public and crime: victims and fear of crime Flashcards
what are Ainsworth’s stages of crime?
will victim notice?
will victim report?
will police record crime? will offender be caught?
will offender be prosecuted?
will perpetrator be found guilty?
will perpetrator receive sentence?
it is unrealistic to expect the public to have an accurate perception of crime rates
governments influence fear of crime - the less fear of crime, the better the job the government is doing
some political leaders will claim crime is decreasing, while others will claim it is increasing
what did a survey of people’s fear of public crime find? (British crime survey 2003)
21% worried about violent crime
15% worried about burglary
women more worried than men
belief that crime is increasing more likely to worry about crime
how is the fear of crime influenced?
1) direct knowledge about crimes in the immediate community and beyond
2) mass media focus on serious and sensational crimes
3) aspects of our personality and social characteristics - feeling lonely, poor education, feeling as if neighbours are untrustworthy, associated with greater fear if crime
what is the fear- victimisation paradox
no clear relationship between fear of crime and victimisation rates
women more fearful than men
elderly report highest levels of fear of crime
young males at most risk overall
men most at risk of attack by stranger
women more likely to be attacked by someone they know
is fear of crime significant?
Farrall and Gadd found extent to which fear of crime is significant in people’s lives is relatively low
what is the cultivation theory of fear of crime? (Gerbner)
assumption that mass media (especially TV) are means of cultural transmission and affect fear of crime
watching shows high on violence and crime, more likely to perceive the world as full of crime
does the cultivation theory of fear of crime hold up
relationship between heavy viewing and distorted perception of crime and violence is statistically weak
findings have not been replicated in other communities
what its the availability heuristic theory of crime? (Shrum)
extent to which media (or other factors) create vivid and accessible images of crime in people’s minds, which will influence fear of crime
most people don’t spend days thinking about risk of crime in each location based on statistical knowledge of crime rates
people might feel unsafe in some situations (e.g., if memory is triggered)
what is the cognitive theory of fear of crime
fear is hypothesised to be a product of risk x seriousness
belief about risk of being victim, and the perceived negative impact
how has the focus of CJS changed regarding victims?
there is an increasing importance of victims in the CJS
moved from focus on victim characteristics that increase the likelihood of victimisation, to focus on how psychology can help victims
what are the characteristics of PTSD
severe anxiety, avoidance, reliving of event that develops after an extremely traumatic event (stressor)
what is restorative justice and what are the outcomes
focuses on repairing harm done by crime through cooperation of all parties involved
all those harmed are the focus (including victim’s/offender’s families/communities)
outcomes:
- satisfied victim
- offender feels they have had fair treatment
- mediation between offender and victim to identify factors that led to crime
what are some examples of restorative justice
victim-offender mediation programmes:
- meeting between victim and offender, aiming to resolve conflic
- shows high satisfaction rate
conferencing programmes:
- similar to VOMs, but extended to families, community support groups, police, social welfare and attorneys
