Theoretical Explanations of Victims and Victimology - Term Paper Example

 Victim and Victimisation The term, victims and victimization is a highly controversial issue which calls for the attention both public and media. Researches prove that social, cultural and demographic features, such as, social and political status, age, gender and race differentiate victims and victimization. Marilyn, D. McShane, and Franklin, P. Williams makes it clear when they rightly remarks, “…gender differences in traditional lifestyles are said partly to explain the higher victimization risks of men” (Marilyn, D. McShane, and Franklin, P. Williams). Analyzing news reports and crime records, one can find out that victims were not a significant issue in criminology for many years. It is a part of common knowledge is that victims are the receivers of criminal’s personal intentions or behavioural problems. One of the serious problems is that victims were trying to establish a criminal attitude by playing a significant role in a criminal event, as when a battering victim firstly provokes an ultimate attacker. The paper is an attempt to analyse Victims and Victimisation with the available sources and with the help of the different theories of victimisation. Various types of victimization Here the study examines the term Victims and Victimization, their major theories, its negative and positive implications, and so on. The web article entitled Victims and victimization is a helpful source that enables the readers to comprehend major areas of victimization. It remarks; “In 1993 and 1999, the PRVS questions concentrated on eight types of criminal victimization: assault, sexual assault, robbery, theft of personal property, break and enter, theft of household property, motor vehicle/parts theft, and vandalism” (Victims and Victimization, n. d.). Victimization is common in all types of criminal activities and the intensity and judicial impacts are dissimilar on specific crime infested areas. Studies show that the danger of being a victim of severe crime grows for those who participate in some kind of evening activities, they are, night workers, drunkards and the participants of anti-social activities. Large numbers of males are likely to be fatalities of physical attack or robbery. In case of women, the process of victimization is on basis of sexual crimes and aggressive behavior. Crimes reports show that most of the severe crimes are the deeds of single offender. Generally families that includes children and parents, and joint families are common places where victimization going on. Going through the after effects of victimization, it is crystal clear from the different studies that victims may suffer economically and have to subject for physical hardships and mental distress or disorder. The real suffering of the victims does not come to an end even after their assailant leaves the case of the crime. Judiciary also assumes a significant role in victimizing a person and thus by putting him into trouble. The critical Criminology theory gives more emphasis on social conditions that provide victimization. In their book entitled, Crime and Criminality: Causes and Consequences, Ronald D. Hunter, and Mark L. Dantzker provide valuable information to the reader to know something more about Critical criminology theory. According to them, “Critical criminology theory tends to focus on social conditions that are thought to influence the incidence of crime and victimization than does contemporary victim logy” (Hunter, D. Ronald, and Dantzker, L., Mark, P. 161). Horror of victimization Perception of the society is a serious and influential factor in the process victimization. Existing society is never willing to allow consideration and sympathy to the victims and it handles them as outsiders. Personal, social and economical isolation affect them negatively. Judiciary and police do not offer any assurance to victim’s property. Continuous trial and questioning force victims, either to run away or to save his/her property, which often leading them to be more aggressive in behavior. Psychologically, sexually and physically abused victims often seek comfort and consolation is suicide. The unlimited suffering is another problem of Victimization; whereby a person suffers direct or indirect physical harm, financial harm and emotional harm. Along with these problems, the abuse of drugs and alcohol also cause for Victimization. While analyzing victimization and its causes, one can identify that it is a preventable health and mental problem. The physical violence is one that causes of victimization. Scratching, pushing, grabbing, biting, burning, and so on are the major symptoms of physical violence. Studies show that sexual violence and aggression are also important causes for victimization. The unemployment has a vital role in making a person with disabilities, susceptible to victimization. Redundancy may cause for mental disorders, leading one to criminal behavior and later to victimization. Another cause is poverty which has always been affected one’s vitality and the same grounds for the increase of crime rates and sexual violence. Careful selection the peer groups can also do much on victimisation. Larry J. Siegel’s has attempted a clear observation about the role of peer groups in victimization process and the author makes it clear when he states; “One way for young males to avoid victimization is to choose their companions wisely” (Siegel, J. Larry, P. 73). The danger of abnormal life style promotes unending sufferings to the life of adolescents and it will haunt the risk taker into their life. Indirect or passive participation may happen when the victims go to a cluster whose existence disturb attacker’s personal achievements or personal status. Problems of crime victims The survey conducted by National Victimization Survey points out that about 23 million