Victimology

Question 1

What is victimology

Answer 1

The study of victims which attempts to identify whether some people are more likely to be victims and why

Question 2

What is a victim

Answer 2

Those who have suffered harm through acts of violence at the law of the state

Question 3

Increasing importance of victims in the criminal justice system

Answer 3

Growing emphasis on restorative justice.
Victims of low level crime will be able to select a punishment
Police giving priority to victims account

Question 4

evidence that the cjs are more victim centred

Answer 4

*victims being consumers of the cjs. needs to meet the needs of victims.
*restorative justice
*victims with low level crime can choose the punishment

Question 5

effects of victimisation: physical and emotional impact on victims

Answer 5

in addition to any physical crimes caused by crime victims often experience other emotional impact
disrupted sleep, difficulty’s in social situations

Question 6

effects of victimisation: creation of indirect victims

Answer 6

friends, relatives and witnesses of crime

Question 7

effects of victimisation: creation of waves of harm

Answer 7

hate crimes against minorities may cause a wave of harm that radiate and effect others

Question 8

effects of victimisation: secondary victimisation

Answer 8

the idea that in addition to the inpact of crime itself, individuals may suffer further victimisation at the cjs

Question 9

effects of victimisation: fear of victimisation

Answer 9

crime may make people scared of getting labels as a victim

Question 10

positive victimology, miers

Answer 10

It focuses on interpersonal crimes of violence.
It aims to identify the factors that produce patterns in victimisation. These factors include:
‘Victim proneness’: characteristics of victims that make them different from, and more vulnerable than, non-victims e.g. low intelligence of victims and behaviour of the victim are to blame.
‘Victim precipitation’: behaviours that make victims to blame for their own victimisation.
Therefore positivist victimology aims to identify victims who have contributed to their own victimisation.

Question 11

criminal victimology

Answer 11

A left-wing approach based on conflict theories such as Marxism and feminism. Critical victimologists look at how wider social issues, including the CJS, produce victimisation. They believe that structural factors – such as patriarchy and poverty, place powerless groups at greater risk of victimisation. Therefore it criticises positivist victimology for failing to take account of structural inequalities. Some reasons for victimisation according to critical victimologists:

Social deprivation means that it’s the weakest/most deprived citizens who are most likely to be victims.

A lack of protection for certain groups (e.g. ethnic minorities) by the CJS, and social inequalities e.g. patriarchy meaning that men are socialised into a sense of superiority over women.

They also argue that the state has the power to apply or deny the label of victim – ‘victim’ is a social construct and through the CJS, the state applies the label of victim to some but withholds it from others (e.g. some cases of domestic abuse

Question 12

patterns of victimisation, class

Answer 12

Adults from the 10% most deprived areas were almost twice as likely to be victims of violent crime compared to adults from the 10% most affluent areas.

Lone parents and the unemployed are more than twice as likely to be burgled as the average household.

In 2004, 67 per cent of the homeless population suffered a theft, compared to 1.4 per cent of all adults in England and Wales

Question 13

patterns of victimisation, age

Answer 13

Most victims are in their 20s and 30s, so as with crime in general, young people are more likely to be victims of domestic abuse than older people.

Households headed by young people are more than twice as likely to be burgled as the average household.

8 per cent of children aged 10 to 15 have experienced violent crimes in the last year; 5 per cent have experienced violence with injury.

Question 14

patterns of victimisation, gender

Answer 14

90% of domestic violence victims are women, only 10% are men.

Women from low-income households (less than £10 000) were 3.5 times more likely to be victims compared to women from households earning more than £20 000.

Two women every week are killed in England and Wales by a former or current partner.

A 2017 survey found that 54% of Trans people have reported experiencing a negative incident outside their home, as have 40% of LGBT people.

Young, men are at greater risk of violence in public places.

Question 15

patterns of victimisation, ethnicity

Answer 15

Most hate crimes are due to someone’s ethnic background, followed by religion.

In 2017/18 and 2019/20, almost half (49%) of homicide victims aged 15 to 17 and 37% of victims aged 18 to 20 were from the Black ethnic group.

People of mixed ethnic origin were also at higher risk of becoming a victim (11 per cent) of a personal crime than people from Asian (6 per cent) and White (6 per cent) ethnic groups.

More than half of people from Bangladeshi and Pakistani ethnic backgrounds still live in low-income households, making them more prone to being victims.

Question 16

patterns of victimisation, religion

Answer 16

Around 50% of religiously motivated hate crimes are against Muslims.

Antisemitic crimes have also been increasing steadily.

Question 17

theories and victimisation. positive victimisation

Answer 17

Some people in society are more or less likely to invite victimisation upon themselves (Miers).

For example, a sex worker or drug user is more likely to be victim prone due to risk taking behaviour and putting themselves in dangerous situations.

For this reason, they may see working class people or women are more likely to be victim prone, but with a focus on the ways these people invite victimisation upon themselves.

Question 18

theories and victimisation, criminal victimologists

Answer 18

Critical victimologists also recognise that victims of crime are more likely to be marginalised people (ethnic minorities, the poor, women) but that this is due to structural issues which leave these people powerless and vulnerable to victimisation (Tombs and Whyte).

For example, women are more likely to engage in sex work as their only option for income, therefore leaving them in a vulnerable position as victims.

Question 19

theories and victimology, marxism

Answer 19

Marxists recognise that the victims of crime are often the proletariat as the ruling class have the means to protect themselves.

Victims of corporate crime are usually the most powerless and marginalised people (Tombs and Whyte) e.g. those in poor, developing countries who have been exploited by big business (Bhopal, or Bangladesh factory collapse).

The proletariat are also victims of the CJS which criminalises them more readily than the ruling class.

Question 20

theories and victimisation, feminism

Answer 20

Women are more likely to experience crimes which oppress them and take away their power. They are vulnerable to domestic violence – 2 women per week are killed by a partner according to Refuge.

Dobash and Dobash note that this occurs when women try to challenge their husband’s authority at home, suggesting patriarchy is the cause of such violence.

Men experience more violent crime out in public, which Feminists might argue is due to men trying to accomplish masculinity (Messerschmidt).

Question 21

theories and victimisation, realism

Answer 21

Both left and right realists agree that the working classes and ethnic minority groups are most likely to be victims of crime, while also stating that the evidence shows that they are the perpetrators. This is “intra-crime” – crime committed within a social group against other members of that same group.

Right realists might argue that we need to prevent victimisation ourselves by implementing target hardening measures on our property, and reducing the opportunity that others have to commit crimes against us (Clarke).

Left realists take a more critical view, arguing that crimes take places in areas where poverty and marginalisation are high (Lea and Young). Preventing these things will prevent victimisation

Question 22

theories and victimisation

Answer 22

We should focus on victims’ experiences of crime and the harm caused in order to understand victimisation from an individual perspective. A focus on social harm is more useful than simply stating who has been a victim in the eyes of the law, as laws are outdated (link to Henry and Milovanic).