Forensic Victimology 2nd Edition

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Forensic Victimology 2nd Edition

• Chapter One Victimology - A Brief History with
  an Introduction to Forensic Victimology

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History of Victimology

• In modern criminal justice system, the word
  victim has come to describe any person who has
  experienced injury, loss, or hardship due to the
  illegal action of another individual, group, or
  organization.
• The term victimology first appeared in 1949 and
  was used to describe the study of individuals
  harmed by criminals.
• In modern usage, the term victimology generally
  refers to the scientific study of victims and
  victimization, including the relationships
  between victim and offender, investigators,
  courts, corrections, media, and social movements.
  

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History of Victimology

• Jan Van Dijk (1999) proposed that there are two
  types of victimology
• General victimology
• Studies victimity in the broadest sense,
  including those that have been harmed by
  accidents, natural disasters, war, etc.
• Focuses on the treatment, prevention, and
  alleviation of the consequences of being
  victimized, regardless of the cause

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History of Victimology

• Interactionist (or penal) victimology
• Combines issues concerning the causation of
  crimes with those relating to the victims role
  in the criminal proceedings, where victims are
  only those who become such as a result of crime
• Focuses on advocacy for victims

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History of Victimology

• Jerin and Moriarty (1998) contend that there are
  three distinct historical eras defining the
  victims role within systems of justice
• The Golden Age
• Existed prior to written laws and established
  governments, tribal law prevailed
• Victims played a direct role in determining
  punishments for the unlawful actions that others
  committed against them or their property
• Retribution was the resolution for criminal
  matters

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History of Victimology

• The Dark Age
• Resulted from the emergence of structured local
  governments and the development of legal statutes
• Offenses were viewed as perpetrated against the
  laws of the king or state, not just against the
  victim or the victims family
• Focus shifted towards offender punishments and
  rights, as opposed to victim rights and
  restoration

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History of Victimology

• The Reemergence of the victim
• Realization that victims were being overlooked as
  a source of information about crime and criminal
• Studying victims led to the birth of traditional
  victimology as a discrete scientific endeavor

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Key Figures

• The origins of scientific victimology can be
  attributed to the following key figures in
  criminology
• Hans Von Hentig (1887-1974)
• Sought to develop crime prevention strategies
• Determined that certain victim characteristics
  played a role in shaping the crimes suffered
• Believed that some victims contributed to their
  own victimization by virtue or many converging
  factors, not all of which were in their control
• Classified victims into one of 13 categories

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Key Figures

• The Young
• Females
• The Old
• The Mentally Defective and Deranged
• Immigrants
• Minorities
• Dull Normals
• The Depressed
• The Acquisitive
• The Wanton
• The Lonesome of Heartbroken
• The Tormentor
• The Blocked, Exempted, or Fighting

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Key Figures

• Benjamin Mendelsohn
• Became interested in the correlations between
  rapists and their victims
• Developed the term victim precipitation
• Developed a typology that categorizes the extent
  to which a victim is capable of his or her own
  demise (focusing on situational factors)
• Completely innocent victims
• Victim due to ignorance
• Voluntary victim
• Victim more guilty than the offender
• Most guilty victim
• Simulating or imaginary victim

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Key Figures

• Stephen Schafer
• Published the first textbook on the subject of
  victimology
• Interviewed criminals and aimed to build upon the
  previous typologies, focusing on victim
  culpability
• Proposed seven types of victim responsibility
• Unrelated victims
• Provocative victims
• Precipitative victims
• Biologically weak victims
• Socially week victims
• Self-victimizing
• Political victims

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Key Figures

• Marvin E. Wolfgang
• First presented empirical research findings as
  support for his theories of victimology
• Presented his study of police homicide records,
  which concluded that over a quarter of the
  homicides in the city of Philadelphia between
  1948-1952 involved an element of victim
  contribution and participation

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Forensic Victimology An Introduction

• Forensic victimology is the objective study of
  victims, with a focus on impartially and
  completely describing all aspects of their life
  and lifestyle in order to gain a better
  understanding of how they came to be victimized,
  how the crime took place, and their relationship
  with the offender.

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Forensic Victimology An Introduction

• Purpose
• The purpose of forensic victimology is aimed at
  accurately, critically, and objectively
  describing the victim in order to better
  understand victims, crime, criminals, and
  forensic issues.
• Forensic victimologists serve investigations and
  court proceedings by endeavoring to
• Assist in understanding elements of crime
• Assist in developing a timeline
• Define the suspect pool
• Provide investigative suggestions
• Assist with crime reconstruction

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Forensic Victimology An Introduction

• Continued
• Assist with contextualizing allegations of
  victimizations
• Assist with the development of offender modus
  operandi
• Assist with the development of offender motive
• Assist with case linkage
• Assist with public safety response
• Educate the court

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Forensic Victimology An Introduction

• Philosophy
• The philosophy behind studying victims in
  investigative and forensic contexts is that a
  complete understanding of victims and their
  circumstances will allow for a comprehensive and
  correct interpretation of the nature of their
  harm and loss.
• It also provides insight into the plans and
  motives of those who committed the offense
  against them.

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Forensic Victimology An Introduction

• Aim
• The aim of forensic victimology is to assist in
  providing informed investigations, to require
  scientific examinations of victim evidence that
  is intended for court, and to result in more
  informed legal outcomes.