Victims and Victimization.ppt law law la w

Law law law law

1. Victims and
Victimization
SOC 112
Chapter 3

2. Violence in America
1.More violent crime than any other country
-definition:
“Threat, attempt, or use of physical force by one
or more persons that results in physical or non-
physical harm to one or more other persons.”
a. Force
-blow / wound to body
-any weapon / any means
b. Threat

3. Violence, cont.
-means to accomplish
c. Attempt
-tries to injure / kill
d. Injuries from minor to lethal
2.Defining violence
-identifying behaviors is difficult
-violence to one / different to another

4. Violence, cont.
a. Violence to people
-may fit definition you have
(1) Suspect going to assault me
-shoot and kill
-violence?
(2) Fight at football game (Decatur, Illinois)
-African-American youth
-scuffle (Jesse Jackson)

5. Violence, cont.
(3) Arson of abandoned building
-violent crime?
-transient?
(4) Shooting at road signs
-violent crime?
-innocent bystander?
b. Violence to animal
-animal cruelty?

6. Violence, cont.
c. What the law says
-listed in penal code
-3 strikes law = violent crime
-death penalty = violent crime
d. Act / intent
-act legislated a crime
-person intend to commit
e. Crime / violence viewed differently
-crime / should be a crime / how serious

7. Violence, cont.
3.Classification
-three types
a. Individual
-violence against the person
b. Interpersonal
-against smaller group / are known
c. Collective
-large number of people / unknown

8. Patterns and Trends in Violence
1.Historical patterns
-every aspect of our existence
a. 1760s –1770s
-nation conceived in violence
-Boston Massacre / Boston Tea Party
-Revolutionary War
b. Colonial to present:
-characterized struggle of American groups

9. Patterns, cont.
-White / Indian wars
-White / Black confrontations
-Ethnic rivalries
-Agrarian uprisings
-laborers against industrialists
c. Right to life / animal rights
-both use violence
2.Reasons for violence
-preserve favored social / economic / or political

10. Patterns, cont.
a. Began with Revolutionary War
-“the end justifies the means”
-was sanctified / was just
b. Americans have never been loath to employ
the most unremitting violence in the interest of
any cause deemed a good one
3.Civil War–1861
-violent in its own right
-spin off of violence: pervasive

11. Patterns, cont.
a. Latter part of 19
th
century
-KKK / White Caps / Bald Knobbers / Lynch
mobs / night-riders / feudists / outlaws
b. Much traceable to Civil War
-surge in domestic violence
-racial strife
-guerilla raiders (Cantrell)
c. Lynch Law
-became prominent

12. Patterns, cont.
-“The practice or custom by which persons
are punished for real or alleged crimes
without due process of law.”
d. Colonel Charles Lynch(1767)
-39 lashes / Tory sympathizers
e. Continued into 19
th
century
-synonymous with hangings
-organized / spontaneous lynch mob
-together briefly / then breaks up

13. Patterns, cont.
f. After Civil War
-lynch mobs employed throughout country
-whites as well as blacks
-primarily: southern blacks
-1882 to 1903: 1,985 blacks lynched
-predominate in South / not restricted
g. Necktie party
-North and West
-vigilantes

14. Patterns, cont.
4.Vigilantism
-first phase
-before Civil War
a. Frontier rustlers
-every state west of Appalachians'
-organized / relentless
-a lot east of Mississippi River
b. Reestablish old social structure
-sanctity of property / law and order

15. Patterns, cont.
c. Frontier elite
-ranchers in control
-social values / preferences
-cattle vs. sheep
d. Included:
-congressmen / governors / lawyers /
capitalists
-young rancher from No. Dakota
-begged to be admitted / band forming

16. Patterns, cont.
5.Indian wars
-longest / most remorseless in history
-Indians vs. whites
a. Tidewaters of Virginia (1607)
-continued almost 300 years
-Wounded Knee, So. Dakota (1890)
b. No other factor
-more brutalizing influence
-“just wars”

