victimisation

Question 1

how does the 1985 UN declaration define a victim of crime?

Answer 1

persons who individually or collectively have siffered harm, including physical or mental injury, emotional suffering, economic loss or substantial impairment of their fundamental rights through acts or omissions that violate criminal laws

Question 2

can someone be considered a victim if the offender is not convicted?

Answer 2

yes
regardless of whether the perpetrator is identified, apprehended, prosecuted or convicted & regardless of familial relationship

Question 3

who else is included in the term ‘victim’?

Answer 3

immediate family or dependents & persons who have suffered harm intervening to assist victims or prevent victimisation

Question 4

what led to the re-discovering of the victim in criminology?

Answer 4

campaigners
high-profile cases
criminologists focusing on victimisation

Question 5

what are the three victimology theories?

Answer 5

positivist
radical
critical

Question 6

who coined positivist victimology & when?

Answer 6

Miers 1989

Question 7

what does positivist victimology focus on?

Answer 7

factors contributing to non-random victimisation & routine active theory:
target offender & absence of capable guardian

Question 8

what key idea is central to positivist victimology?

Answer 8

victim culpability (Mendelsohn, 1956, 1974)

Question 9

what did Von Hentig )1948) argue?

Answer 9

some victims contribute to their own victimisation through converging factors not all in their control

Question 10

what crimes does positivist victimology mainly focus on?

Answer 10

interpersonal crimes of violence

Question 11

give one criticism of positivist victimology?

Answer 11

underplays structural inequalities

Question 12

another criticism of positivist victimology?

Answer 12

focuses mainly on predatory crime or burglary

Question 13

what crimes does radical victimology focus on?

Answer 13

crimes of the powerfulincluding state c rime & white collar crime

Question 14

what inequalities shape victimisation according to radical victimology?

Answer 14

poverty
social exclusion
unemployment

Question 15

give examples of harms caused by the powerful

Answer 15

unsafe products
polluted environments
unsafe workplaces
grenfell tower (2017)

Question 16

criticism of radical victimology?

Answer 16

over focus on class
ignores gender, ethnicity & age (Mawby & Walklate, 1994)

Question 17

what does critical victimology study?

Answer 17

the construction of victimhood & who is labelled a victim

Question 18

what does critical victimology argue about victimhood?

Answer 18

it’s socially & politically constructed

Question 19

who are excluded as ‘real’ victims?

Answer 19

victims of state violence
sex workers
refugees
prisoners

Question 20

criticisms of critical victimology?

Answer 20

overemphasis on structure & power
underplays individual agency

Question 21

who developed the ‘ideal victim’?

Answer 21

Nils Christie

Question 22

list characteristics of the ideal victim

Answer 22

weak
virtuous blameless
stranger to offender
offender unambiguously bad
able to claim victim status

Question 23

what effect do ideal victim characteristics have?

Answer 23

increase likelihood of receiving aid

Question 24

what is scapegoating?

Answer 24

when victims who don’t meet criteria are labelled illegitimate

Question 25

what are 2 key sources of victimisation data?

Answer 25

police statistics & victim surveys (CSEW)

Question 26

which areas have high property crime?

Answer 26

areas of higher socio-economic deprivation

Question 27

who are people more likely to be victimised by?

Answer 27

someone they know

Question 28

which ethnic groups are more at risk (CSEW)?

Answer 28

black/black british mixed chinese/other

Question 29

gender differences in victimisation?

Answer 29

women less likely victims of violent crime but more likely victims of theft & domestic/sexual violence

Question 30

why are homeless people vulnerable to victimisation?

Answer 30

high risk of violence, property crime, sexual crime & ASB

Question 31

elderly victimisation risks?

Answer 31

fraud & abuse in care settings fear of crime impacts behaviour

Question 32

LGBTQ victimisation findings?

Answer 32

1 in 6 experienced hate crime in past 3 years (2023)

Question 33

impacts of victimisation?

Answer 33

physical behavioural emotional/psychological financial

Question 34

how many violent incidents (YE March 2025)?

Answer 34

1.1 million incidents (16+)

Question 35

what is victim support?

Answer 35

independent UK charity providing support services

Question 36

what is a victim personal statement (VPS)?

Answer 36

written statement detailing impact of crime on victim

Question 37

what is restorative justice?

Answer 37

dialogue between victims, offenders & community to address harm

Question 38

how is Restorative justice described by Pollard (2000)?

Answer 38

an electic accretion of practical rather than a single theory