Remarks on the Interaction between Perpetrator and Victim by Von Hentig - Essay Example

Victim Precipitation Victim precipitation is a concept in Victimology wherein the victim is considered to be one of the influencing factors why the crime is committed. "Victimology is the study of why certain people are victims of crime and how lifestyles affect the chances that a certain person will fall victim to a crime" (Victimology, 2006). Notably, it was Mendelsohn who coined the term victimology in a paper which he presented to the congress in Bucharest on 1947 (Hoffman, 1992; van Dijk, 1997). In 1941, an article entitled "Remarks on the Interaction between Perpetrator and Victim" was written and published by Von Hentig (Von Hentig, 1941) followed by "The Criminal and his Victim", a book published in 1948 where Von Hentig included a chapter exclusively for the victim (Von Hentig, 1948). In his writings, Von Hentig pointed out that victim is also an influencing factor in a crime and the study of the victim's participation on the crime would beneficial as it will result in future crime prevention (van Dijk, 1997). Just like Von Hentig, Mendelsohn also pointed out the role played by the victims in crimes. One example of this is by aggravation. "For Mendelsohn, a defense counsel, victim precipitation was a mitigating circumstance in meting out punishment for the offender" (van Dijk, 1997). In modern times however, the term "victim" has many connotations. "It is not unusual to hear the word "victim" paired with a wide range of human experiences: cancer victims, holocaust victims, accident victims, victims of injustice, hurricane victims, crime victims, and others." These connotations sometimes brought up the "visual images of suffering, devastation and often individual heroism or endurance in the face of powerful destructive forces" (Karmen, 1990; Theoretical Perspectives of Victimology and Critical Research, 2004). "One commonality has come to apply to virtually all usages of the term victim: That an individual has suffered injury and harm by forces beyond his or her control, and not of his or her personal responsibility" (Theoretical Perspectives of Victimology and Critical Research, 2004). The concept of victim precipitation has become so controversial because it lessens the responsibility of the offender of a crime. Many victims don't like the idea that they are partly to be blame for the crime that somebody did to them. One essential criticism of victim precipitation concept in victimology is that blaming the victims as well as the offenders for the crime that occurred. Historically, Mendelsohn also believe in victim's participation in a crime in his early writings. With regards to women victims, this issue is particularly controversial. "This criticism against victimology was voiced most clearly by feminist researchers, for example in reviews of Amir's study of victim precipitation in rapes". "The notion that victims by their provoking behavior triggered their victimization by male victimizers - and in fact deserved to be victimized- is part of the patriarchal mindset which is at the root of many of such crimes. By focusing on the victim's involvement attention is diverted from the structural causes of violence against women" (van Dijk, 1997). Furthermore, the concept of victim precipitation also "emerged in cases of parricide and homicide of batterers by abused spouses" which further blur the clear distinction between the term "victims" and "offenders". Defenders of battered women realize the issue firsthand and help propagate the "battered woman syndrome defense to defend women who killed or seriously injured a spouse or partner after enduring years of physical, emotional and/or sexual abuse" (Theoretical Perspectives of Victimology and Critical Research, 2004). Furthermore, several lawyers, in defending adolescent offenders who murdered their parent, have also use the theories of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder to give a clear evidence of the underlying reasons for the crime. Criminal cases like these are often argued by the defenders of the victims and professionals in the justice system. "The emergence of apparently overlapping labels (victim and victimizer) underscores the need for a scientific approach to the study of victimology" (Theoretical Perspectives of Victimology and Critical Research, 2004). By considering common sense and some studies regarding this matter, the concept holds true in some type of crime but not all. "One particularly well known example of a class at increased risk to varying forms of attacks is the prostitute. These people have been known anecdotally to have an abnormally high incidence of violent crime and for said crimes to go unresolved frequently" (Victimology, 2006). Moreover, several studies show that a substantial percentage of the victims has been repeatedly victimized and "that a history of victimization increases the risk of subsequent violent assault" (Koss & Dinero, 1989; Resnick, Kilpatrick, Dansky, Saunders & Best, 1993; Kilpatrick et al., 1992; Reiss & Roth, 1993; Wyatt, Guthrie & Notgrass, 1992; Zawitz, 1983; Theoretical Perspectives of Victimology and Critical Research, 2004). Another study shows that