people are being victimized in United States every year. While majority of the people are victimized of a rape, mugging and attack, some of them are victimized at the loss of property, pain and suffering, economic loss, system abuse, long-term stress, fear and antisocial behaviour. Shock, denial, and disbelief are the common emotional impacts of victimization. Primarily, victims may shock and hard to digest that they have become a prey of felony. These kinds of shocking emotions can last for long or victim takes a month or years to recover. This primary shock may lead victim to other emotions such as rage, panic, frustration, grief, guilt, disgrace, and confusion. Physical impact of victimization Victims set off to perform different physical reactions as part of their criminal deeds. The hormone ‘Adrenalin’ accelerated in the body which increased the physical reactions such as enhanced heart pace, numbness, quivering, snuffle, hyperventilation, dehydration in the mouth, a feeling of being stationary and so on and at the time of crime there is a probability of being physical and mental hurt. Physical hurt mainly considered as minor, moderate, and severe. There are some physical injuries such as internal organ, brain injuries may not be able to understand. Victims may display wide range of physical uneasiness such as sleeplessness, headache, sickness, and muscle tension, tiredness, appetite disturbance, and decreased libido. Some victims may suffer long-time side-effects as the consequence of offence committed for them. And some victims may disturb by constant health- related troubles like upset stomach, headache, and emotional outburst. In some extreme cases victims may experience malformation, or enduring disability as a consequence of the crime committed against them. Some sufferers may not be able to do work permanently as a result of the felony against them. Financial impact of victimization is very distressing and victims may express anger, guilt, and frustration kind of emotions, if they are incapable to protect a family heirloom. Victims may try to earn costs after financial impact of crime. Here it follows; 1. Medicinal operating expense 2. Accessing physical condition 3. Fixing safety measures 4. Higher insurance as a result of crime against the victim 5. Renovating possessions or replacing property 6. Taking part in the criminal justice system 7. Taking time off work or from other profits making activities 8. Funeral or burial expenses 9. Obtaining professional counselling to come to terms with the emotional impact Sometimes crime destroys the victim’s employment for a long time. So it results a loss of salary, and the dismissal from the job. In some cases crime may affect victim’s marital status and family’s financial condition. The impact of the victimization is very hard, especially a person from poor, isolated, powerless or disabled circumstance. The psychological effect of victimization is not possible to predict how a person will react to offence. Psychological injuries produced by crime are very difficult to recover and may endure for lifelong. General responds to crime divided into four stages. The primary reaction may consist of annoyance, panic, shock, defencelessness, disbelief and guiltiness. Some of these emotions will be back at soon after. The secondary reactions consist of nightmares, hopelessness, guilt, fright and a loss of self-assurance and self esteem. Life of the people who undergoes psychological victimization seems as gradually slowing down and become meaningless. Psychological victimization may affect behavioural reaction of victims such as increment of alcohol or substance of abuse, disintegration of social relations, avoidance of people and social extraction. The third phase of psychological victimization is reformation and acceptance which guides to the fourth phase of normalization. In this critical phase of recuperation victims start to accept the truth of what has took place. In these stage victims may put effort to recoup their experience and try to find an explanation on how did crime affect their personal growth (The impact of Victimisation, 2005). For a long year, criminologists put their efforts to study on the character of the offensive but recently they found out that victim also plays an important role to motivate a criminal to influence his or hers fate. Victimisation theories There are several theories and researches trying to reveal the victim and victimization and its causes and effects. The major theories like life style theory, routine activities, victim precipitation, equivalent group hypothesis, and proximity hypothesis are mainly discussed the causes and effects of victim and victimization. The theory Victim Precipitation revealed the major role of victim in the motivation of crime. It analyses that prey aggravate criminals and that victims cause criminal acts by their provoking manners. According to Precipitation theory, it states that some victims take an initiative on confrontation that can be lead the cause of victimization like death or injury. This victim’s great or excessive haste can be mainly divided in to two types. It can be either active or passive precipitation. Active precipitation happens when a prey assail or motivate the culprit by their provoking activities like using abusive words or bullying. Personal conflicts such as love affair, a promotion, or victim’s unknowing provocations towards criminals are the main reasons for passive precipitation. A woman may get a promotion and cause for the victim of violence is the best example of passive precipitation. Here someone’s ‘jealous’ played an important role in passive precipitation. Someone’s Economic well-being, status or reputation may also cause for passive precipitation. The theory Lifestyle revealed that the engagement in high-risk activities by the victims is the prime reason for