This edited volume showcases research on vulnerable victimizations, or more specifically, on individuals and/or populations that, due to their status, have less power in society, are socially controlled in unique ways in the criminal–legal system, or are members of marginalized groups with specialized considerations surrounding their victimization experiences, such as LGBTQIA+ individuals, immigrants, incarcerated persons, children, and females. The scholarship focuses on the overall victimization experience, and at the same time is also centered on the victimization experiences of historically ignored and/or marginalized groups. Victimization of vulnerable individuals in the United States is increasing at a moment when marginalized groups continue to confront legislative and policy reforms that would undermine their liberty. It is as important now, as it has ever been, for the field of victimology to consider those who historically may not have the loudest (or any) voice to spotlight and investigate their experiences. Vulnerable Victimizations will be a key resource for academics, researchers, and advanced students of Victimology, Criminology and Criminal Justice. The chapters included in this book were originally published in Victims & Offenders.
An examination of the psychological literature on victimisation shows disproportionately that that we know more about the predator than we do the victim. Moreover, almost all the literature on the victim is presented from either a reductionistic or cognitive-behavioural point of view. This book examines the psychology of a victim of repeated criminal acts from the existential-humanistic perspective. The method used is the single case study. The subject, currently age 51, a pilot, was the victim of identity theft, extortion, and duress. These crimes, some of which are treated under federal law as violent by their nature or effect, resulted in a large, unrecoverable financial loss, suspension of the pilot's medical certification required to operate aircraft, abrupt termination of his chosen career, a continuing governmental record of being delusional despite overwhelming proof to the contrary, lasting emotional and physical distress, as well as other consequences. Meanwhile, the predator has harmed dozens of individuals, forming a diverse cohort. A life history of the subject is presented as a context for the specific chronology of events defining his victimisation, which is followed by an existential interpretation. Interviews and archival data, including written and audio forms of documentation, have been incorporated into the study. Seven criteria were selected from existential-humanistic psychology that have been applied in the exploration of the behaviour and personality of the victim: (1) the interior life-world of the person; (2) self-actualisation needs vs. adjustment to social norms; (3) meaning through suffering; (4) being in the face of non-being; (5) attitudes toward death and annihilation; (6) dreams, visions, and mythic experience; and (7) existential use of the void. The study found characteristics of the psyche of a particular victim that may have made him vulnerable. These characteristics include: being overly trusting; being under the influence of a hero-rescuer archetype; and being overly reliant on instruments due to training as a pilot. Mainstream psychology has ignored this dimension, which is needed to understand the total person.
"...the clarity in which the wide range of relevant issues are presented throughout the book makes this must-reading for new entrants to this field and for students." International Review of Victimology This book situates the contemporary preoccupation with criminal victimisation within the broader socio-cultural changes of the last twenty five years. In so doing it addresses not only the policy possibilities that have been generated as a consequence of those changes but also concerns itself with the ability of victimology to help make sense of this change. Written in the post 9/11 context this book considers the efficacy of theory and policy relating to questions of victimhood to accommodate the current political and cultural climate and offers a critical understanding of both. It adopts an explicitly cross-cultural position on these questions. It will be vital reading for anyone interested in the problems and possibilities posed by criminal victimisation understood in the broadest terms.
