CRM 3306 Study Guide - Fall 2018, Comprehensive Midterm Notes - Victimology, Sexual Assault, Barkan
12 Oct 2018
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Department
Course
Professor
CRM 3306
MIDTERM EXAM
STUDY GUIDE
Fall 2018
Wednesday, September 5, 2018
1
Introduction to victimology
Crime and victims
- Crime → An act that is against the law
• The victim of a crime by this definition is the state
- The social processes aren’t explained with that legal definition
• There is no insight to the process by which a person becomes a victim
- Need to have a critical approach to examine harmful acts
• Reflect on questions like what is a criminal?
a) Carrabine → The criminal justice process relies on victims
• Would stop without them
- Victims report crimes so then they are investigated
- They give testimonies which can result in a conviction
• Reporting behaviours of the victims sets the process in motion
• Victims have a central role in the CJS
• Lots of crime isn’t reported though → Dark figure of crime
• The low reporting rates and low clearance rate from the police result in low amounts of
cases reaching court
• These are long and complex processes for the victim
- The incident may only take a few minutes to occur but the encounters with the police
and other agencies can take months and years
• Victims often believe that their probity is questioned during these processes
b) Winterdyk → All crimes have consequences
• Being a vicim creates conditions for adverse effects or outcomes
• Victimology → Scientific study of the extent, nature and causes of criminal victimization
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Wednesday, September 5, 2018
2
- Looks at the consequences for the victim and the reactions from society, police and
professional helpers
• Secondary victimization → How victims are treated in the CJS that makes it worse
- Encounters with the police and other agencies makes the victim feel re-victimized
c) Hannah Scott
• Victimology is wide in scope depending on the definition of harm and victim
- The definition determines what and who to be studies and how they will be treated
- This is a major issue in criminology
• Victimology is dominated by trends and patterns
- Don’t need to focus on it exclusively
- Can help with resources and responses to victims, but also other issues
• Victimology doesn’t occur in a social vacuum
- Ties to the situation that the person was involved in → There are societal factors
• Victimology → Study of the victim and the social context in which they occur
• Victimology and criminology are viewed as separate fields
- Criminology is offender-focused in explaining crime
• Ex: Looks at theories and crime reduction tactics
- Victimology studies the other side of the event
• The victim’s insight and explores the challenges of victims and potential victims
Social Structure
- How society is organized with regards to social relationships and interactions
- There are two types of social structures…
I. Horizontal → Physical and social characteristics of the community
- Ex: Population density, residential/retail, economic status, race, sex, jobs, property
value, social control, etc
- Networks of social relationships like clubs, churches and other programs
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Crime an act that is against the law: the victim of a crime by this definition is the state. The social processes aren"t explained with that legal definition: there is no insight to the process by which a person becomes a victim. Need to have a critical approach to examine harmful acts: reflect on questions like what is a criminal, carrabine the criminal justice process relies on victims, would stop without them. Victims report crimes so then they are investigated. Looks at the consequences for the victim and the reactions from society, police and professional helpers: secondary victimization how victims are treated in the cjs that makes it worse. Encounters with the police and other agencies makes the victim feel re-victimized: hannah scott, victimology is wide in scope depending on the definition of harm and victim. The definition determines what and who to be studies and how they will be treated.
