Victimology describes the study of victims and their perpetrators. It also examines the psychological impact of crime against victims. The field of victimology emerged from the work of criminologists in the 1940s. They studied the interactions between victims and criminals through roles reversals, reciprocal effects and other means. Victimology is a study that examines whether drunken patrons attract thieves, and what reckless drivers might attract carjackers.
Victimology is demonstrated by the victim precipitation and deviant locations hypotheses. According to the victim precipitation hypothesis, a criminal chooses victims based on specific characteristics, like gender identity, race or sexual orientation. (Burgess 2017, 2017). This theory states that an offender is not interested in groups but individuals. An example of this is a politician who may be targeted because he or she does not agree with his/her values. A person could be considered a deviant if they live or walk in areas that are perceived as dangerous (Burgess 2017). One example is walking in darkness at night could put them at risk for encountering criminals. Lifestyle hypothesis states that people become criminals because of how they live (Burgess 2017). The most obvious example is wearing expensive jewelry, which may make it attractive for robbers.
To some extent, the American criminal justice system has contributed to reducing victimization. According to the National Crime Victimization Survey of (NCVS), poverty-related crimes decreased in America between 1994 and 2005 (Johnson 2017). These crimes have declined due to the presence of security cameras and heavier prison sentences. NCVS claims that crimes like robbery or assault, rape and sexual assault are most common against women, elderly and some ethnic groups.
Prior to this, I was a firm believer that murderers should get life sentences for taking someone’s life. Restitution was not part of my sentencing. Restitution in a criminal case is where the perpetrator pays the victim compensation for their loss. A case of murder does not involve the victim who is immediate. However, criminals must compensate all indirect victims (such as survivors of the crime).
It is important to consider the monetary losses suffered indirectly, like those of breadwinners. The United States should reform its criminal justice statutes in order to make sure that murder cases are restitution is uniform across states. Restitution is currently based on the defendant’s ability to pay. The loss of life cannot be measured by the defendant’s ability to pay. An effective deterrent for murderers, mass-shooters, serial killers and others would be consistent reparation statutes in all cases of murder.
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