Chapter 3 Consequences of victimization PDF

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Chapter 3 Consequences of victimization Physical Injury    

Can include bruises, soreness, scratches cuts, broken bones, stab wounds Most victims do not experience physical injury Injury can be short lived to permanent Characteristics of those who do incur injury (NCVS, 2006) o 27% assault victim o 35% robbery victim o Female victims and African American victims more likely o Victims harmed non-strangers

Mental health consequences & costs 

Responses to victimization dependent on o Biological make-up o Interactional style o Coping style and resources o Context in which incident occurs o Context in which they operate after the incident o 3 Common Affective responses 1. Depression  Changes in sleeping and eating habits  Feelings of guilt, worthlessness and irritability  Change in activities and interests 2. Reductions in self-esteem and self-worth  Alter the way in which one views oneself  Especially prominent in female victims 3. Anxiety  Irrational excessive fear  Accompanied by physical symptoms o Post- traumatic stress disorder  Symptoms for more than one month  Fear, helplessness, or horror in response to an event &re-experiencing event  Significant distress or impairment o Self-Blame and learned helplessness  Self-blame: blaming oneself for victimization  Characterological self- blame  Behavioral self- blame  Learned helplessness: no purpose responding

Economic Cost 

$17.4 Billion- Cost of victimization in 2008 (NCVS) o $125- Median dollar amount for loss due to victimization

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 Likely the result of larceny/ theft being primary crime Common economic cost  Property losses  Cost of medical care  Time away from work, school, & home  Pain, suffering, quality of life reduction  Legal costs Direct Property Losses due to victimization-The value of property that is damaged, taken and not recovered and insurance claims and administration costs are considered  94% of property crime victims experienced economic loss  Arson= $15,500 per incident  Motor vehicle = $3,300 per incident  Only 1 in 10 victims recover some or all of their property (NCVS, 2008) Medical care  542,280 crime victims needed medical treatment  expenses as transporting victims to the hospital, doctor care, prescription drugs, allied health services, medical devices Economic costs by crime type  Child abuse – Costs $6.2 billion annually  Battered women – Costs $1.8 billion annually  Assaults with injuries - $1,470 per incident  Drunk driving victims injured - $6,400 per incident Gunshot victims  Make up 1/3 of all crime-related hospitalizations  Lifetime medical costs = $1.7 billion for all gunshot victims (1994) Mental health care costs- victims seeking treatment to deal with the effects of their victimization  10-20% mental health costs crime-related Lost in productivity- losing time from work  7% of victims of both personal and property crime lose time at work Pain, Suffering, and Quality of Life Issues  Most difficult elements to “quantify”  Increases costs to victims by 4X  Ex. Rape - $5,100 expense…over lifetime $87,000  Victims may change routines and lifestyle – how can we attribute a $$ to this?

System costs 

U.S. spends upwards of $214 billion annually on Criminal Justice System o U.S. covers ¼ of health insurance payouts to crime victims  Gunshot victims cost taxpayers over $4.5 billion annually o Insurance companies pay $45 billion annually on crime-related claims

Vicarious Victimization 

Vicarious/Secondary Victimization

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o Effects of victimization on those close to the victim Traumatization due to coverage of victimization: o Realistic threat of death o Extraordinary carnage o Strong ties to community o Witnessing of event by community o Symbolic significance of victims to community o Need for rescue workers o Significant media attention (Young, 1989)

Reporting  

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Reporting the crime to law enforcement and subsequent involvement in the criminal justice system may exacerbate effects Only about ½ of all crimes are reported o Offender is armed o Offender under influence of drugs or alcohol o Offender is a stranger o Offender is a non- gang member o Victim suffers as an injury Pros o Prevent future crime o Stop offender o Because it was a crime o Protect others o Recover property Cons (common reason people don’t report o Private matter o Reported to another official o Unsuccessful crime/item returned o Fear Fear of crime o Fear= emotional response to a perceived threat o Physical response causing fight or flee reaction  Is this the only response? o Fear of crime different from perceived risk of crime o Fear of crime difficult to measure  Types of questions asked didn’t ask about fear specifically o Females and older persons more fearful  Shadow hypothesis o Incivilities tied to fear of crime  Incivilities  perceived risk of crime fear of crime

Why someone doesn’t just report? Because they are scared Threat^ Household situation Someone might not believe them ^ Children Victimized again 0 trust in police Criminal Might not be a citizen Embarrassed Offender is a police officer...