VICTIMOLOGY AND THEORY

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VICTIMOLOGY AND THEORY

• POSITIVIST VICTIMOLOGY

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POSITIVIST THEORY

• POSITIVIST/CONVENTIONAL VICTIMOLOGY CONCERNED
  WITH PATERNS, REGULARITIES AND THE CONCEPT OF
  VICTIM PRONENESS, PRECIPITATION AND LIFESTYLE.
• HANS VON HENTIG AND MENDELSOHN FOUNDING FATHERS
  OF VICTIMOLOGY

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HANS VON HENTIG (1948) The Criminal and his
Victim

• A DYNAMIC APPRAOCH
• THE SEARCH FOR VICTIM PRONENESS AND THE
  RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE VICTIM AND THE OFFENDER
• (A VICTIM WHO CONSENTS COOPERATES CONSPIRES OR
  PROVOKES)
• Hentig VICTIM PRONENESS - The contribution of
  the victim to the genesis of the crime.
• VICTIM PRONENESS WILL DEPEND ON THE VICTIMS
  PSYCHOLOGICAL AND /OR SOCIAL STATE

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HENTIGS TYPOLOGIES-

• THE YOUNG
• THE OLD
• THE FEMALE
• THE MENTALLY DEFECTIVE
• IMMIGRANTS
• DULL NORMALS
• THE DEPRESSED
• THE AQUISITIVE
• THE WANTON
• THE LONESOME
• THE HEARTBROKEN
• THE TORMENTOR
• THE FIGHTING VICTIM

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MENDELSOHN (1948) AND VICTIM CULPABILITY

• SIXFOLD TYPOLOGY
• THE IDEA OF VICTIM PRECIPITATION LEADS TO EARLY
  RESEARCH INTO HOMOCIDE (WOLFGANG 1958) AND RAPE
  (AMIR 1971) AND THE COMPLAINT FROM SOME QUARTERS
  OF VICTIM BLAMING

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HINDELANG ET AL (1978)

• THE IMPORTANCE AND IMPACT OF STRUCTURE ON THE
  VICTIM (OCCUPATION, STATUS, DAILY ROUTINE AND
  LEISURE OUSIDE THE HOME)
• SHIFTS THE FOCUS AWAY FROM BLAMING THE VICTIM AND
  TOWARD THE LIFESTYLES OF VICTIMS EG YOUNG MEN
  (SEE 8 HYPOTHESIS)
• INFLUENCED LAUB (1990) ROUTINES ACTIVITY THEORY
  AND THE IMPORTANCE OF DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS
  EG AGE , GENDER, CLASS, OCCUPATION, RACE ETC

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VICTIM PRECIPITATION (CRITIQUE)

• THE VICTIM IS A DIRECT POSITIVE PRECIPITATOR IN
  THE CRIME
• VICTIM BLAMING UNDER THE GUISE OF VICTIMOLOGY
  (CLARKE AND LEWIS 1977)
• PRESUMES EQUALITY BETWEEN THE VICTIM AND THE
  OFFENDER.
• FEMINISTS ARGUE THAT IT IS A WEAPON OF IDEOLOGY
  USED TO FURTHER THE VIEW OF PATRIARCHAL SOCIETY
  AND LEGITIMISE PHYSICAL AND SEXUAL DOMINANCE.

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• SEEKS THE PROBLEMS CAUSE IN THE BEHAVIOUR OF THE
  VICTIM.
• EG RAPE
• CON MEN
• BURLARY
• FEEDS INTO THE PROCESS OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE
  SYSTEM LEGAL NOTION OF REASONABLE BEHAVIOUR/
  CONTRIBUTORY NEGLEGENCE
• THEREFORE MAY EFFECT AGENCY RESPONSE MUST BE
  DESERVING VICTIM.
• WHO DEFINES DESERVING VICTIM INTERACTIVE
  PROCESS

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LIFESTYLE (CRITIQUE)

