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The physical impact of crime on the victim essay
The impact of crime on society
The impact of crime on society
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Everyone is affected by crime, whether they are a direct victim, a family member or the victim’s friend. It can interfere with individual’s daily life, their personal sense of safety and their ability to trust others.
Victims of crime will deal with a wide range of immediate, short-term and long-term reactions. All victims will experience shock, distress, numbness and disconnection. It can affect their emotional, psychological, physical, social, financial and spiritual wellbeing, causing people to change their behaviour and lifestyles. Victims who have suffered violent crimes and threats to their lives and personal injury will have a different reaction and have a harder time coping with their feelings than those who are victims of nonviolent
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Many often have feelings of unreality and think this can’t be happening to me. When the assault happens they are shocked, terrified and surprised. Many victims describe feeling powerless, anxious, and helpless, guilt, and hostility, anger and low self-esteem. During the incident, they report having a rapid heartbeat, hyperventilation, stomach upset and feelings of no control. Many will find it hard to find the words to describe what happened to them cohesively. The Victims of home invasions describe feelings of violation, vulnerability and unease in their own …show more content…
Instead of enjoying going out on trips to the shops, cinemas or work, people will feel vulnerable and isolated. In areas of high crime people may move away from their neighbourhood causing a decrease in the value of local house prices and new businesses may avoid the area, while existing businesses may be forced to leave the area or close down because of repeated theft or vandalism, which then force residents to shop outside their local
Victimology is the scientific study of the physical, emotional, and financial harm people suffer from illegal activities. A common struggle Victimologists face is determining who the victim is. In general, crimes don 't have an “ideal victim”. The term ideal victims refer to someone who receives the most sympathy from society (Christie, 2016). An example of this would be a hardworking, honest man who on his way to work, had his wallet taken by force. Most people in society would have sympathy for him. He spent his life making an honest living to earn what he has and was a victim of a robbery. Victimologists study the interactions victims have with criminals, society, and the criminal justice system (Karmen, 2015). According to (Karmen, 2015)
Victimology is a scientific research and study with insights on the issues and patterns of victimization. These issues lead to inquiries regarding relationships of the parties, the vulnerabilities of the victim, and the attacker’s affect upon the victim and the other individuals that surrounded said victim. Understanding the relationships, the victim, the attacker, and the crime open up theories to patterns developed from such victimization. Moving through this process in preparing, equipping, and training for said crimes enhances
In the 21st century, crimes have been and remains as one of the post-major threats towards
A victim advocate is someone who helps people who are victims of a crime or sexual abuse. They are usually only referred to as victim advocates, however they can be called victim coordinators, victim specialists, or victim service providers.
This theory however as some have argued has emerged from social disorganisation theory, which sees the causes of crime as a matter of macro level disadvantage. Macro level disadvantage are the following: low socioeconomic status, ethnic or racial heterogeneity, these things they believe are the reasons for crime due to the knock on effect these factors have on the community network and schools. Consequently, if th...
What is a victim? Especially a victim of crime, according to Encarta Dictionary, a victim is a person that is harm, wounded or killed as a result of a crime, an accident or an event. Being a crime victim can be very upsetting; it comes with a large percentage of negativity. In an article reported by Erika V. Cox, it explains that a large number of crime victims seem to suffer after the actual crime has been committed. For example victims go through several procedures such as interrogation and question; that can make them recollect the terrible situation that has occurred to them. (Cox, 2006) At times people suggest and tend to blame the victims on how there is a reason that caused the situation or did something to intensify the possibility of becoming a victim of crime. Throughout time victims can experience anxiety and stress due to how severe the crime was. (Cox, 2006) A victim can be able to encounter mental and physical problems and not involving the nervous tension of lost income due to the criminal justice courts. Several victims suffer economic destitution because of the fact that they have to arrive in court to testify. Aside from income, a victim can suffer both long term and short term conditions. A long term physical state can be getting shot or stab and becoming paralyzed. A short term problem can be post traumatic stress disorder, flashbacks and difficulty living a normal life. And after it all visiting psychologist and physical therapy professions is not cheap. Crime victims suffer and stumble upon many complications and costs and it can be really difficult for someone. (Cox, 2006)
When it comes to falling victim to crime whether it’s violent or not, the victimization and embarrassment does not stop after the crime is done. Media can be useful in law enforcement and it can also be hurtful. While meant to spread awareness and helpful information, media can often relay too much information and potentially hurt people.
