Ideal Victim Essay PDF

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this essay discusses the concept of the ideal victim and the debates which centre around such theory...

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Why are some victims “ideal” in terms of contemporary media portrayals of crime? Discuss with reference to relevant case studies.

In contemporary media the rise to depict some individuals to be victims and not others, leads to the internalisation of an ideal victim amongst the audience. It is evident that males are more likely to be victims of crime with statistics showing that men were 2.4% more likely to be a victim of violent crimes in comparison to women. (Ons.gov.uk, 2016). However, despite these statistics indicating men to be more at risk, contemporary media fails to recognise their victimisation due to them not being considered ideal. As a result of the heightened levels of media reporting of crimes of a sexual or violent nature, whereby common focus is on a female victim, an ideal victim has been developed. An ideal victim is defined as ‘a person or category of individuals who – when hit by crime – most readily are given the complete and legitimate status of being a victim’ (Christie, 1986, pp.18). Christie developed six categories to address the ideal victim: the victim is weak, carrying out a respectable project, blameless, offender displays dominance and is unknown to the victim and the victim has the combination of sympathy and power (Christie, 1986, pp.18). The criteria form the stereotypical notions surrounding the victim narrative which dominates societies attitudes to victimisation. The media can influence beings into perceiving some people to be ideal victims. Through the publication of articles establishing a women’s vulnerability to crime, and a man’s association with offending, the ideal victim has been reinforced. Cohen (1972) believes that ‘while the media may not necessarily tell us what to think, they can be remarkably effective in shaping what we think about (Cohen, 1972 cited in Davies, Francis and Greer, 2017, pp.3). The term “law of opposites” describes the comparison of official statistics of crime and the media’s portrayal of victims (Reiner, Livingstone and Allen, 2003 cited in Pollak and Kubrin, 2007, pp.62). Through the

exploration of contemporary media portrayals of crime, this essay shall assess the explanation as to why some victims are considered ideal and how the media has impacted victimology.

It is crucial to look at the determinants which may impact an individual’s newsworthiness within the media, with distinct emphasis on gender. Gender dominates the likelihood of being recognised as a victim. Males are less likely to be labelled ideal due to the assumption of them being to blame for their victimisation. The just deserts theory suggests that ‘we prefer to live in a world whereby bad things happen to bad people’ (Van Wijk, 2013, pp.164). This suggests that the audience may ‘look for reasons why victims somehow deserved what happened to them’ (Van Wijk, 2013, pp.164). On the other hand, women are portrayed to be vulnerable and powerless which reinforces Christies claim that the victim is in need of protection (Christie,1986). The missing white woman syndrome suggests that the media is fascinated with ‘missing women who are white, young, pretty, and often from middle-or upper-class backgrounds’ (Liebler, 2010, pp.549). Joanna Yeates is an excellent example in addressing media coverage of missing white women and the depiction of an ideal victim. Yeates was a young female landscape architect who was killed within her flat by her neighbour. The case gained much media coverage due to the supposed newsworthiness of it. Media platforms depict women to be weak to emphasise their inferiority. Seaton explores the commodification of fear and how individuals are ‘increasingly urged to protect ourselves against the perpetual threat of an unknown world’ (Seaton, 2001, pp.1). Women are over exaggerated as victims of crime which leads to the increased level of fear. It is the fear which is produced which results in the increase in sell of rape alarms, and pepper spray. The bourgeoisie own the information depicted online, and by portraying women to be the ideal victim of crime, they therefore benefit economically through the sale of consumer items.

It is essential to highlight the stereotypical expectations which surround femininity. Traditionally women have been noted to be family orientated which illustrates them being gentle and kind. Consequently, the public internalises the perception that they are at greater risk of harm due to their increased vulnerability. However, not all women are as fortunate to obtain equal level of media attention, and alternatively an individual's occupation can play a critical role in the likelihood of being considered ideal (Strega et al., 2014). If an individual is depicted to be carrying out a reasonable project or occupation, then they are assumed to be more deserving of media attention. On the other hand, if the individual is presented to be involved in a job which is characterised by an exposure to risk then they can be subject to less publicity. Sex workers are consistently neglected to be acknowledged as ideal victim due to never being thought of as innocent (Strega et al., 2014). This is shown by sex workers often being depicted to be ‘vermin’ and ‘plaguing the city’ (Strega et al., 2014, pp.12). The 2006 Ipswich murders of five prostitutes emphasised the portrayal of sex workers in mainstream media. Throughout media articles a negative connotation developed surrounding prostitution, which reinforces the western view that individuals attached to occupations with a negative stigma are subject to speculation due to an element of blame. It is the blame they are accountable to which result in them not being considered ideal.

