Victimology Flashcards
1
Q
Christie
A
- ‘victim’ is a social construct
- victims are only victims when society says they are
- victims are stereotyped as weak and virtuous
2
Q
Positivist victimology
A
- concerned with factors affecting rates of victimisation
- victim proneness- people become victims because of their own characteristics.
repeat victimisation- the poor are subject to this because they lack insurance and the means to protect themselves. - victim precipitation- situations where victims initiate actions leading to their harm or death- women are judged in rape cases
3
Q
evaluation of victimology
A
- good because its important in identifying broad patterns of crime
- useful in highlighting frequency of sexual and violent offences against women
x victim blaming- Amir said one in 5 rape cases involved precipitation
4
Q
Critical Victimology
A
- interested in who has the ability to apply and deny the label of victim
- victim is a social construct
- structural powerlessness- the state has the power to apply or deny the label ‘victim’.
- powerless groups such as women and the poor are at greater risk of victimisation
- hierarchy of victimisation- pecking order of victims where some are seen as ideal (child murder victims) and some are seen as undeserving (prostitutes)
5
Q
Fear of victimisation
(Gerbner)
A
- media creates and exaggerated and irrational fear of crime.
- people who had a media heavy diet (at least 4 hours of TV a day) were more likely to fear crime.
x maybe the people had a media heavy diet because they were afraid of leaving the house at night
6
Q
Situational Crime Prevention
A
- reduces victimisation because it prevents crime from occuring in the first place
- Felson bus station NY
x Chaiken- displacement- Cerezo Malaga
7
Q
Social and community crime prevention
A
- multi-disciplinary approach
- Boston guns initiative
- actively tackle the reasons behind crime
- reduces levels of victimisation as a result
x fails to address white collar crime
