control, punishment and victims

Question 1

What are two features of victimology ?

Answer 1

Critical victimology
Positivity victimology

Question 2

What are the 3 features of positivist victimology ?

Answer 2

Miers (1989) says the three features of positivist victimology are:
>aims to identify the factors that produce patterns in victimization-especially those that make some individuals or groups more likely to be victims.
>It focuses on interpersonal crimes of violence.
>It aims to identify victims who have contributed to their own victimization.

Answer 3

Hans Von Hentig (1948) identify 13 characteristics of victims such as that they are likely to be females, elderly or ‘mentally subnormal’.
Victims in some sense ‘invite’ victimisation by being the kind of person that they are. This can also include lifestyle;e factors such as victims who ostentatiously display their wealth.

Question 4

Give an example of positivist victimology study ?

Answer 4

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

Question 5

What are 3 evaluation points of positivist victimology?

Answer 5

Victim blames- Amir claim that 1 in 5 rapes, are victim precipitated, this like saying they “ asked for it”
Ignores situations where victims are unaware of their victimization e.g environmental crime, harm is done but no law is broken

Question 6

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

Answer 6

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 7

Explain critical victimology structural factoers.
E.g

Answer 7

E.g Patriarchy and poverty
places powerless groups at greater risk of victimization

Question 8

What are 2 evaluation points of critical Victimology?

Answer 8

Disregards the role victims may play in bringing victimisation 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 9

What are the patterns of victimisation?

Answer 9

Class
Age
Ethnicity
Gender
Repeat victimisation

Question 10

What is class victimisation?

Answer 10

The poorest groups are more likely to be victimised.
E.g Crime rates are typically highest areas of high unemployment in deprivation.
2006 survey found that homeless people where 12x more likely to have been victims of violence.