the cause of victimization. The theory argued that high-risk life style of people enhanced the threat of victimization. Some People always take risks at going dangerous places that would cause increment of victimization. This life style theory describes victimization connected with social structure mode because the high risk lifestyle of male, young people and the poor are victimized commonly than female, the elderly, and the rich. According to life style theory, participation of victims in risky activities like roaming around places at late night, and residing in an urban area that may create apposite targets for felony. By analyzing this one can understand that staying at night, staying out of public places, making more money, staying in rural area, and getting married may reduce the risk of victimization. This theory describes crime is not an accidental incident but it’s related to one’s lifestyle. For instance due to their lifestyle and demographic structure, women’s college students may be at higher-risk for rape and other sexual abuses than women in general college. A woman who drinks regularly has more possibility of sexual molestation than the others. The high- risk lifestyles such as taking drinks, drugs, and being involved in felony may cause for high rate of victimization. Larry J. Siegel says “Group that have an extremely risky life such as young runways living on the street are at high risk for victimization; the more they are exposed to street life, the greater their risk of becoming crime victims” (Siegel, J. Larry, P. 73). Teenage males have a higher chance of victimization because they hangout their maximum time with their pals and following entertaining fun. Teenage males hangout in bar and create high risk of their safety. The young students, who spend the lion share of time at night parties, take drugs for entertainment, are more likely committed to involve in crime and also participate in homicide. This lifestyle theory opined that young male must be careful in selecting their companion. Limiting the friendship circle and hanging out with girls are the options for avoiding victimization. The analysis of data about youth studies conducted by Rochester and Pittsburgh indicates youngsters became victims of severe felony who participate the activities like gang war, serious physical attack, and drug dealing. Carrying arms like gun was often causes for crime victim. A person who carries arms much danger than the person does not carry the arms. Another analysis about youth study from Pamela Wilcox, David May and Staci Roberts pointed out that children who carries arms to school are very much danger and more likely to crime victims than those who does not bring or carry arms to school. They also noticed that carrying weapon make confident to students and motivate them to participate in high-risk behaviour. The theory Deviant describes that certain places are more commonly causes for people to become victims of felony and aggression. According to this theory Victims are not participating in any criminal activities but they are prone to become victims because of high –crime rate areas where they reside. The more frequent victim’s trip to the risky areas which provides more possibility of becomes a victim. Poor, compactly inhabited, highly transient localities where business and residential property exist side by side are considered deviant places. According to this theory business places are the easy targets of criminals to involve shoplifting and larceny kind of theft crime. Thinking people keep out of these tainted places. People who reside in very wealthy areas should take safety precautions to reduce the chance of becoming a victim of crime. The people of poor localities have greater risk of becoming prey because they reside with many provoked criminals. Therefore they have to work hard for their protection than rich people. Criminologists Lawrence Cohen and Marcus Felson developed the Routine activated theory. The theory assumed that both the intention to involve in felony and the supply of criminals are invariable. By the analysis of criminologists in every society there are few people always willing to break the law for revenge, avarice, or some other intention. The quantity and distribution of voracious felony are very much associated to the interaction of three factors that replicate the usual activities of the distinctive North American Lifestyle (Victims and Victimisation. n d.). Three variables like the accessibility of appropriate targets, the non-existence of proficient guardians, and the attendance of motivated criminals are the three factors of routine activity theory. The Criminologists explained that the attendance of these components enhances the possibility of predatory felony. So that targets are generally tempted victim in crime if they are involved in risky activities and lack of supervision. These areas are generally known as Hot spot. According to the analysis of Cohen and Felson, the crime rates were increased by the absence of adult caretaker at home. As the same way females are at work, kids in day-care and houses are not guarded are also reasoned for the increment of crime rates. The high volume transportable wealth also caused for the motivation of crime. Criminologists also point out that excessive drugs use increased the rate of crime and robbery in 1980’s in United States (Victims and Victimisation. n d.). Life style theory describes high-risk lifestyle causes for high rate of victim and victimization. People take high-risk at going danger places that would cause increment of victimization. Strength of this theory is victimization designed and connected in the social structure mode. Life style theory strongly points out that males, poor, adolescent people have more likely increased the rate of victimization than females, older people and the affluent. But there