victims T14

Question 1

Tierney

Answer 1

positivist victimology involves identifying characteristics/circumstances of victims that make them different to non-victims

Question 2

victim proneness

Answer 2

characteristics making individuals more vulnerable to victimisation

Question 3

Hentig

Answer 3

identified 13 characteristics of victims
e.g. female, elderly, ‘mentally subnormal’

Question 4

victim precipitation

Answer 4

victims actively involved or are to blame e.g. leaving doors open for burglary

Question 5

Wolfgang study

Answer 5

588 homicides in Philadelphia - 28% involved victim precipitation e.g. by starting the violence

Question 6

evaluation of positivist victimology

Answer 6

‘victim blaming’
Amir - 1/5 rapes being victim precipitated is not the same as ‘asking for it’

Question 7

critical victimology

Answer 7

focus on wider structural causes (Marx/fem)

Question 8

structural factors

Answer 8

patriarchy/poverty puts powerless groups at risk

Question 9

state’s power to apply/deny label of victim

Answer 9

through CJS apples victim label to some but not others e.g. not prosecuting domestic abuser, woman is not victim

Question 10

Tombs & Whyte

Answer 10

• safety crime explained away by employers as fault of ‘accident prone workers
• woman has to prove innocence in rape cases
• hierarchy of victimisation

Question 11

evaluation of critical victimology

Answer 11

• disregards role victims play
• draws attention to the way the victim is constructed and how this benefits powerful