the risk of drug abuse is "higher among repeat victims of violent assault than among those who have experienced only one violent assault" (Breslau et al., 1991; Kilpatrick, Resnick, Saunders, Best & Epstein, 1994; Theoretical Perspectives of Victimology and Critical Research, 2004). Moreover, other study shows that getting along with deviant friends also increases the probability of being victimized (Ageton, 1983), and that drug abuse could also increases the probability of being a victim (Kilpatrick et al., 1994; Cottler, Compton, Mager, Spitznagel, and Janca, 1992; Theoretical Perspectives of Victimology and Critical Research, 2004). Other research also show that a child with a history of being abuse and parental neglect are going to have more chances of having "delinquent behavior during childhood and adolescence and of being arrested for violent assault as an adult" (Widom, 1989; Widom, 1994; Theoretical Perspectives of Victimology and Critical Research, 2004).Furthermore, The person's way of life also increase the chances of being victimized. For example, "if a person's lifestyle or routine activities places him or her in frequent contact with potential assailants, then they are more likely to be assaulted than if their routine activities and lifestyle do not bring them into as frequent contact with predatory individuals" (Theoretical Perspectives of Victimology and Critical Research, 2004). The concept of victim precipitation may be too unfair or offensive to the victims of crimes. However, we can not deny the relevance of the concept in our real lives. Undoubtedly this concept by Von Hentig and Mendelson have basis and supported by modern day research and scientific studies. As long as this concept does not take away the responsibility of the offenders in the crime, it will enable to society to learn more and take the necessary steps in order to take part in crime prevention. Having the ability to control crime is a much better alternative than to wait for our turn to be victimized by the supposed overpowering offenders. Having this knowledge, the people will be able to take control of their lives rather than become the victim of crime. Reference List Ageton, S.S. (1983). Sexual assault among adolescents. Lexington, MA: Lexington Books. Breslau, N., Davis, G. C., Andreski, P. & Peterson, E. (1991). Traumatic events and posttraumatic stress disorder in an urban population of young adults. Archives of General Psychiatry, 48, 216-222. Hoffman, H. (1992). What did Mendelsohn really say In: S.B. David and G.F. Kirchhoff (Eds.) International faces of victimology: Papers and essays given at the Vith International Symposium on Victimology in Jerusalem 1988. Monchengladbach: WSV Publishing, pp. 89-104. Cottler, L. B., Compton, W. M., Mager, D. Spitznagel, E. L., & Janca, A. (1992). Posttraumatic Stress Disorder among substance users from the general population. American Journal of Psychiatry, 149, 664-670. Karmen, A., (1990). Crime Victim: An Introduction to Victimology. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Company. Kilpatrick, D. G., Edmunds, C. N., & Seymour, A. K. (1992). Rape in America: A report to the nation. Arlington, VA: National Victim Center & Medical University of South Carolina. Kilpatrick, D.G., Resnick, H.S., Saunders, B.E., Best, C.L., & Epstein, J. (June, 1994). Violent assault and alcohol dependence among women: Results of a longitudinal study. Research Society on Alcoholism, Abstract No. 80, p.433. Koss, M. P. & Dinero, T. E. (1989). Discriminant analysis of risk factors for sexual victimization among a national sample of college women. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 57:242-250. Resnick, H.S., Kilpatrick, D.G., Dansky, B.S., Saunders, B.E., & Best, C.L. (1993). Prevalence of civilian trauma and PTSD in a representative national sample of women. Journal of Clinical & Consulting Psychology 61(6). Reiss, A. J., & Roth, J. A. (1993). Understanding and preventing violence. Washington, D. C.: National Academy Press. Victimology. (7 February 2006). Retrieved Feb. 12, 2006, from http://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Victimology van Dijk, Jan J.M. (1997). INTRODUCING VICTIMOLOGY. Retrieved Feb. 12, 2006, from http://www.victimology.nl/onlpub/other/vandijk.doc. Von Hentig, Hans. (1940-1941). Remarks on the interaction of perpetrator and victim. Journal of the American Institute of Criminal Law and Criminology, vol. 31, pp. 303-309. Von Hentig, Hans (1948). The criminal and his victim. New Haven: Yale University Press. Widom, C. S. (1989). The cycle of violence. Science, 244, 160-166. Widom, C. S. (1994). Family violence across the life cycle. Paper presented at the Proceedings of American Medical Association's National Conference on Family Violence: Health and Justice, Washington, DC. Wyatt, G. E., Guthrie, D., Notgrass, C.M. (1992). Differential effects of women's child sexual abuse and subsequent revictimization. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 60, 167-173. Zawitz, M. W. (1983). Report to the nation on crime and justice: The data. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Document #NCJ-87068; U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Document #NCJ-87068. Read More