Critical Victimology Flashcards
Why might patriarchy lead to more women being the victims of crime?
According to feminists, men use violence to exert their power and control over women
Why do feminists argue women don’t report being victims of crime such as sexual assault and rape?
Fears of secondary victimisation - women become victims a second time in dealing with the police and the courts where they have to relive the horrors of the crime and be interrogated in court which makes them feel like they were to blame.
Why might toxic masculinity cause more women to be victims of crime?
Men abuse women to show their superiority
What evidence is there of institutionalised sexism against women in courts?
Common asumptions that women are responsible for rape
Only 7% of rape cases end in a criminal conviction this sexism underpins the initial crime and the criminal justice process afterwards
Why do Marxists argue people in poverty may be more at risk of crime?
People experiencing poverty and material deprivation are unable to secure their homes against a break-in
Cannot afford good locks, alarms and double glazing that would help prevent crime
How do right realists criticise the Marxist view of who is at more risk of crime?
Argue the WC have only themselves to blame
They should have worked harder, so they could afford to protect their homes and live in safer areas
Who do neo-marxists argue are at the most risk of being victims of crime?
Agree that powerless groups are more likely to be the victims of crime
e.g. WC and ethnic minority groups
Who do neo-marxists argue the ‘ideal victim’ is?
The ideal victim is someone who is old, white and female
How can the case of Stephen Lawrence criticise neo-marxists ‘ideal victim’?
Stephen Lawrence was a black teenager who was waiting for a bus and was stabbed to death
Stephen doesn’t fit the ‘ideal victim’ and his murder was not investigated properly
Police assumed Stephen was in a gang and his murder was gang-related
Police found to be institutionally racist
Why do neo-marxists argue powerless groups are denied victim status such as with corporate crimes?
Argue that victims of corporate crime are not seen as victims
Corporate crimes are often seen as ‘accidents’ so they don’t face criminal prosecution, instead, they face regulation
So they are no ‘victims’ because cases are not seen as or treated as crimes
