Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Forensic Psych > Public And Crime: Victims And Fear Of Crime > Flashcards

Public And Crime: Victims And Fear Of Crime Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
Psychology 101 flashcards GRE® Psychology flashcards
1
Q

Does public opinion affect the criminal justice system?

A

Yes prime is a public issue. Public concern about crime needs to be understood as it may affect how justice is delivered.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What law came in the US due to the public’s attitudes towards crime?

A

Megan’s law.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Ainsworth and Moss (2000) – UK University criminal justice students

A

Public’s perception of rates of crime often inaccurate

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Howitt, 1992, 1998

A

Unrealistic to expect the public to have an accurate perception of crime rates.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What did Doherty (1990) believe was more important about the general public’s knowledge of crime?

A

The perception of the extent to which society might be becoming increasingly criminal and risky.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Is crime on the increase or the decrease in the UK?

A

It is 14% lower than in 2012–2013. Lowest estimate since 1981.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Victims and Fear of Crime:

Is fear of crime important in politics?

A

Governments may actively try to influence the general public with the use of fear.
The less fear of crime, the better job the government is doing.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What were the results from the British Crime Survey (2003)?

A

21% worried about violent crime
15% worried about burglary
Women more worried than men
There is a belief that crime is increasing, more likely to worry about crime.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Victims and Fear of Crime:

How is fear of crime influenced?

A
  1. Direct knowledge about crimes in the immediate community and beyond (e.g. direct experience of crime)
  2. Mass Media - Focus on serious and sensational crimes
  3. Aspects of our personality and social characteristics - feeling lonely, poor education, believing neighbours are untrustworthy, lack of vigilance associated with increased fear of crime (Bazargan, 1994)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Victims and Fear of Crime:

Who created the Fear-Victimisation Paradox and what is it?

A

Clark, 2004

States there is no clear relationship between fear of crime and victimisation rates

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What two groups have the biggest fear of crime?

A

Elderly report highest levels of fear (Bazargan, 1994)

Women more fearful than men - particularly of violent crimes by strangers in a public place (Stanko, 1995)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Who are the most likely victims of crime?

A

Young males at highest risk overall.
Men most at risk of an attack by a stranger.
Women more likely to be attacked by someone they know (e.g. acquaintance rape, marital rape)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Is fear of crime a significant feature in people’s lives?

A

No, fear of crime is actually a relatively low significant feature in their lives.
(Farrall and Gadd, 2004)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Victims and Fear of Crime:

Crime phobia - Clark, 2004

A

Similar to other phobias like social phobia, agoraphobia, blood-injury phobia.
Findings suggest fear of crime is not like a phobia.
Fear of crime is not dysfunctional or irrational.
Crime measures may not actually be measuring the emotion of fear.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Victims and Fear of Crime:

What is the social context of crime?

A

The path from commission of the crime to punishment of the offender is complex. Crime is not simply a product of the mind of the criminal, it is a social product.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Victims and Fear of Crime:

What are the three important theories on the fear of crime?

A

Cultivation theory
Available Heuristic theory
Cognitive theory

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Victims and Fear of Crime:

Who created the cultivation theory and what is it?

A

Gerbner, 1972

Assumption that mass media, television in particular, are means of cultural transmission and affect fear of crime.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Victims and Fear of Crime:

Does the Cultivation Theory hold up?

A

Relationship between a heavy viewing and a distorted perception of crime and violence is statistically weak.
Type of neighbourhood and demographic characteristics of sample render the relationship negligible. (Ditton et al, 2004)
Findings have not been replicated in other communities (e.g. UK; Gunter, 1987).
Approach is perhaps to a basic (Liska and Baccaglini, 1990) - in communities where people feel unsafe, local newspapers covered more crime.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Victims and Fear of Crime:

Who created the Availability Heuristic Theory and what is it?

A

Shrum, 1996
It is the extent to which the media (or other factors) create vivid and excess of all images of crime in people’s minds, this imagery will be quickly accessed and influence fear of crime.
Findings supported by other research (Vitelli and Endler, 1993)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Victims and Fear of Crime:

What is Cognitive Theory and who created it?

A

Winkel, 1998

Fear is hypothesised to be a product of risk X seriousness.
Subjective victimisation: beliefs about the likelihood or risk of being a victim.
Perceived negative impact: belief about the seriousness of the consequences of crime.

21
Q

Victims and Fear of Crime:

What evidence is there to support the cognitive theory?

A

Tested with variety of crime victims and control groups (Winkel, 1998).

But evidence remains that some victims are profoundly affected by their victimisation (i.e. no downward comparison purposes; Miethe, 1995).
Much more to learn about public’s perception of and fear about crimes.
Who is most at risk of the consequences of victimisation.

22
Q

Victims and Fear of Crime:

What has changed for victims in the criminal justice system?

A

There is an increasing importance for victims.
UN declaration of basic principles of justice for victims of crime and abuse of power (1985)
Sympathetic treatment of rape victims of child witnesses

23
Q

Victims and Fear of Crime:

What is victimology?

A

Victim – offender interface
Original focus on the victim characteristics which increased likelihood of victimisation.
Recent focus on how psychology can help victims

24
Q

Victims and Fear of Crime:

What is a psychological consequence of being victimised?

A

Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

25
Q

Victims and Fear of Crime:

How does APA define PTSD?

A

An anxiety problem that develops in some individuals after extremely traumatic events, such as combat crime, an accident or natural disaster (APA, 2000)

26
Q

Victims and Fear of Crime:

What is post-traumatic stress disorder and some of its symptoms?

