Crime and victimology Flashcards
Marxism’s view on the CJS?
-CJS reflects the values of the ruling class
-Most crime are committed by the w/c but r/c crime goes undetected
-Chambliss: police more likely to judge w/c as criminal, m/c more likely to be let of for minor crimes
Functionalist view on the CJS?
Reflects the value consensus in society
Dominant ideas on what’s right or wrong
Reflects the social construction ideas on what’s considered illegal
Post modernist view on the CJS?
State control the individual have its power to define who’s criminal and whos not
Foucault: its developing of modernity and has becoming aware of state control, behaviour punishment focusing on mind e.g. cctv
New right in the CJS?
State key role in social control by reform to welfare benefit encouraging individuals to take responsibility for their own welfare
Social control not just via CJS but also via welfare system as social control is economic and ideological
Feminism on the CJS?
Chivalry thesis
Walklate- rape trials put women on trial for rape and crime judged for having masculine traits
-Double jeopardy
Critical race theory on the CJS?
Phillips and Bowling- reflects racism in CJS
Target african and caribbean
Populates
Reforms due to Stephen Lawrence
Still 7x more likely to be stopped and searched and have long prison sentence
What do positivist believe about the CJS?
People are more likely to be victims of crimes than other and patterner’s can be established
Positivist- Miers?
Victims become victims due to characteristic (victim proneness)
Positivist- Von Hentig and Mendelsohn?
Claim that victims are guilty themselves of allowing or encouraging others to make them a victim of a crime (victim precipitation)
Positivist- what is victim precipitation?
Violent crime usually involves the victim starting or participating in violence
Rape victims treated as asking for it
Challanges of positivist?
-Relies on data from victim surveys so invalid
-Focus on crimes like rape etc ignoring white collar crime saging victims are only victims when state look at it
-What about those that aren’t aware they are victims
-The idea of victims precipitation suggests the victim is responsible for crime as the perpetrator
What is critical victimology?
Believes there are patterns in victimisation and we need to look at structural forces when explain why certain groups are more likely to experience crime
Critical victimology- structural forces and how they lead to crime?
Patriarchy can lead to men believing they are above women and that men are superior to women, so they commit acts of domestic violence and rape to assert their power
Capatalism
Critical victimology- why is being a victim of crime more problematic for the poor?
Harder to overcome, if they commit a crime they don’t have the connections that the m/c have to get a job after having a criminal record
Cant pay for support from lawyers and therapy
-Getting anything stolen is hard to financially overcome as m/c can just replace them whereas w/c cant
Critical victimology- victims of white collar, state and corporate crime Kauzlarich?
Poorer victims of state crime have less chance of compensation
-Poor lack of insurance or means to protect themselves and property from crime relationship with police means less likely to report crime, police may give them the stereotype of being troublemakers
Critical victimology- definitions and views of victims?
Who defines this, the police are unlikely to define those that die in police custody’s or those that die in war as victims
Believes we should stop seeing victims as unfortunate and passive but individuals with rights that should be honoured
Critical victimology- Walklate feminist view on victim definitions?
Looks at the way women are victims as less powerful individuals in society, they believe in campaigning for victims can make a difference
Critical victimology- evaluations?
-Requires a change in attitudes from whole of society including media and creation of stereotypes
-Disregards view that victims play in bringing victimisation on themselves via life choices e.g. not making home secure of their own offending (positivist)
-Valuable in drawing attention to the victim status is constructed by power and how this benefits the power at the expense of the powerless
Who are primary victims?
The person to whom the crime is directed
Who are secondary victims?
The experience of reporting the crime e.g. rape victims/domestic violence victims being made to feel guilty for their crimes and have their behaviour scrutinised
What is indirect victimisation?
People close to the victim who may be affected by the crime or people may be disturbed by witnessing crime
What proportion of homeless people suffered theft in 2004 and why?
4%
Victim due to exploited powerless position in capitalist society
r/c have power to decide what constitutes as a victim applied label
Which ethnic group is more at risk of victimisation?
mixed ethnic group- 11%
1/2 Bangladeshi and Pakistani live in lic households so victims
Why are ethnic minority’s less likely to report crime?
Distrust of police due to institutional racism
What crimes are women more likely to be victims of?
DV
Rape/secual violence
Why are males more likely to be victims of crime via strangers?
Less social control
more likely to be in street and gang crime
Why are crimes against children and elderly underestimated?
May be unaware they are victims
Less ability to report crimes e.g. in a care home and suffering abuse
