victimological theory gerd kirchoff

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Theoretical Victimology

by

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Victimology as a Science



Victimology as word:

– _Victima_Victima _{Latin, the victim}_{Latin, the victim}

– _Logos_Logos _{body of theoretical knowledge,}_{body of theoretical knowledge,}

teaching

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Victimology



A theoretical body of knowledge



This is not

– _{practical victim assistance}_{practical victim assistance} – _{a political movement}_{a political movement}

– _{creation of social programs}_{creation of social programs} – _{victim related legislation}_{victim related legislation}

– _{Practical application of victimologiocal}_{Practical application of victimologiocal}

knowledge

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Basic Structure of Victimology



Dealing with

– Victims_Victims

– _{Victimizations}_{Victimizations}

– _{Reactions to both,}_{Reactions to both,}

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Who is theVICTIM?



Answer 1

:

– _{Victims of crime}_{Victims of crime}

» Hans von Hentig_{Hans von Hentig} » _{Stephen Schafer}_{Stephen Schafer} » Ezzat Fattah_{Ezzat Fattah}

– Result: _Result:

» special victimology_{special victimology} » _{penal victimology}_{penal victimology}

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Who is the VICTIM



Answer 2:

– _{Victims of everything}_{Victims of everything} – Benjamin Mendelsohn _{Benjamin Mendelsohn}

Result: General Victimology

To overcrowded

and therefore empty

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Who is the VICTIM



Answer 3:

– _{Menmade victims}_{Menmade victims}

– Zvonimir Paul Separovic_{Zvonimir Paul Separovic} – Elias Neumann_{Elias Neumann}

– Robert Elias_{Robert Elias}

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victimologia - Victimologia



victimologia = science of the crime victims



Victimologia – toda victima social

– _Poverty_Poverty

– _{Marginalization}_{Marginalization}

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Elias Neuman I

 Victimologia – el rol de la victima en los delitos Victimologia – el rol de la victima en los delitos

convencionales y no convencionales

– _{2nd ed. 1994}_{2nd ed. 1994}

– _{The poor, the marginalized,}_{The poor, the marginalized,} – The socially submerged _{The socially submerged}

– _{Victims of political systems and ideologies}_{Victims of political systems and ideologies} – Victims of religions_{Victims of religions}

– Victims of the justice system_{Victims of the justice system}

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Elias Neuman II 1994

 Victimology is an autonomous science if it looks Victimology is an autonomous science if it looks

at all the

– victims of abuse of power, _{victims of abuse of power,} » national or supranational, _{national or supranational,}

– _{Victims of all oppression and terrorism in a society,}_{Victims of all oppression and terrorism in a society,} » as individuals, _{as individuals,}

» groups or _{groups or}

» All people in a country._{All people in a country.}

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Robert Elias

 Criminal victimizationCriminal victimization

 Social sources of victimizationSocial sources of victimization

 Governmental sources of victimizationGovernmental sources of victimization  Framework of Human RightsFramework of Human Rights

– Critical of traditional victimology:_{Critical of traditional victimology:}

– Law and order lobby has coopted victim assistance_{Law and order lobby has coopted victim assistance} – Victims have gained far less than promised_{Victims have gained far less than promised}

– Consumer frauds, poluution, unnecessarý drugs and _{Consumer frauds, poluution, unnecessarý drugs and}

surgery, food additives, discrimination, poverty,

exploitation and war

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Answer 5:

Victims of disaster and climate changeVictims of disaster and climate change



Victimology includes victims of disaster and

natural catastrophes including climate

change

– Newest Development since 10 years, mainly _{Newest Development since 10 years, mainly} – _{Dussich Fachry, Mundy, Susetyo}_{Dussich Fachry, Mundy, Susetyo}

– Local: geographic situation in danger zone_{Local: geographic situation in danger zone}

– _{Relationship to the newest UN discussions that}_{Relationship to the newest UN discussions that}

look at global sources of Human (In-) Security

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Towards „Interim“ Consensus

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1985 Declaration of Basic Principles of

Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of

Power

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One of the most important achievements of

„victimology“



Deals with crime victims and with victims

of „Abuse of Power“



Attempts to create a Victim Convention

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Victimology defines



Who is the victim?

– Important if you have special legislation which _{Important if you have special legislation which}

gives victims some benefits



Schneider: When threatened by a criminal

act, the victim may be

– _{A person}_{A person}

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Victims

 Only humans? No (Wolfgangs first order victims)Only humans? No (Wolfgangs first order victims)  Organizations (Wolfgang´s second order victims)Organizations (Wolfgang´s second order victims)

– _{Private companies, unicorporated associations,}_{Private companies, unicorporated associations,} – Trade unions_{Trade unions}

– _{Government bodies}_{Government bodies}

 State (Wolfgang´s third order victims)State (Wolfgang´s third order victims)

– Tax fraud, espionage_{Tax fraud, espionage}

 International orderInternational order

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Victimology measures



Entrance gate for the Methods of Empirical

Research

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Victimizations: the experience of being a victim Victimizations: the experience of being a victim

 Three dimensions of damage Three dimensions of damage

 Victim SurveysVictim Surveys

 Who, what, when, which consequences_{Who, what, when, which consequences}

How many victims are out there.... How many victims are out there....

 Is the risk of victimization evenly distributedIs the risk of victimization evenly distributed

» Over time_{Over time} » Over area_{Over area} » Over sex_{Over sex} » Over age_{Over age}

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Victimology measures

Victimizations Victimizations

 the experience of being a victim_{the experience of being a victim}  Victim SurveysVictim Surveys

» See special presentation in this course_{See special presentation in this course}

 Who, what, when, which consequencesWho, what, when, which consequences

How many viuctims are out there.... How many viuctims are out there....

 Is the risk of victimization evenly distributedIs the risk of victimization evenly distributed

» Over time_{Over time} » Over area_{Over area} » Over sex_{Over sex} » Over age_{Over age}

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Victimology

scientific definition,

description,

measurement,

anylyses of patterns, of regularities,

of associative and maybe causal

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Reactions

 Victimology looks at reactions towards Victimology looks at reactions towards

victimization

-central topic in this

field-Social sciences work on different levels of analysis

Social sciences work on different levels of analysis – Situational level_{Situational level}

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Reactions



Reactions of the victim

– Primary victimization_{Primary victimization}



Reactions of the social auditorium

– _{Secondary victimization}_{Secondary victimization}



Reactions permanently patterned

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Reactions

 It is proven that worldwide women especially are It is proven that worldwide women especially are

victimized by those men who have control over

them and that authorities either cause or tolerate

these abuses

– Domestic violence_{Domestic violence} – Women in custody_{Women in custody}

– Systematic rapes in wars and in civil unrest_{Systematic rapes in wars and in civil unrest}

Quoted from ai: Broken Bodies, Shattered Minds-Torture and Ill Treatment of Women,

2March 2001

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Victim´s Informal Reactions



Crisis



Crisis Reactions



Crisis Intervention

– _{Entrance door for the whole system of victim}_{Entrance door for the whole system of victim}

treatment:

» _Counseling_Counseling

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Formal Reactions



Victim Assistance Services



Criminal Justice System



Restorative Justice