History Of The Crime Victims' Movement In The United States - Research Paper Example

History Of The Crime Victims' Movement In The United States Hate crimes refer to bias-motivated crimes committed against a person of a certain race, ethnic group, religion, gender, or origin (The United States Department of Justice, 2014). In most cases, the victims of hate crimes do not report their ordeals due to various reasons. Victims do not report hate crime because they are not aware of the laws involved in protecting and supporting them and the strategies put in place to reduce the occurrence of hate crimes. Secondly, the victims lack the knowledge about their rights and the available support and protection services. Thirdly, the victims fear that the perpetrator will hurt them more when they report the crimes. The fourth reason is the victims do not know the criminal justice process and therefore they are intimidated. Some victims are not eloquent in English language while others are illegal immigrants who lack the skills and will to report the crimes they face (Laura 2011). Fifth, the hate crime victims are embarrassed and ashamed of being the victims of crimes like rape and assault, others believe that one should not complain about the problems they face, but they should handle their misfortunes. Another reason hate crimes go unreported is because the victims are afraid of exposing their status and their concern is what the public would say about them. Lastly, people with disabilities may not be able to express their feelings or the challenges they face. Hate crime victims feel hurt, betrayed, powerlessness, and isolated (Laura, 2011). These feelings make them less likely to report the incidents and increase the chances of suffering long-term emotional damage. To prevent the occurrence of hate crimes, political leaders, and law officers should work together to identify and stop or reduce hate crimes and mitigate the conditions that increase hate crimes. Some of the key issues that foster hate crimes include demographic changes, increased immigration, cultural changes and practices, political issues like referendum, increase in levels of religious intolerance and economic factors. The increase in hate crimes had a significant negative impact on the life of Americans citizens. The California legislature established its victim's compensation program in 1965 where it relied on volunteers to offer assistance in compensating the victims. The California legislature created three other victim assistance programs in 1972. The Aid For victims of crime program established in 1972 sought to assist crime victims with counseling services. Bay Area Women against Rape and the Rape Crisis Centre was also victim's compensation program established in 1972 (National Criminal Justice Reference Service, 2014). In 1974, the first battered women’s shelter started in Denver under the leadership of volunteers who provided support and protection to the victims. Moreover, the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration funded the first victim/witness programs in 1974 with the aim of protecting hate crime victims and witnesses from victimization (California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation, 2014). In 1976, the National Organization for Women formed a group to examine the factors behind battering of women. Moreover, the formation of the National Coalition against Sexual Assault in 1978 sought to stop and reduce sexual assault and harassment as well as protect sexually abused victims (National Criminal Justice Reference Service, 2014). President Ronald Reagan announced the first national crime victims week in April 1980 to create awareness about the available victim rights and protection services. However, in 1980, a six-year-old boy was abducted and murdered which prompted a national campaign to increase public awareness about the abduction (California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation, 2014). In 1982, the Victim and Witness Protection Act enhanced fair treatment standards for victims and witnesses in the federal criminal justice system to encourage hate victims to report their ordeals. The state of California became the first to amend its constitution to cater for the rights of the crime victims (California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation, 2014). In 1983, the United States Department of Justice set up office for victims of crime. Consequently, President Ronald Reagan held a ceremony at Whitehouse Rose Garden to honor crime victims (National Criminal Justice Reference Service, 2014). The Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) passed in 1984 addressed the rights of hate crime victims, and established the Crime Victims Fund to support their compensation (California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation, 2014). The designation of the month of October in 1987 as the month for National Domestic Violence Awareness sought to honor battered women and create awareness of their rights. The students in higher education institutions joined the campaign where President George W. Bush signed The Students Right to Know and the Campus Security Act in 1990 (California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation, 2014). The Act required the higher education institutions to put into light occurrence of crimes like murder, rape, robbery, and other crimes. In 1991, California state university accredited the first bachelor’s degree program in Victimology in the nation that encouraged more than six states to amend their constitutions to include victims’ rights and protection. In 1992, the National Center for victims of crime conducted a study on rape incidents, the frequency of rape cases, the reporting of rape cases, and the mental and psychological effects of the incidents on the victims (California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation, 2014). In 1994, President Clinton signed Federal Victims’ rights Legislation rules to help in reducing and controlling violent crimes. Drug influenced rape cases were on the rise prompting the enactment of Drug Induced Rape Prevention Act in 1996 (Laura, 2011). More so, the National Crime Bar Association established in 1999 sought to enhance justice and fair treatment in the judicial process prevailed to victims of crime. By 2001, the National Crime Victimization survey reported a significant drop in the rates of victimization (California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation, 2014). In 2005, the United States Department of Justice put up an online sex offender registry and announced a new sexual assault policy the same year. In the year 2007, House and senate Resolutions designated September 25 as a national day to remember all the murder victims (California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation, 2014). In 2009, the office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention issued a report on Childs exposure to violence together with the effects of the violence the children (National Criminal Justice Reference Service, 2014). In 2011, president Obama urged Americans to take stalking as a serious crime and appealed to the victims to report to the legal authorities when such incidences occur. In 2013, the Bureau of Justice Statistics conducted a comprehensive research on victimization of people with disability (National Criminal Justice Reference Service, 2014). In the same year, Congress amended the definition of rape to incorporate cases where the victim was unable to speak out due to temporary or permanent disability. The best practices used to prevent hate crimes from occurring include the government taking its responsibility to protect the rights of its citizens and to ensure good racial and ethnic relations among communities (Goodey, 2005). The local authorities improved communication through discussions and forums to encourage citizens to express their opinions, feelings, differences, hopes, and dreams. The administration of higher education institutions worked together with the police to resolve any arising disputes based on racial and ethnic differences. Due to political developments, the society considered victim’s needs to help them cope with the effects of the crime. The support and protection offered to the victims included counseling, medical help, and finances (Goodey, 2005). With time, hate crime victims became aware of their rights, and they were able to express their suffering. As such, the historical and political development of victim rights was fundamental to creating awareness and understanding of the rights of crime victims. References California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation. (2014). History of the Crime Victims' Movement in the United States. Retrieved from: http://www.cdcr.ca.gov/victim_services/historical_landmarks.html Goodey, J. (2005). Victims and Victimology: Research Policy and Practice. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited. Laura, A. (2011). Hate crime Task Force Recommendation. Retrieved from: http://www.parentsformeganslaw.org/public/CRIMEV-X007E-2.PDF National Criminal Justice Reference Service. (2014). Landmarks in Victims’ Rights & Services: An Historical Overview. Retrieved from: http://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ncvrw2014/pdf/Landmarks.pdf The United States Department of Justice. (2014). Hate Crime. Retrieved from: http://www.justice.gov/crs/hate-crime Maryland Crime Victim’s Resource Centre. (2014). The History of Crime Victims’ Rights In America. Retrieved from: http://www.mdcrimevictims.org/laws-and-policies/history-of-crime-victims-rights-in-america/ Read More