Progressive criminal justice systems are increasingly paying attention to the need to protect victims psychologically, physically, financially and legally. The so-called “victim-oriented approach” is becoming a popular tendency. This approach assumes that the victim, his/her protection and interests should be more prioritized in the criminal process. Such an approach requires balancing of this process taking into account victims’ interests, especially where the focus has been on the offender. In the post-Soviet countries, the retributive system still prevails: the key is the retribution to the offender and bringing him to justice. However, under such a system, victims of crime and their violated rights remain in the shadow. Ukrainian law contains a wide range of victims’ rights allowing them to actively participate in the investigation of crime and subsequent trial. However, in practice many of them remain a declaration. Moreover, the national criminal justice system sometimes not only does not restore violated rights, but also causes to victims repeated psychological trauma – secondary victimization. The very concept of protecting the victim from secondary victimization is unknown to the Ukrainian law and practice. Of all the offences, violent crimes have the most devastating consequences. The right to life and physical integrity is fundamental, and its violation has particularly serious consequences for victims, their relatives and society as a whole. Moreover, the process of investigating these crimes carries the high risk of secondary victim-isation1. It can cause moral suffering of victims who are forced to experience the negative psychological consequences of the crime over and over again2. The legal concept of violence has been constantly changing. At present, it covers not only physical but also psychological, economic, sexual and other violence. However, the Criminal Code of Ukraine does not contain a separate list of violent crimes. Therefore, for the purposes of this study, we analysed the state of protection of victims from the most typical violent crimes: premeditated murder (Article 115 of the Criminal Code); bodily injuries of all degrees (Articles 121, 122, 125 of the Criminal Code); domestic violence (Article 126-1 of the Criminal Code); rape (Article 152 of the Criminal Code), sexual violence (Article 153 of the Criminal Code); theft committed publicly and combined with violence (Part 2 of Article 186 of the Criminal Code); robbery (Article 187 of the Criminal Code). The number of victims of crime remains consistently high: 374 thousand in 2017, 345 thousand in 2018, 302 thousand in 2019. Of them have died as a consequence of crime 6.5 thousand (2017), 6.2 thousand (2018), 5.8 thousand (2019)3. The Ministry of Justice of Ukraine estimates that in 2018, the most serious intentional violent crimes in Ukraine caused death or bodily injuries to 24.4 thousand victims. In this context, the authors of the present study set themselves the goal to analyse in detail the existing legal framework on the rights of victims as well as the practice of its application. Further, our analysis will be carried out from the point of view of modern standards of victims’ rights, which are little known in Ukraine. First of all, we drew attention to the state of implementation of the European Union Directive establishing minimum standards on the rights, support and protection of victims of crime. This document is not binding for Ukraine, but it needs to be implemented in our country in terms of the European Union integration process. The Directive has become a powerful tool for protecting the rights of victims in the EU countries and it requires regular reporting by the EU member states on the status of its implementation. However, the standards provided by the Directive, in particular as regards protection against secondary victimization, are not yet reflected in the national legislation, despite the EU’s efforts to implement them in Ukraine. Moreover, these standards for the protection of victims’ rights have not been implemented, despite the fact that they are also contained in the Council of Europe on assistance to crime victims, and Ukraine is a member of this organisation7. The standards of protection of victims are comprehensive as they relate not only to the procedural aspects of the investigation and trial, but also to providing support to victims, such as psychological support. Therefore, our study focuses not only on the legal aspects of victims’ protection, but also on the mechanisms of support and protection of victims by the state. Another aspect that we will pay attention to is the compensation of victims for the damage caused by crimes. Ukraine has not yet established a mechanism to compensate victims of violent crimes, despite the signing and efforts to ratify the relevant Council of Europe convention. Thus, we will analyse the existing compensation practices in the context of lack of such a mechanism. The above-mentioned Council of Europe recommendation encourages States to promote and support research on the protection of victims. Among other things, such studies should focus on: – criminal victimisation and its impact on victims; – the effectiveness of legislative and other measures for the support and protection of victims of crime – both in criminal justice and in the community; – the effectiveness of intervention by criminal justice agencies and victim services (paragraph 17 of the Recommendation). We hope that our study adheres to these guidelines, and will be a fertile ground for further development of research in the sphere of protection of victims’ rights in Ukraine.
This reader introduces students to the social research process by pairing 16 published research articles with candid interviews with the lead researcher on each study.
Victimology: The Essentials, Third Edition, concisely explores the effects of victimization in the United States and internationally, with an emphasis on vulnerable populations. Drawing from the most up-to-date research, this accessible, student-friendly text provides an overview of the field with a focus on the scope, causes, and responses to victimization today. Renowned author and researcher Leah E. Daigle expertly relays the history and development of the field of victimology, the extent to which people are victimized and why, and how the criminal justice system and other social services interact with victims and with each other. The highly anticipated Third Edition features contemporary issues such as cybervictimization, the neurobiology of trauma, the victimization of LGBQT people, and much more.