• CENTERS ON PUBLIC/ STREET CRIME
• PUBLIC /PRIVATE DICHOTOMY
• THEREFORE DOES NOT ACKNOWLEDGE HIDDEN CRIME
• EG CHILD ABUSE
• DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
• CORPORATE CRIME
• DOES NOT TAKE ACCOUNT OF WHY CERTAIN GROUPS FACE
  HIGH RISK STRUCTURAL INEQUALITY
• RACE,
• CLASS
• GENDER
• VICTIMS OF CORPORATE CRIME (CAPITALISM) BLAMING
  THE VICTIM

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VICTIMOLOGY

• RADICAL AND CRITICAL THEORY

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RADICAL

• EMERGED IN THE 1960/70s
• ACKNOWLEDGES THOSE VICTIMS RENDERED INVISIBLE
• IT INVESTIGATES PROBLEMS AS PEOPLE EXPERIENCE
  THEM (YOUNG 1986)
• VICTIMS OF POLICE FORCE, THE VICTIMS OF WAR, THE
  
• VICTIMS OF THE CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM, THE VICTIMS
  OF STATE VIOLENCE, THE VICTIMS OF OPPRESSION OF
  ANY SORT (QUINNY 1972)
• THEREFORE INCLUDES UNCONVENTIONAL AS WELL AS
  CONVENTIONAL VICTIMS

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• QUESTIONS THE ROLE OF THE STATE IN DEFINING THE
  SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF THE OFFENDERS AND VICTIMS
• ISSUES OF POWER ,AGE ,GENDER , RACE AND CLASS
  DIMENSIONS
• LEFT REALIST VICTIMOLOGY - THE SQUARE OF CRIME
• THE INTERRELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OFFENDERS, VICTIMS,
  THE COMMUNITY/PUBLIC AND THE STATE.

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CRITIQUE

• POSITIVE METHODS THEREFORE STILL FOCUSES ON
  PATTERNS AND REGULARITIES
• ASSUMES THAT DEMOCRATIC PROCESS IS IN PLAY.

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CRITICAL VICTIMOLOGY

• DEVELOPED AS A RESPONSE TO THE CRITICISMS OF
  POSITIVIST/ RADICAL VICTIMOLOGY
• LOOKS AT THE HIDDEN VICTIMS (CORPORATE
  VICTIMS, VICTIMS OF SEXUAL AND RACIAL ABUSE)
• EMPHASISES THE ROLE OF THE STATE IN PERPETUATING
  VICTIMS-

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EARLY CRITICAL VICTIMOLOGY

• LEANS MORE TOWARDS INTERACTIONISM
• EG WHO HAS THE POWER TO DEFINE VICTIMS/WHO HAS
  THE POWER TO APPLY THE LABEL?
• RECENTLY DEVELOPED BY WALKLATE(89/90) DRAWING
  UPON GIDDENS (1984) THEORY OF STRUCTURATION.
  (Therefore emphasising the role of structure and
  agency)

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• EMPHASISES THE ROLE OF THE STATE IN PERPETUATING
  VICTIMS-
• RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE STATE AND THE CITIZEN
• STATE NOT NEUTRAL THEREFORE THIS POSES PROBLEMS
  IN RELATION TO RACE GENDER AGE AND CLASS
• THE LIBERAL STATE COERCIVELY AND AUTHORITATIVELY
  CONSTITUTES THE SOCIAL ORDER IN THE INTERESTS OF
  MENAS A GENDER THROUGH ITS LEGITIMATING NORMS,
  FORMS, RELATION TO SOCIETY, AND SUBSTANTIVE
  POLICIES. (MAKINNION 1989162)
• THEREFORE CAPITALISM AND PATRIARCHY INFLUENCE THE
  WAY VICTIMS ARE PERCIEVED AND RESPONDED TO

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• CRITICAL VICTIMOLOGY EMPHASISES THE ACTION OF
  VICTIMS . THEIR ABILITY TO FIGHT BACK
• GREENPEACE
• HILLSBOROUGH
• GAY PRIDE
• ACTION AGAINST THE WORLD TRADE ORGANISATION.
• SUPPORT GROUPS