Comprehensive study notes of the CMY3705 study guide. Summarised in a fun layout from Unit 2 to make the work seem less and keep your attention. Definitions are coloured in green to make them stand out and for you to memorise it easily. Easy layout to read and comprehend.
,LEARNING UNIT 1: BRIEF HISTORY
● Victimology emerged in 1940s
● By 2 European criminologists
○ Von Hentig (father of Victimology)
○ Mendelsohn
● Theorised that victim’s behaviour + attitude caused/contributed to crime committed
DEFINITIONS:
International Victimology Website 2008
Victims: persons who (individual/collective) su ered harm
Eg. physical/mental injury, emotional su ering, economic loss/substantial impairment of fundamental rights, through
acts/omissions in violation of criminal laws, including those proscribing criminal abuse
power
Crime victim: any person, group /entity su ered injury/loss (physical, psychological, economic) due to illegal activity
Victim (legal definition): person who su ered direct/threatened physical, emotional/pecuniary harm as result of crime
● Rather use survivor than victim
● Victim = negative connotations
● If victim is institutional entity, any of same harms by individual/authorised representative of another entity
● Group harms covered under civil + constitutional law, with hate crime in emerging criminal law development
● Criminal law treats all cases as individualised
Secondary crime victim: experience harm 2nd hand + include intimate partners/significant others of victim
LEARNING UNIT 2: VICTIM SUPPORT & EMPOWERMENT
● Courts ignored witnesses’ needs
● Led to secondary victimisation - victims treated with disrespect + basic human rights ignored
● Secondary victimisation experience more negative than initial trauma of crime
Vetten (2001)
Secondary Victimisation: ill-informed, insensitive, blaming treatment of victims by o cials who work for criminal justice system
❖ Form of blaming = victim blamed for crime/contributing to crime
HOW DOES SECONDARY VICTIMISATION OCCUR?
● Starts when victim reports crime to police
● Victims (women + children - sexual assault/rape) have to face police’s disbelief that crime occurred
● Treated insensitively = secondary victimisation
● discouraging/preventing women from laying charges increases victim vulnerability + negativity
● Family + friends may discourage reporting crime
○ Victim feels alone + isolated
● Victimisation takes place at di erent levels during court process
Things that add to victim’s distress + uncertainty + help to perpetuate trauma experience:
● Failure to provide private waiting/report-taking facilities
● Not informing victims of court procedures + evidence
● Failing to explain why certain questions asked/procedures followed
● Not updating victim on progress of trail/investigation
● Long waiting periods for victims before examined + treated
● Time which often lapses between reporting incident + appearing in court
● During hearing, victim’s rights infringed by defence
WHAT IS VICTIM EMPOWERMENT & SUPPORT
Victim empowerment: process through which individuals who su ered conflict + violence are helped to overcome their grief +
resentment
❖ Enables them to become more positive, proactive + self-motivated members of society
OR
Strategies + public policies which provide communities with skills + self-confidence, support + tools necessary to become more
e ective advocates of rights + needs of victims in light of institutionalised + historic discrimination (government + private sector)
VICTIM SUPPORT MODELS
1. Care Model
● Services can be delivered as specific form of welfare/charity
● Governed by ideology of care
● involve/include state compensation schemes (1)
, ○ Especially those which apply generous standards in determining awards for victims of crime
● Existing schemes fall short of being fully satisfactory welfare provision for crime victims
● Only some victims eligible + delivery time-consuming + burdensome
● Rape crisis centres, shelter homes for victims of spouse abuse (2)
● General victim support schemes (3)
○ Most western countries have only for female victims
○ 1980s similar services available for all victims (crimes include burglaries, assault + robberies)
● In UK + Netherlands all victims routinely contacted by trained volunteers + o ered immediate practical + moral support
● Police structured to ask all relevant victims permission to give their names + addresses to local support schemes
2. Criminal Justice Model
● Victim services can be part of administration of criminal justice system
● Governed by ideology of human rights/just society
● Incorporates victims of crime + provided for + included within criminal justice process
● Taken into consideration by police
● Referred to support agencies
● Given advice on preventive measures
● Have right to be notified of outcome of investigation / of ensuing criminal proceedings
● Have right to inform court of impact of victimisation in form of Victim Impact Statements
● Have right to receive restitution from o ender
● US - have right to express opinion on most appropriate punishment for o ender
3. Prevention Model
● Ideal victim policy
● Mix of both models above
● Sees victim policies as integral part of crime prevention
● Implementation of justice-oriented provisions for crime victims sometimes hampered by lack of motivation on part of
relevant professions
● Helping victims often not seen as part of core business of police/prosecutor
4 Reasons why better deal for crime victims important in fight against crime:
1. Most victims brought to attention of police by victims/ their relatives
2. Chance to arrest o ender + obtain conviction depends on info supplied by victim
3. Victim doubtful whether reporting case to police will do them good = undermines police e ectiveness
4. Victim cooperation essential
● For reduction of crime- role of potential + actual victims in crime prevention
● Crime prevention by doing something about economic hardship of groups at risk + limiting chances of becoming o enders
● O enders empowerment to stay crime free after release from prison
● Victim-oriented prevention works
● Read through Mono7.pdf
SA PERSPECTIVE ON VICTIM EMPOWERMENT & SUPPORT
SA scenario regarding models of care
● Criminal victimisation in SA high - risk factors
1. Level of crime driven up presence of economically deprived youngsters + availability of suitable targets
2. High crime levels of crime seems to have structural causes that need address by comprehensive crime policies
3. crime victims who report victimisation to police dissatisfied with treatment -want special
● Victim policies needed to remedy this can be guided by either /both prevailing Victim Support ideologies:
○ Care ideology
○ Criminal justice ideology
● Essential to develop nationwide network of support agencies for all victims volunteer involvement)
● Comprehensive bill of rights for crime victims in SA
○ Proposed changes in law
○ Changes in procedures
○ New codes of conduct for professions involved
● Potential and actual crime Victim Support police by placing responsibility on community members to improve own self
protection measures
● Repeat victims of police for installing burglary alarms (easier to arrest perpetrators)
● Treating victims more fairly, criminal justice system can maintain/restore victims respect for law + prevent downward spiral
of violence + resentment.
○ Helping victims is task for welfare agencies + volunteers, in cooperation with police, prosecutors + courts = multi
agency approach.
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