higher in poorer neighborhoods

Question 15

Why is “climate” a risk factor to crime ?

Answer 15

Crimes may become affected by the weather or the time of the year.

Example: Offenders don’t want to commit crimes if there is a snowstorm or slippery ice, etc

Question 16

Why is “previous victimization” a risk factor to crime?

Answer 16

Prior victimization is a strong predictor for future victimization

Question 17

What are the 3 categories that can increase the potential for victimization ?

Answer 17

1. Target vulnerability : Victim’s physical weakness or psychological distress may make them easier targets.
2. Target gratifiability : The victim has some quality or possession that the offender wants to obtain.
3. Target antagonism : The characteristic of the victim may arouse anger, jealousy, or destructive impulses in the offender.

Question 18

What is the “victim precipitation theory” ?

Answer 18

Some victims may initiate the confrontation which leads to their victimization

Question 19

What are the 2 categories of the victim precipitation theory?

Answer 19

1. Active precipitation : Intentional, aggressive, provoke
   Example : Husband abuses wife, provokes wife to fight back, wife fight back.

2 Passive precipitation : Unintentional, unknowing, mostly happens due to sadness, jealousy
Example : Jack and Jill break up, Jill 2 weeks later dates Bob, Jack beats up Bob for dating Jill

Question 20

What is the “equivalent group theory” ?

Answer 20

Victims and offenders share similar characteristics because they share similar lifestyles.

Question 21

What are the 5 categories for the “equivalent group theory” ?

Answer 21

1. Hanging around offenders, more likely to be victim,
2. Criminal actions provoke others, more likely to be victim,
3. Reluctant to call police(norms, moral code, snitching) more likely to be victim
4. More valuable targets
5. Less interest/focus by media,public and police

Question 22

What is the “proximity hypothesis” ?

Answer 22

People become victims of crime because they live or work in areas with large criminal populations.

More about where you live rather then how you live

Question 23

What is a “victim impact statement”?

Answer 23

A statement a victim may present to the court to describe the harm down as a result of a crime.

Usually presented after conviction, before sentencing, judge has to allow it in court but does not need to consider it for sentencing

Question 24

What are primary victims ?

Answer 24

Directly harmed as a result of the victimization experience.

Question 25

What are secondary victims ?

Answer 25

Not directly impacted by the events but may be a witness or involved in dealing with the after-effects of the event.

Question 26

What are tertiary victims ?

Answer 26

Not directly impacted by the event ( as victim or witness ) but may still suffer repercussions.

Repercussions : an unintended consequence occurring some time after an event or action, especially an unwelcome one.

Question 27

What are direct victims ?

Answer 27

A person who is present at the time of victimization and experiences harm.

Question 28

What are indirect victims ?

Answer 28

A person who is not immediately affected by the victimization, but nonetheless suffers in some way as a result of it.

Question 29

What is the actual victim ?

Answer 29

A person who is the direct target of the victimization.

Question 30

What are vicarious victims ?

Answer 30

A person who does not experience direct victimization but nonetheless responds as if they had been victimized directly after learning of the event.

Question 31

What are designated victims ?

Answer 31

The actual person does not think they are a victim but other people think they are.

Usually seen in abusive relationships, girl is a victim of abuse but does not want to admit it since the boyfriend still shows love

Question 32

What are rejected victims ?

Answer 32

When the actual person believes they are a victim but the people around her do not believe she is a victim.

• If a girl gets raped at a party while she was drunk, her friends might be like “it wasnt rape” and reject her*

Question 33

What are non-victims ?

Answer 33

When the actual person does not believe they are a victim and the people around them has well think they are not a victim.