Crime Case Study

Victimology: The Ones Who Matter

When people think of crime they think of the act that has been committed and the suspect that has done the crime. Sadly, most people tend to forget about the victim of the crime when they study the figures. Luckily, Victimology is the study of these victims and a whole field is dedicated to these people. Victimology has become a very important study and now reveals important figures that helps experts study different crimes. Homicide is once crime in particular that really benefits from this study and also studies the victims to understand the clues of the homicide. Homicide accounts for over 16,000 deaths each year in the United States (CDC). These fatalities effect societies and the families associated

New theories of restitution for victims is coming into play and being tested in the field. Heather Strang a criminologist completed a study about victims and restorative justice. Restorative justice is where the victim benefits from the criminals sentence and is agreed on by the victim, police agency, and sometimes the criminal. Strang’s research focuses on the emotional repair after a crime, victims want emotional closure from the crime that was committed. When Strang polled the victims she found that 91% of the victims just wanted an apology from the criminal and only 37% wanted some sort of financial compensation. Strang also found that 59% of the victims found closure in restorative justice methods. Strang argues that by focusing more on the individual that was victimized and focusing on what they would benefit from using restorative justice methods (Strang). On a personal understanding of restorative justice solutions, working for a police department that implements such solutions, I have seen the benefits of such methods. Normally the crimes are minor enough to be vandalism, theft, or crimes against the State of Maine (Drinking in Public). When a person is caught (normally a juvenile) a committee is called upon, the juvenile, their parents, the victim, representative from the police department, and members from the community watch council. They all meet,

The families are forced to undergo permanent changes that are difficult for all of the surviving members to cope with. The family of the victim may experience major changes in family member roles and be forced to undergo major transformations to reconstruct the family unit. The family members will now be faced with more “at-risk” choices that could include, suicide, drug abuse, and alcoholism. There is abundant clinical evidence indicating that following a homicidal death, family members are at risk for developing sustained and dysfunctional psychological reactions. And since the nearly 30,000 homicides annually in the United States affect between 120,000 and 240,000 relatives and other survivors, the magnitude of these numbers suggests that homicidal bereavement represents a major public health problem. Specialized treatment is needed for the families and others that were affected by the homicide to help lessen the long term psychological effects. California offers a victim/ witness program that provides help. However, the program lacks effectiveness due to the lack of funding and often goes unused. The National Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) have established programs to provide programs to model for states to follow (Saindon). Still years after victims’ families are subject to Post Dramatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and the families are still suffering from the loss. The plain facts show