Crime Victimization: A Case Study

Across the county, crime victim compensation programs continuously offer crucial financial assistance to victims of violence (NACVCB, n.d.). Often, victims of violent crimes suffer financial stress that can be as devastating as their emotional trauma and physical injuries (NACVCB, n.d.). Currently, the National Association of Crime Victim Compensation Boards (NACVCB) reports that every state in America has some form of crime victim compensation. Although no amount of money erases the trauma and grief that crime victims suffer, this aid can be crucial in the aftermath (NACVCB, n.d.).

Each year, data are obtained from a nationally representative sample of about 90,000 households, comprising nearly 160,000 persons, on the frequency, characteristics, and consequences of criminal victimization in the United States. Each household is interviewed twice during the year. The survey enables BJS to estimate the likelihood of victimization by rape or sexual assault, robbery, aggravated and simple assault, theft, household burglary, and motor vehicle theft for the population as a whole as well as for segments of the population such as women, the elderly, members of various racial or ethnic groups, city dwellers, and other groups. The NCVS provides the largest national forum for victims to describe the impact of crime and characteristics of violent offenders.”

From small states to national legislation, the concept of victims’ rights has become a growing concern. The organization VALOR (Victim Assistance Legal Organization) was hard at work for 16 years before gaining national recognition. In 1995, The United States Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime awarded VALOR a grant to create the National Victim Assistance Academy. This academy would train individuals to deal with the emotional and legal needs of victims (VALOR, 2005). Programs such as those in Summit County, was the base for the legislation changes brought on in the 1980s. From that development, the county has evolved to teaching law makers, officers and representatives how to deal with victims rights. Considering in 1970 victims’ rights were nonexistent, the last three decades have been very impressive.

Unlike the diversionary program, this program isn’t intended to offer offenders less punishment to their crimes, much less be attentive to their needs, instead, it seeks to offer victims the chance to encounter their offender and ask questions about the crime only they know the answers to. While equally important, the therapeutic restorative justice programs have been effective for victims to be able to heal and obtain answers to those troubling questions they may have for their offender. This has led to a program by Kim Book called the Victims Voices Heard Program that aims to specifically help only the victims of sexual violence or crimes that have taken place by people who know one another. The goal of this program is to heal victims from self-blame and from the fear that has been inflicted upon them. Miller later provides an example as to how the program has been effective for one offender and victim that proves the program to be of great assistance and

My desire to help young adolescents who are remanded to the foster system regardless of their circumstances has pushed me in pursuing a Criminal Justice degree and has furthered my desire to become a Victim Advocate. Understanding how the criminal justice system works will only make me a better Victim Advocate. The ability to provide information and consolation on what victimization is, can help anyone who is going through a traumatizing experience. It can even lessen the intensity of trauma when there is someone present who understands and can empathize with the victim. A Victim Advocate is also essential in explaining the legal and protections of a victim, providing information on the criminal justice process, providing emotional

Through my understanding, I don’t believe that the Uniform Crime Report and the National Crime Victimization Survey report at the same rate. The UCR takes data that is reported from local law enforcement agencies, sent to the FBI and compiles a summary that is released for public viewing. The NCVS sends out surveys that allows individuals to report crimes, that they may have not, otherwise. While there is a likelihood that many victims will not report their crimes, overall, the majority do report, allowing for a greater number of accurate reports being delivered.

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), every year a survey called the National Crime Victimization Survey collects data on non-fatal crimes (BJS, 2015). The BJS conduct this survey every year to find out how many personal crimes are being committed and how many of those crimes are being reported or not reported. Personal crimes can range from rape to robbery to burglary to larceny. The last important thing to note here is that the survey gathers information about the offender, this includes sex, race, and age. Some discrepancy that my come up is that the information that this survey gathers is from a sample of only 90,000 household and approximately 160,000 people. One question to ask would be where were the houses chosen from,

