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Crime Victimization Essay

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When a crime has been committed, the criminal justice system recognizes two parties to the case: the defendant and the state. The defendant is prosecuted at the hands of the state, and the victim becomes allocated as a third party. When this happens, the victim’s role becomes delegated to that of a witness and the trauma of victimization is overlooked. However, there are apparent problems with neglecting the relevance of crime victimization. Victims commonly suffer from the aftereffects of both violent and nonviolent crimes. Aside from physical and financial injuries, victims are at risk for numerous psychological issues ranging from negative feelings and anxiety to posttraumatic stress and depression. Victims are also at risk for secondary …show more content…

The FBI’s Uniform Crime Report states that, in 2015, there was an estimated 1,197,704 violent crimes, an increase of 3.9% from the 2014 estimate, and 7,993,631 property crimes. The Uniform Crime Report’s statistics include only those offenses that are reported to and documented by law enforcement, and thus, the numbers are not a reliable indicator of the actual incidence of crimes. The Bureau of Justice Statistics’ National Crime Victimization Survey, which includes crimes reported and not reported to the police, provides a much larger estimate of 5.0 million violent victimizations and 14.6 million property victimizations in 2015. According to data from the National Crime Victimization Survey, 47% of violent crimes and 35% of property crimes were reported to the police in 2015. A closer look into the data reveals that only 32.5% of rape/sexual assault offenses are reported. These low crime reporting rates, which have not seen significant change since 1993, suggest that victims do not view law enforcement favorably or as a legitimate source of help. The negative view victims harbor towards the criminal justice system should be a cause of concern for organizations that provide services for crime victims. Formal resources for victims of crimes should seek to mitigate the suffering of victims, facilitate a cooperative relationship between victims and the criminal justice system, and prevent secondary

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