are few negative sides replicate in all of these theories. Today male and female, both are equally prey of offence. There are many similarities between lifestyle theory and routine activity theory. Both of the theories assumed that human living condition could affect the victimization and also points out that person’s poor living conditions and places would get the mercy from the motivated criminals. Both theories are relied on four basic concepts such as guardianship, target attractiveness, proximity to criminals and time of exposure to criminals. Based on these perceptions both of the theories predict peoples high-rate of victimization. Reside in high provoked areas, hangout late at dark, carry worthy things like gold ornaments, involved in risky activities such as drinking liquor, travel without accompanies were caused for high-rate of victimization. The theories also forecast excessive drink of women caused for victim in crime. The major premise of the Victim precipitation theory is victims trigger their criminal acts by their aggravating manners. Active precipitation happens when a prey assail or motivate the culprit by their provoking activities or gestures. Passive precipitation happens when a victim unintentionally warn their assailants. The main strength of Victim precipitation theory is which describes multiple victimizations. If a person precipitates in felony, it pursues that he will become recur prey if his manner preserves long time. Social and cultural impacts When one considers the victimisation, it is evident that victimisation has had social and geographical impacts. Many have recognized the ill effects of repeated victimisation and it has been well documented that repeated victimisations occur within a relatively short period of time (Mathews, Roger, P. 99). It leads to the inference that “Rate of victimization from crimes of violence (sexual assault, robbery, assault, and personal theft) by household income per 1000 persons age 15 or older in 1999” (Victims and Victimisation, n. d.). According to the survey about ‘Personal Risk and Victimization’ conducted by Statistics Canada reported that Poorest people like lower level of household income earners and are the common victims of violent crime. Rich people commonly target personal robbery felonies such as bag-snatching and theft of possessions. Poor people always suffer violent crimes rather than wealthy people. Marital status also part of victim and victimization in a society. A person, who married, never married, divorced, or separated are more often victim in crime than married persons. According to the survey ‘personal Risk and Victimization’ widows and widowers have faced the lowest victimization risk. This survey analyzed the relation between marital status and rate of victimization. They found out that one’s age, gender and lifestyle are influenced the victimization. Here it follows 1. Young people have the highest victim risk than married young people. 2. Young single people more often hangout in public areas and their interaction with high-risk peers increased the chance of victimization. 3. Widows and widowers struggle lower rate of victimization because of their age, communication with older people and are more often to live at abode at darkness and to avoid public areas. 4. Young women suffer high rate of victimization like physical exploitation and sexual assault. Many of the criminologists noted that some communities have started crime against their neighbourhood. Conclusion After analysing the available sources, it is identifiable that victimisation has been influenced with different aspects, such as, social demographic, socio-political status, age, gender, and so on. Victims and victimisation, as understand from the studies, are closely interrelated and it is difficult for one to distinguish one from the other. But a closer view of it will enable one to have a clear picture of its basic differences and the different types of victims and victimisations. Analysis of the previous literature has facilitated in getting an overall view of victimisation and the kinds of victimisations, such as, assault-both sexual and physical, robbery, theft of personal property, and so on. Victimisation rate varies in accordance with the gender, that while that men are under the threat of physical attack, women subject sexual crimes and aggressive behaviour. One of the notable things with regard to victimization is that most of the crimes are single handed attacks or committed by single offender. Victimisation leads to serious physical as well as mental distress and it has been identified that they prolong in the victim for a long time. Above all, it causes for financial and crisis which may force the victim to lead a pitiable life. The horror of victimisation is so severe that it effects isolation and the lack of judicial support and protection of property. It has also seen that some of the victimised undergo serious mental stress which may cause for aggressive behaviour or even to suicide. The different theories invented by the criminologists are helpful in understanding victims and victimisation and its causes and effects. To conclude, one can infer that victimisation has had a devastating influence on the general public, and there should be attempts, either to prevent or alleviate the stress and other effects of victimisation. . Works Cited: “Victims and Victimization” 13 Nov 2009 Mathews, Roger. Armed Robbery. Willan Publishing, 2002. Marilyn, D. McShane, and Franklin, P. Williams. Victims of crime and the victimization process Taylor & Francis, 1997 Siegel, J. Larry. Criminology. Cengage Learning, 2008. p. 73 “The Impact of Victimization.” 2005. Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime. 13 Nov 2009 Hunter, D. Ronald, and Dantzker, L., Mark. Crime And Criminality: Causes and Consequences. Criminal Justice Press, 2005. Read More