Criminology-Chapter 5

Victim

A person harmed, injured, or killed as a result of a crime, accident, or other event or action

Primary victim

A person who is directly harmed as a result of a victimizing experience

Secondary victim

A person who is not directly impacted by the harmful effects of the event but may witness the event or have to deal with the after-effects

Tertiary victim

A person who may suffer repercussions of victimization even though they are not directly involved in or witness to the harmful event

Direct victim

A person who is present qat the time of the victimization and experiences harm

Indirect victim

A person who is not immediately affected by victimization but nonetheless suffers in some way as a result of it 

Actual victim

A person who is the direct target of victimization

Vicarious victim

A person who does not experience direct victimization but nonetheless responds as if they had been victimized directly after learning of the event 

Canadian Victims bill of rights and it’s 5 sections

1. Right to information-Right to receive info about justice system, services, programs

2. Right to protection-Having security and privacy considered by the appropriate authorities 

3. Right to participation-Victims need their views considered when a decision affecting their rights is made 

4. Right to restitution-Victims have the right to consider a court restitution order against their offender

5. Right to remedies-The right to complain if the victim believes their rights have been violated under this bill

Victimization survey statistics 

1. More than ¼ of Canadians are victimized every year

2. Rates of victimization unchanged in 25 years

3. Adult victims of violence are young (15-24 years old), male (except for sexual assault), and most likely indigenous 

4. Repeat victimization is often observed (2004-40%)

Victim precipitation

The problematic assumption that victims can somehow influence or bring about their own victimization by exhibiting behaviors that provoke a victimizer 

Categories of PTSD symptoms 

1. Intrusive symptoms (re-experiencing), disturbing flashbacks and memories of the event 

2. Avoidance symptoms-Avoiding places, people activity, hiding feelings 

3. Cognition and mood symptoms-Persistent negative thoughts about yourself or world, negative emotions, feeling detached

4. Hyper-arousal and reactivity symptoms-Irritable and aggressive outbursts, hypervigilance, difficulty sleeping, reckless self destructive behavior

Protective factors associated with overcoming victimization

Characteristics an individual possesses to help deal with stress, including coping skills, the ability to handle new situations, and strong social skills