A

Reliving of the event via intrusive memories, flashbacks, nightmares.
Avoiding anything that reminds them of the trauma.
Severe anxiety which disrupts day-to-day life.
Persistent enduring symptoms (> 1 month).

27
Q

According to DSM-V, what are the stressors of PTSD?

A

A stressor is death, threatened death, actual or threatened serious injury or sexual violence):
Direct exposure
Witnessing in person
Indirect exposure
Repeated or extreme indirect exposure to aversive details

28
Q

According to DSM–V, what are the intrusion symptoms of PTSD?

A 
Recurrent, repetitive intrusive memories
Nightmares
Dissociative reactions
Intense, prolonged distress
Marked physiological reactions
29
Q

According to DSM–V, what is avoidance in PTSD?

A

Trauma related thoughts or feelings

Trauma related external reminders

30
Q

According to DSM–V, what are the negative alterations in cognitions and mood of PTSD?

A

Dissociative amnesia
Persistent negative beliefs and expectations about oneself or the world
Persistent blame of self or others
Persistent negative trauma related emotions
Diminished interest in activities
Feelings of detachment
Constricted effect

31
Q

According to DSM–V, what are the alterations in arousal and mood of PTSD?

A 
Irritable/aggressive behaviour
Self-destructive behaviour
Hypervigilance
Exaggerated startled response
Poor concentration
Sleep disturbance
32
Q

According to DSM–V, what is the duration of PTSD?

A

> 1 month

33
Q

According to DSM–V, what is the functional significance of PTSD?

A

Distress/functional impairment

34
Q

According to DSM–V, what are the exclusions of PTSD?

A

Medication, substance abuse or medical condition

35
Q

Victims and Fear of Crime:

What is the prevalence of PTSD?

A

Victims of crime (Winkel, 2007):
10–15%
Conservative estimate

Offenders (Collins and Bailey, 1990)
2% suffered before committing the crime
Violent behaviour three times more likely with PTSD than without in combat veterans (Begic and Begic, 2001)
15% suffered after committing the crime
Typically associated with reactive violence (unplanned, known victim, provoked; Pollock, 1999)

36
Q

Victims and Fear of Crime:

What is the Stress Response Theory, Horowitz, 1986?

A

It is a factor in PTSD
Event fundamentally disturbs victims beliefs about the world, future and themselves.
Complex psychological situation – opposing reactions.
Defensive mechanism – avoiding memories of the trauma.
Healing mechanism – working with the memories to deal with the trauma.

37
Q

Victims and Fear of Crime:

What is the conditioning theory, Keane et al., 1985?

A

It is a factor of PTSD
Two-state process
Traumatic event naturally produces a fear response.
Aspects of the traumatic situation which are not fear provoking in themselves are conditioned to be fear arousing by association.
Avoidance memories reinforce conditioned responding and PTSD is maintained.

38
Q

Victims and Fear of Crime:

What is the Dual Representation Theory (Brewin et al., 1996)?

A

It is a factor of PTSD
Ordinary memories and traumatic memories are fundamentally different.
Trauma memories problematic when dissociated from ordinary memories.
Recovery depends on transforming trauma memories into ordinary memories.

39
Q

Give a little perspective on PTSD

A

Serious condition.
Not always associated with violent crime (Shaw and Pease, 2002).
Not everyone experiencing symptoms will develop PTSD – Andrews and Rose (2000) 44% did not develop PTSD.
Other serious adverse consequences of trauma – depression, substance misuse, anxiety.
Victims of crime need help to deal with the emotional and psychological consequences regardless.

40
Q

Victims and Fear of Crime:

What is retributive justice?

A

It focuses on an imposed punishment of the offender by the criminal justice system.

41
Q

Victims and Fear of Crime:

What is restorative justice?

A

If focuses on repairing the harm done by criminal activity through cooperation of all parties involved.
All those harmed are the focus (victim, victims family, offender, offenders family, community etc.)
Healing and reintegration of the main objectives.

42
Q

Victims and Fear of Crime:

What are the outcomes of restorative justice?

A

Satisfied victim.
Offender feels they have had fair treatment.
Mediation between offender and victim to identify the factors that led to the crime.

43
Q

Victims and Fear of Crime:

What is the victim-offender mediation programme?

A

Meeting between victim and offender aiming to resolve conflict and constructing own approach towards justice.
Research shows high satisfaction rates, victim participation rates, restitution completion rates, reduced fear in victims, and reduced reoffending rates. (Umbreit et al., 1994)

44
Q

What is the conferencing programmes?

A

Similar to a victim offender mediation programs but extended to families, community support groups, police, social welfare, and attorneys.
Positive outcomes with juvenile offenders (Van Ness and Strong, 1997).

45
Q

What are other restorative justice strategies?

A

Circles, Ex offender assistance, restitution, community service etc.

46
Q

What groups are central to bringing crimes into the criminal justice system?

A

Victims are central to this but other important groups are police, witnesses etc.

47
Q

Victims and Fear of Crime:

What factors are involved in victims deciding to report a crime? (Greenberg and Beach, 2001, 2004)

A

Talking to others about their victimisation.
Type of advice given to the Victim: calling the police most influential.
Type of crime: burglaries more likely than theft.
Victims decision-making processes in property crimes: reward/cost driven, affect driven, socially driven.

48
Q

What is counterfactual thinking?

A

Imagining different outcomes to an event other than what actually happened, “if only… “

49
Q

How does counterfactual thinking affect crime reporting?

A

Increases negative emotion experienced.
The easier it is to complete the “if only… “ sentence, the more we tend to blame ourselves.
If the victim was engaging in their typical routine when the crime occurred, they are less likely to report it (Miller et al., 2010).

Forensic Psych (10 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions