victims of crime

Question 1

what is victimology?

Answer 1

-victim-centered approach to crime: emphasizing their unique experiences

Question 2

who is a victim?

Answer 2

-the definition can be quite clear (someone assaulted, robbed, defrauded…etc)
-often tied to notion of culpability (guilt)

Question 3

examples of crime w/ no culpability?

Answer 3

-2 boxers fighting professionally and someone gets lethally hit –> will not be criminally charged due to lack of criminal intent/contract of the sport
-car accident where the crime was beyond the driver’s control

Question 4

3 different categories of victims

Answer 4

-primary, secondary, tertiary

Question 5

what is a primary victim

Answer 5

those DIRECTLT harmed by an event/exp (someone assaulted, robbed…etc)

Question 6

what are secondary victims

Answer 6

those who were NOT directly harmed by an event but still suffer/adversely impacted by it (witnessing a crime happen causing psychological trauma/neg exp)

Question 7

what are tertiary victims

Answer 7

-those who are removed from the victimizing event and do not exp direct harm
-may still exp neg repercussions from the event (ex. family related to the crime even though not witnessing/directly harmed)
-ex. a bar fight

Question 8

vicarious (indirect) victims?

Answer 8

-those who do not exp direct victimization but may still respond as if they had (witnessing a robbery, paranoia from the news)
-tertiary/secondary victims

Question 9

actual (direct) victims

Answer 9

-individual DOES regard themselves as a victim

Question 10

ongoing process of victimization (4)

Answer 10

-lingering negative feelings
-stress, anger, guilt, fear, helplessness, anxiety, frustration…etc
-some may become more violent, self destructive, or reckless possibly more likely to become victimizers themselves (domestic violence, child abuse, witnessing such events that get internalized)
-prolonged troubles: PTSD, traumatic responses…etc (post victimization conditions)
-many additional time and financial costs of victimization

Question 11

why do victims of crime not report? (8)

Answer 11

-fear of repercussion
-shame, guilt, embarrassment
-low trust in the CJS
-unhelpful police or medical personnel
-can be a time-consuming and heavily involved process (financially)
-may not perceive themselves as victims
-want to handle things ‘personally’ without law law enforcement
-might not see their victimization as important enough for police involvement

Question 12

current issues with victimization?

Answer 12

-disparity between the funds/resources committed to apprehending and punishing offenders and the amounts that are available to help/support victims
-limited resources available to ‘direct’ victims –> questions if their is enough justice achieved?

Question 13

victims bill of rights

Answer 13

-intention of enshrining the victims’s rights into law at the federal level
-right to information, protection, participation, restitution

Question 14

victim impact statement (benefits?)

Answer 14

-a written, verbal statement composed (and often delivered) by victims to the offenders in court
-allows victims to address their victimizers directly
–> often include an accounting of how their victimization has impacted their life to help find healing/closure
-benefits: more cultural awareness of prev ‘unheard’ victims esp sexual assault in media and how certain victims are portrayed/not portrayed

Question 15

what is an ideal victim?

Answer 15

-female
-white
-perceived as innocent
-seen as not responsible for victimization
-well integrated socially (many friends, family, etc)
-moderate/higher ses
-seen as conventionally attractive
-quite young or quite old (vulnerable pop.)
–> such victims seen as fully deserving of their ‘victim status’ and are likely to receive sympathetic media coverage

Question 16

example case study of an ideal victim?

Answer 16

natalee holloway
-18-year-old from Alabama, disappeared while on a high school graduation trip to Aruba. Her case received intense international media coverage, fueled by her age, appearance, and the mysterious circumstances of her disappearance.

-Why She Was Seen as an Ideal Victim:

Holloway was a young, attractive woman who seemed vulnerable and was on a celebratory trip.
The mystery surrounding her disappearance, combined with the image of an innocent young woman, created a strong narrative of an “ideal victim.”
The media consistently portrayed her as a young girl with a promising future, which amplified public sympathy and calls for justice.

Question 17

non-ideal victim?

Answer 17

Minority status
Perceived of being deviant or criminal in some way
Believed to being responsible to the victimization
‘Socially undesirable’
Less deserving of victim status
Living in poverty, homeless, lower socioeconomic status
Struggling w/ addiction and/ or mental health
Not well-integrated socially
Less likely to receive media coverage or sympathy
E.g. robert pickton, mmiw, residential school victims

Question 18

example of a case study of a non-ideal victim?

Answer 18

robert pickton
Confessed to murdering 49 women over a 20 year period (1983-2002)
Many of these women were sex workers → considered non ideal victims because they are ‘socially undesirable’ and there was less media coverage/coverage at all about the victims.