Victimology: Criminology and Victim
Explore the advantages and disadvantages of the positivist approach to victimology.
This assignment will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the positive approach to victimology. It will do this by looking at other victimology approaches such as; Radical, feminist, and critical victimology. Analysing the different theories within each approach, to highlight the negatives and positives within the positivist approach to victimology.
“The key characteristics of positivist victimology can be described as, the identification of factors which contribute a non-random pattern of their own victimisation, a focus on interpersonal crimes of violence and a concern to identify victims who may have contributed to their own victimisation.” (Marsh, I. Melville, G. 2009) the Main theories to arise from this perspective are victim precipitation, victim culpability, victim proneness and lifestyle. All these theories focus on patterns of victimisation.
The lifestyle theory, “developed by Michael Hindelang, Michael Gottredson and James Garofalo, Attempt to explain why certain groups of people for example, youths, males, the poor, singles, racial/ethnic minorities have higher rates of victimisation than others. The gist of the theory is that these groups by virtue of their lifestyle, place themselves at greater risk of victimization. A life style refers to the patterned way in which people distribute their times and energies across a range of activities” (Vito, G. Maahs, J.2011). An advantage to this theory could help expose the higher rates of victimisation this could “help make sense of criminal victimisation survey data” (Walklate, S 2007). Being able to identify areas where crime rates are higher, leading to improvement that could be done to reduce the risk in the areas with high victimisation rates. By highlighting these groups of people at risk of victimisation due to their lifestyle, suggestions can be made to help reduce the risk. For instance more help for drug
This assignment will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the positive approach to victimology. It will do this by looking at other victimology approaches such as; Radical, feminist, and critical victimology. Analysing the different theories within each approach, to highlight the negatives and positives within the positivist approach to victimology.
“The key characteristics of positivist victimology can be described as, the identification of factors which contribute a non-random pattern of their own victimisation, a focus on interpersonal crimes of violence and a concern to identify victims who may have contributed to their own victimisation.” (Marsh, I. Melville, G. 2009) the Main theories to arise from this perspective are victim precipitation, victim culpability, victim proneness and lifestyle. All these theories focus on patterns of victimisation.
The lifestyle theory, “developed by Michael Hindelang, Michael Gottredson and James Garofalo, Attempt to explain why certain groups of people for example, youths, males, the poor, singles, racial/ethnic minorities have higher rates of victimisation than others. The gist of the theory is that these groups by virtue of their lifestyle, place themselves at greater risk of victimization. A life style refers to the patterned way in which people distribute their times and energies across a range of activities” (Vito, G. Maahs, J.2011). An advantage to this theory could help expose the higher rates of victimisation this could “help make sense of criminal victimisation survey data” (Walklate, S 2007). Being able to identify areas where crime rates are higher, leading to improvement that could be done to reduce the risk in the areas with high victimisation rates. By highlighting these groups of people at risk of victimisation due to their lifestyle, suggestions can be made to help reduce the risk. For instance more help for drug