17. Patterns, cont.
-promoting superior western civilization
-east coast outraged / scalping of whites
c. Plenty of room: settlement
-reimbursed Native Americans
-lived side by side
d. Took by force
-Sioux Indians: moved to Black Hills
-gold discovered

18. Patterns, cont.
e. Paiute Indians(Chief Joseph)
-fleeing to Canada / would accept them
-had to kill all
f. Cherokee Indians(Trail of Tears)
-moved to Oklahoma reservation
-oil discovered
g. Apache Indians(Geronimo)
-lied to / moved to Florida

19. Patterns, cont.
h. Conflict even today
-AIM (1973): Wounded Knee
i. Boldt decision
salmon fishing
j. Casino gambling
-on and off reservation
k. Mineral / oil deposits
-cheating Native Americans

20. Patterns, cont.
1.Racial violence: Blacks / Whites
-unequaled in persistence
-primary factor: history of US violence
a. First slave uprising?
-New York City (1711/12)
-put down / great ruthlessness
-slavery also in North
b. New York City (1741): slave conspiracy
-rumors / hysterical rampage

21. Patterns, cont.
c. Pressure: religious groups / freedom fighters
-slavery illegal in North
-state / federal officials against slavery
d. South continued to imprison
-economic / racist decisions
-land owners = free labor
-whites were superior race
e. Civil War
-brother against brother

22. Patterns, cont.
-death: tens of thousands
-destruction: cities / towns
-death of a President
2.After the war
-end of slavery
-slave patrols
-black codes
a. South developed special organization
-deal with black Americans

23. Patterns, cont.
-Ku Klux Klan
-most consistent feature of American violence
past 140 years (3 periods)
b. First: intimidation
-those working for reconstruction
-freemen: accept renewed rule of whites
-violence / threats used by ‘Old Confederacy’
c. Second: strength / growth
-Atlanta (1915)

24. Patterns, cont.
-unlike predecessor / successor
-beyond borders of old confederacy
(1) Blacks secondary targets
-Klan against: Catholics / Jews
(2) Focus: white Anglo-Saxon Protestants
-those who accepted black Americans
-whippings / torture / murder
-anger towards their own

25. Patterns, cont.
d. Third: against civil rights / desegregation
-resurgence restricted to South
-violence: supporters of civil rights
(1) Jim Crow laws
-separate restrooms / drinking fountains
-stores for whites only
-back of bus / give up seat
(2) Used police / courts: legitimize
-deny parade permits / use police brutality

26. Patterns, cont.
3.Rioting throughout history
-Boston Tea Party thru today
-race riots / labor riots / abortion riots / sexual
equality riots / religious riots / etc.
a. Characterized by continuous violence
-often intense
b. Results: negative / positive
(1) Negative:

27. Patterns, cont.
-prison violence / concert violence /
school violence / demonstration violence /
Indian violence / abortion violence
(2) Positive:
-revolutionary violence (independence) /
civil war violence (freeing the slaves) /
vigilante violence (frontier stabilization)
4.Part of our value structure
-grew up on violence

28. Patterns, cont.
-gained our societal positions
a. Rejected by majority
-believe still necessary
b. Peaceful assembly / legal system
-did not work
c. Resort to:
-age-old tradition of rioting

29. Problems of Crime Victims
1.National Crime Victimization Survey
-24 million victimizations occur annually
a. Economic loss
-property / productivity: 100’s of billions
(1) System loss
-justice system / legal / treatment: total cost
$450 billion
-$1,800 per US citizen
-psychological / social problems result

30. Problems, cont.
b. System abuse
-additional victimization by justice system
(calloused police / prosecutor / counselors)
-victimization by medical profession
(adverse treatment of rape victims)
c. Long-term stress
-suffer stress / anxiety long after incident
-adolescent: lower self-esteem / higher risk
-spousal abuse: physical / psychological

31. Problems, cont.
d. Fear
-fundamental life change / become suspicious
-violent crime most effected
e. Antisocial behavior
-more likely to commit crimes
-neglect / physical-sexual abuse as a child:
increase odds a victim will later be arrested
(1) “Cycle of violence”