When considering all the different types of victims out there, it is important to keep in mind the hardships they experienced to be labeled a victim. Although victims may come out the situation stronger, so victims still prefer to keep the crime to themselves. We like to think to ourselves, “Why would someone keep a crime amongst themselves?” A victim may have had a horrific past experience with law enforcement and feel they would be unsuccessful or not take the situation seriously. The victim may think the crime could be better handle personally, or that the crime is a personal matter. There is also the possibility of the victim feeling they

man pointed a gun at the boy, the boy shot the man. Who knows what could have happened if this boy didn’t have a gun. Him and all three of his young siblings could have been shot and killed. Guns save lives, and in a nation that already has more than 200 million guns, gun control does little other than make the work of rapists, robbers, murderers and psychos easier. When faced with gun control laws, the law abiding citizen has no choice other than to disarm or become an outlaw, but people with bad intentions are faced with no such moral dilemma.

Victims can pursue one or even a combination of three distinct goals. The first is too see to it that hard-core offenders who act as predators are punished, The second is to use the justice process as leverage to compel lawbreakers to undergo rehabilitative treatment. The third possible aim is to get the court to order convicts to make restitution for any expenses arising from injuries and losses. Punishment is what comes to most people’s minds first, when considering what justice entails. Throughout history, people have always punished one another. However, they may disagree about their reasons for subjecting a wrongdoer to

According to The Bureau of Justice Statistics (2015), “The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) is the nation's primary source of information on criminal victimization. Each year, data are obtained from a nationally representative sample of about 90,000 households, comprising nearly 160,000 persons, on the frequency, characteristics, and consequences of criminal victimization in the United States” (para. Data Collection) and is compiled to compare and contrast data from previous years.

Murphy and Barkworth (2014) discuss how when someone is victimized they can feel like they have lost their place in society, again questioning ‘why me?’. By allowing the victim to participate and have a voice through their Criminal Justice process they feel more satisfied and feel valued as a person, regaining their prior status in the community (Murphy and Barkworth, 2014). Victims can also receive an explanation from the offender as to why and what happened the day they were victimized, this helps victims to avoid secondary victimization (in some circumstances) and also process their feelings of self-blame, especially cases of domestic violence and sexual assault (Miller and Heffner, 2013). Doak (2006) conducted a study where youth offenders were face-to-face with their victims and given the opportunity to explain themselves. In this study it was found that the victims were more interested in seeing something positive happen from the interaction, rather than seeking a negative result for the offender. One victim participating stated, “I don’t think punishment is important – it is about putting you back on the straight and narrow” (Doak and O’Mahony, 2006). Not only is having a voice a crucial part of the process for the victim, it gives the offender a chance to apologize and deal with their offence (Doak and O’Mahony,

The three key goals victims can pursue through the criminal justice system is to punish the offender, compel law breakers to undergo rehabilitate treatment and restitution. Punishment is usually justified on utilitarian grounds as evil. Although it is argued that making transgressors suffer curbs future criminality in a number of ways. It is said if an offender gets punished by unpleasant and unwanted consequences it will most likely discouraged him/her from breaking the law again. Also it satisfies victims thirst for revenge and prevents future vigilantism and incapacitates dangerous predators so they can be off the streets; a safer community. Rehabilitation, some victims want professionals to help offenders become decent,

The history of victimology travels further back in time than most would realize. The concept of the victim emerged from the many attempts of many societies and peoples to explain both the reasons behind victimization and the appropriate action to be taken as a result of it (Burgess et al., 2013). As a concept, it can be difficult to define victimology, since each individual defines the term differently. According to the text utilized for this class, victimology is defined as being the study of the victim, including the offender and society. It is also seen as being a social-structural way of viewing the relationships between crime and the law as well as the criminal and the victim (Burgess et al, 2013)..

There are various levels of pains, these include individual, household, organisational and societal. These pains can vary from tangible and monetised costs to intangible costs. Tangible and monetised costs include visible costs such as replacing and repairing goods and property, treating injuries and also the installation of security tools. Intangible costs change the victims’ behaviour and perspective. These intangible costs can be hard to identify and have long – lasting effects on the victim. Victims have the potential to develop psychological problems prior to the traumatic event such as depression, fear, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (Atkeson et al., 1982). Intangible costs are most commonly associated with particular crimes such as assault and sexual assault. These harms and pains can also cause collateral damage in the form of secondary