ch 2 criminal justice

Crime Victimization

Refers to the experience of being harmed or targeted by a crime. It means a person, group, or organization has suffered physical, emotional, psychological, or financial harm as a result of a criminal act.

Causes of Crime

Crime is caused by a combination of social, economic, psychological, and environmental factors rather than one single reason.

Who is victimized?

Anyone can be victimized, but people at higher risk often include:

Young people

Low-income individuals

Those living in high-crime areas

People who are isolated or lack social support

Urban areas versus rural areas

Race - mostly inter racial- white on white - black on black

What is the impact of crime?

The impact of crime includes physical injury, emotional trauma, financial loss, and fear, and it can also harm families, communities, and trust in society.

What happens to victims in the criminal justice system?

Victims in the criminal justice system may report the crime, give statements, and testify, but they can also experience stress, delays, lack of control, or feeling ignored. Some receive support, protection, and compensation, while others may feel re-traumatized by the process.

How are the victim and offender related?

Most times, the victim and offender are acquainted

the offender may be a friend, family member, partner, or acquaintance, rather than a stranger.

–Robbery - Someone that you don’t know

–Rape - commonly someone that you know

What are the odds you will be murdered?

We can predict this with charts

1 out of every 250

Costs of crime

Economic costs: medical bills, property damage, lost income, higher insurance, and legal expenses

Emotional costs: trauma, stress, fear, anxiety, and reduced quality of life for victims

Social costs: weakened community trust, fear of crime, and reduced neighborhood safety

Government costs: policing, courts, prisons, and victim services

Fear of crime

Avoiding certain places or activities

Reduced social interaction

Stress and anxiety

Changes in daily behavior (like staying inside more)

The Experiences of Victims in the CJ system

Victims may have to report the crime, give statements, attend court, and testify, which can be emotionally difficult. Many feel they have limited control, face long delays, or feel overlooked as the focus is often on the offender. Some victims experience secondary victimization, meaning they feel re-traumatized by the process.

Victim services

We have developed ways to be more thoughtful for victims

“Crime Victims Bill of Rights”

Be treated with fairness, dignity, and respect

Be informed about court proceedings and case updates

Be present and heard at key stages (like hearings or sentencing)

Receive protection from the accused when possible

Seek restitution or compensation for losses

Access victim services and support

Domestic Violence in South Africa

They recognize the police were not trained to help victims, so they train people to do this job, addressing concerns, keeping them safe after the fact.

What role do victims play in their victimization?

Some victims do not take proper precautions, leaving keys out, doors open etc

Some victims provoke or entice others, at a bar - intoxication

Some victims are unwilling to help investigators

Causes of Crime

Poverty and inequality, lack of education or jobs, family and peer influence, substance abuse, mental health issues, and high-crime environments.

For generations people thought that others were possessed with demons - spiritually influenced

The Classical School

Criminal behavior is a choice

Free will

Pleasure/pain principle, Utilitarianism

We do whatever feels good for us

Individuals weigh the costs and the benefits of engaging in crime

Policy is concerned with increasing the costs and decreasing the benefits

Intellectual individuals hopefully won’t commit the crime

Crimes of choice

The Positivist School

Criminal behavior is beyond the control of the individual

Determinism

Criminals are fundamentally different from noncriminals - physiology, biology, sociology

Social scientists can be objective in their work to identify factors that differentiate criminals from others

More scientifically based

Old School

Criminals are less involved humans, looks at people physically features, how they look

If your a criminal then are your parents a criminal

–Lombroso (1912)

–Goddard (1902)

Names are not important

New School

Genetic testing

Markers that indicate certain personality traits in criminals

Will we be able to identify a crime gene

Do these genes cause crime or do this just put the rate of crime up

–Wilson & Herrnstein (Crime and Human Nature, 1985)

–Fishbein (1990)

Names are not important

Id

Part of the mind that drives, impulse, desire, wants you to do whatever feels good in the moment

Superego

Moral principle, judging things as right or wrong

Ego

Reality principle, identifying needs but implanting them in good ways

Psychopathology

Meaning pathology in the mind, antisocial personality disorder, impulse disorder

Freud psychoanalytic theory

Not biology parts of the brain, cants test this theory

Social Structure Theories

Poverty, education, housing

Learning

Would argue people learn to commit crime like you learn to do anything else in life, justifying doing it

Control

We are born bad, selfish, we always act on our own behalf. We don’t break the law because we don’t wanna upset people or be punished, self control

Labeling

Focusing on society treating people, we label people as bad, creating more opportunities for crime

Social Conflict Theories

Focus on the fact that society is a fight over scarce resources, everyone wants money, some people can’t require those legally, weed use - people are gonna make money off of it, gambling

What are the policy implications? Sociology

Teach proper learning, education, social conditions

Life Course Explanations

Life events associated with:

-Starting to commit crime

-Escalating criminal behavior

-Stopping offending

Turning Points - positive and negative

Events or experiencing that change how you act

What are the policy implications? (Turning points)

Therapy, changing schools, moving, high school to college, can be positive changes