control, punishment and victims

Question 1

What are the 2 perspectives of victimology?

Answer 1

Positivist victimology
Critical victimology

Question 2

Give an example of a positivist victimology study

Answer 2

Wolfgang’s study of 588 homicides in the USA
Found that 26% involved “victim precipitation” =victim triggered events leading to the homicide e.g. first use of violence

Question 2

What are the 3 features of victimology?

Answer 2

Identify factors producing patterns in victimisation
Relationship between offender and victim
Identify victims who contribute to their own victimisation

Question 3

What are 3 evaluation points of positivist victimology

Answer 3

Victim blames- Amir claims that 1 in 5 rapes, are victim precipitated , this is like saying they ‘asked for it’
Ignores role of offender, putting blame on victim
Ignores situations where victims are unaware of their victimisation e.g. environmental crime, harm is done but no law is broken

Question 4

What is critical victimology based on?
What 2 elements is it based on?

Answer 4

Conflict theories e.g. marxism and feminism, shares the same approach as critical criminology
Structural factors
States power to apply or deny the label of victim

Question 5

Explain critical victimology’s structural factors
E.g.

Answer 5

E.g. patriarchy and poverty
Places powerless groups at greater risk of victimisation

Question 6

Explain critical victimology’s states power to apply or deny the label of the victim

Answer 6

Victim is a social construct in the same way as ‘crime’ and ‘criminal’
In the CJS, state applies the label of victim to some but withholds it from others
E.g. when police decide not to press charges against a man for assaulting his wife, denying her victim status

Question 7

What are 2 evaluation points of critical victimology?

Answer 7

Disregards the role victims may play in bringing victimisation on themselves through their own choices e.g. not making their home secure
Valuable in drawing attention to what the ‘victim’ status is constructed by power and how this benefits the powerful at the expense of the powerless

Question 8

What are the patterns of victimisation

Answer 8

Class
Age
Ethnicity
Gender
Repeat victimisation

Question 9

Explain class victimisation

Answer 9

Poorest groups are more likely to be victimised
E.g. crime rates are typically highest in areas of high unemployment and depravation
2006 survey found that homeless people were 12x more likely to have experienced violence

Question 10

Explain age victimisation

Answer 10

Younger people are at more risk of victimisation
Teenagers more vulnerable to offences e.g. assault, SA, theft, abuse at home
Elderly at risk in care homes where victimisation is less visible