32. Patterns, cont.
-abuse/crime phenomenon
(2) More likely to engage in violent behavior:
-target of physical abuse
-exposed to violent behavior among adults
-exposed to weapons
2.Nature of victimization
a. Social ecology
-take place in open / public areas

33. Patterns, cont.
-commercial (daytime / early evening)
-more serious: after 6 p.m.
-less serious: during the day
b. Victim’s household
-black / western / urban = most vulnerable
-white / northeastern / rural = less vulnerable
-home owner’s = less vulnerable than renters
c. Victim characteristics

34. Pattern, cont.
(1) Gender
-males more likely (rape / sexual assault)
-females: someone they know
-males: strangers
-gender differences = narrowing
(2) Age
-tied to lifestyle
-young people: greater victimization
-elderly: fraud / scams
-elder abuse: up 150% since 1986

35. Pattern, cont.
(3) Social status
-poor: more likely violent / property crime
-wealthy: highest for personal theft crimes
(4) Marital status
-never married: victimized more
-widows / widowers: lowest risk
(5) Race and ethnicity
-blacks more likely than whites
-black victimization: declining

36. Pattern, cont.
(6) Repeat victimization
-prior victims: higher chance future crime
-chronic / repeat: personal characteristic
(a) Target vulnerability
-physical / psychological weakness
-makes easy target
(b) Target gratifiability
-attractive possessions offender wants
-clothing / car / etc.

37. Patterns, cont.
(c) Target antagonism
-characteristics: make offender angry
/ jealous
-smart / good looking / popular / etc.
3.Victims and their criminals
-most crimes: single offender over age 20
-tend to be intra-racial
-relatives / acquaintances: over 50% violent crime
-common among family members (siblicide)

38. Theories of Victimization
1.Victim Precipitation Theory
-people invite the confrontation
a. Active precipitation
-victim acts provocatively
-fighting words / threats / attack first
b. Passive precipitation
-exhibits personal characteristic unknowingly
-threatens / encourages attacker

39. Theories, cont.
2.Lifestyle Theory
-increases exposure to criminal offenders
a. High-risk lifestyles
-drinking / drugs / crime / runaways
b. Victims and criminals
-criminal career: predispose one to be a victim
3.Deviant Place Theory

40. Theories, cont.
-victim prone: live in socially disorganized
high-crime area
a. Deviant places are poor
-densely populated
-highly transient neighborhoods
b. Residents try to protect
-they live with motivated offenders
-or they try to move

41. Theories, cont.
4.Routine Activities Theory
-volume / distribution of predatory crime
-related to interaction of 3 variables:
a. Availability of suitable targets
-homes with salable goods
b. Absence of capable guardians
-police / homeowners / neighbors / friends /
relatives

42. Theories, cont.
-motivated offender presence: unemployed
teens
5.Caring for the victim(government response)
-1982: Task Force on Victim’s of Crime (Reagan)
-1983: Omnibus Victim / Witness Protection Act
-1984: Comprehensive Crime Control Act and
Victims of Crime Act
a. Victim Service Programs
-2,000 victim/witness assistance programs

43. Caring, cont.
(1) Victim compensation
-receive from state for crime losses
-most states: lack of funding
-medical / wages / counseling / assistance
(2) Court services
-how to be a witness / bail / threats
-provide transportation / escort to court
(3) Crisis intervention
-refer to area agencies (food / shelter)

44. Caring, cont.
(4) Victim-Offender Reconciliation
-mediators: facilitate face-to-face talks
-direct encounter: victim and offender
b. Victim’s Rights
-every state has victim’s “Bill of Rights”
-national constitutional amendment sought
c. Victim Advocacy
-lobby for victims
-police / courts / media / politicians / etc

45. Caring, cont.
d. Self-Protection
-concern for community safety
(1) Target hardening
-home / business crime proof
-locks / alarms / lights / other devices
(2) Fighting back
-guns for defensive purposes
-block watches / neighborhood patrols