If a crime is portrayed as ‘out of control’ or perceived as ‘dangerous’ to a community through the media, it could create social repercussions, such as isolation of consumers who believe that their community is in a high-crime or high-violence area. Statistics recorded from the Australian Institute of Criminology confirms property crime, such as break and enter, burglary, vehicle theft and shoplifting are continually being reported at a higher rate than violent crime (Media portrayals of crime, 2000). In 2013 alone, there were approximately 739,317 property offences in total (homicide incidents, 2017). Therefore, the increase in property offences in society was the highest recorded in 2013, compared to violent crimes that decreased by a total of 151,714 in the same reviewed period. In addition, this evidence shows that the majority of crime in our society is not of a violent nature.
From the origins of criminal victimization, we begin with blaming the offended. (Silverii). Still what is more baffling is to question whether or not it is one's duty to make sure victims won't be victimized again or if victims of a crime that are unreported should even be considered victims. There are three main issues that are provided through victimology and these are context, connections, and investigative direction (Turvey). Most victims are not just victims they're perceived by a criminal as an ideal victim. An ‘ideal victim’ is someone who has played no part in their victimization by an offender who was solely responsible for the incident. In the early 1970s, research by the National Opinion Research Center and the President's Commission on Law Enforcement, and the Administration of Justice indicated that many crimes were not reported to police. A lot of times victims are not prepared for the insensitive and unpleasant treatment they may incur from the police, hospitals, and judicial system. In response, the U.S. Census Bureau began conducting the annual National Crime Victimization Survey in 1973. The survey provides the largest national forum for victims to describe the impact of crime and characteristics of violent offenders. The data includes type of crime, month, time, and location of the crime; relationship between victim and offender; characteristics of the offender; self-protective actions taken by the victim during the incident and results of those actions; consequences of the victimization; type of property lost; whether the crime was reported to the police and reasons for reporting or not reporting; and offender use of weapons, drugs, and alcohol.
A hate crime is a crime motivated by several reasons that include religion, sexual orientation, race, nationality, gender etc. It typically involves physical violence, intimidation, threats and other means against the individual that is being targeted. It is a crime against the person and it can have a devastating impact on the victim. Several argue that hate crimes should be punished more severely. However, it is not a crime to hate someone or something if it does not lead to some sort of criminal offense.
In today’s society there is a high fear of crime by society. Society actions show that there is anxiety and fear about crime. Therefore, anxiety and fear about crime has placid our cities and communities. Society express fear of being victimized by crimes, criminal activities, and behaviors. Therefore, according to, (Crime, 1999) states that “ the level of fear that a person holds depends on many factors, including but, not limited to: “ gender, age, any past experiences with crime that a person may have, where one lives, and one’s ethnicity.” All of those factors have a huge impact on one’s fear level.
Understanding the theories of victimology is important to understand the victims, we need to understand the four main theories of victimization. These theories are the principals of victim assessment. It will give the officer the tools to understand the motive behind the victimization giving him different types of views to analyze the victim. The four main theories of victimization are: Victim Precipitation, Lifestyle, Deviant Place, and Routine Activity. These four theories according to victimology give us the idea of how the victim become to be a victim. The word Victimization meanings “an act that exploits or victimizes someone” and “adversity resulting from being made a victim” (Vocabulary.com. Dictionary Victimization (2017)). By understanding the victim and the influences of their social life is important so we can give the victim the treatment and
Victims of crime will deal with a wide range of immediate, short-term and long-term reactions. All victims will experience shock, distress, numbness and disconnection. It can affect their emotional, psychological, physical, social, financial and spiritual wellbeing, causing people to change their behaviour and lifestyles. Victims who have suffered violent crimes and threats to their lives and personal injury will have a different reaction and have a harder time coping with their feelings than those who are victims of nonviolent crimes. As everyone reacts differently to similar offences it is impossible to predict what effects the individual victim will suffer.
There are certain things in this world that should not be allowed no matter what
Assigning blame has become an increasingly difficult and complex concept to understand, especially in our legal court system. I associate blame with being held responsible for the consequences of one’s intentional actions. In regards to sexual assault cases, I think the blame should not be placed on the victims, but rather on the perpetrators. Victim blaming justifies the perpetrator’s actions, discourages sexual assault reportings, and can have psychological effects on the victim.