Final Flashcards
Why might people get hurt?
Victim proneness
individual vulnerability
personal accountability for one’s misfortunes
Why are some victims such as mobsters, gang members, and drug dealers somewhat responsible, for the crimes against them?
They put themselves in illegal situations
Why are victims who are law-abiding citizens somewhat responsible for crimes against them?
Making bad choices
events that could have been avoided
set up opportunities for crimes to be committed
Definition of victim facilitation:
action taken by the victim that unwittingly assists the offender.
Example of victim facilitation:
leaving keys in the car and it gets stolen
Definition of victim precipitation:
(usually immoral) actions taken by the victim to contribute to the crime
Example of victim precipitation:
man having an affair with another man’s wife gets beat up
Definition of victim provocation:
actions taken by the victim that instigated the crime
Example of victim provocation:
drunk person assaulting another man in the bar
Victim Blaming
the assumption that the victim and offender are partners in crime, the victim assumed the risk by putting themselves in that situation
Victim defending
challenges whether it is fair to hold the victim accountable for the injuries and losses a wrongdoer inflicts
Conflict Perspective
the various agencies are acting primarily in their own best interest
-people are always criticizing the CJ system
What are the rights of victims?
Retribution, rehabilitation, restitution
Retribution
Offenders who act as predators are punished
Rehabilitation
having experts help wrongdoers become decent, productive, law-abiding citizens
Restitution
seeking to be repaid for monetary loss and/or injury
What is the Police’s role?
first representatives victims encounter, want people to report crime so they can punish the offender=other offenders deterred,
What are the victims expectations when they call the police?
They want the officers the respond right away, in reality calls are prioritized.
Two areas of conflict between victims and police:
- the officers seem removed from and uninterested in the crime
- the officers think the victim lacks credibility and thus discontinues hunt for clues
Unfounding
police reject a victim’s claims as unbelievable or improvable in court
Defounding
detectives believe an offense took place but it is not as serious as the victim described
Crimes most often associated with Mental illness victims:
Theft of property
Physical assault
sexual assault/rape
Murder
Why are the mentally ill targeted?
Can’t think for themselves
Perceived as weak
Not taking medication regularly
Criminal solicitation
promoting the commission of a crime
Victim impact statement definition:
written or oral information from a crime victim, or a victim’s family, in their own words about how a crime has affected them.
Purpose of victim impact statements:
allow victims to describe the impact of the crime during the decision making process
What is the most important aspect of the crime of rape?
lack of consent
Forcible rape
victim reasonable fears bodily harm if they refuse
Victims of an act of God
a natural catastrophe which no one can prevent
victims of catastrophic events
widespread distress, misfortune, total failure