Social class is a crucial factor which influences who are considered ideal victims. Some groups in society may lack media coverage due to structural inequalities establishing the insufficient power they possess. When a victim is highlighted to belong from a workingclass background then, despite fitting the ‘ideal’ victim criteria, their victimhood is invisible in the media. This refers to the assumption that there is a ‘hierarchy of victimisation’ (Davies, Francis and Greer, 2017, pp.49), whereby some individuals are more deserving of a legitimate victim status. The working class are depicted to be offenders in contrast to victims and consequently negate the victim narrative. The hierarchy of victimisation was apparent in the Hillsborough disaster in 1989 which saw the death of 96 football fans. At first those who

died were given the status of football hooligans rather than deserving victims due to them being ‘young, able bodied working-class men’ (Hall, 2018, pp.6). This label led to the victims not qualifying for a victim status due to them being considered somewhat blameworthy. The association of social class and the likelihood of being rewarded the victim status is sustained in the case of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman. The case saw two young girls being murdered which sparked much media attention, nevertheless at the same time as their case Patrick Warren and David Spencer went missing without receiving the same level of publicity. Holly and Jessica were young, pretty, middle class girls which led to their increased perception to be ideal. In comparison, Patrick and David were looked upon to be young, working class boys living in a housing estate. Criminologist Chris Greer suggested that “Paddy and David didn’t seem to fit the profile of the types of missing children that get national media attention” (Greer, cited BBC News, 2016). This reinforces the idea that working class individuals are seen to be inferior and therefore less worthy of an ideal victim status.

Age is a characteristic which is used in contemporary media sources as a factor for victimisation. If an individual is considerably old, or young then they are prone to be subject to increased media attention due to adopting the narrative of being weak and vulnerable. Elder individuals are acclaimed to be ideal due to the common assumption of them being biologically and socially weak victims (Ferguson and Turvey, 2013). The heightened media attention arises over societies sympathetic response due to seeing older people to be undeserving victims of crime. Evidence implies that ‘‘victims of street muggings are typically not the vulnerable old lady having her handbag snatched, but the teenager being relieved by a coeval of a mobile phone’ (Harrington and Mayhew, 2001 cited in Leishman and Mason, 2012, pp.13). Vocabulary used to describe the victim is centred around the expectation that the victim was innocent. Cultural shifts can influence who society perceives to be ideal. Medieval societies largely personified older women as a ‘folk devil’’ due to the supposed

claim that they were witches (Rowlands, 2001). This consequently led to the rejection of a possible victim status and emphasises the important role the media has in shaping some victims being considered ideal.

In addition to this, children can be seen as having adopted the ideal victim status due to contemporary media’s emphasis on crimes displaying their innocence and vulnerability. The media draws much attention to cases involving children being kidnapped or being killed which attracts individuals to the article due to causing sympathy amongst readers. The societies perception of a child being an ideal victim is reinforced by reward sums being attached to cases of missing people. A missing child is subject to higher rewards as evidenced by Madeleine McCann’s case attaching a £2.5 million reward to it (News.bbc.co.uk, 2007).This reinforces the perception that children are often portrayed in the media to be ideal victims, and worthier of heightened levels of publicity.

Victims belonging to an ethnic minority background are less likely to receive the media attention they deserve due to structural restraints. Christie's criteria fail to speculate which ethnic background deserves the ideal victim status, however due to ethnic minorities lacking the power Caucasian individuals possess, they are invisible in media portrayals of victims. Black people are not recognised as victims within media articles and are often depicted to be offenders thus establishing a negative stigma around the race. Consequently, a moral panic developed whereby black people were labelled as folk devils (Cohen, 2011). Hall, 2013 used the moral panic surrounding the mugging crisis to display how the media amplifies crimes committed by black individuals therefore weakening their appearance as ideal victims (Hall, 2013). Stephen Lawrence is a prime example of a case which indicates how the mainstream media immediately jumps to the conclusion that someone is less deserving of a victim status due to them being to blame in some way. Neely, 2015 interviewed Black and Latina women and found that they ‘had less fear of crime because

they falsely believed white women to be more common of homicides based on the extensive and continuous media coverage of white female victims’ (Neely, 2015, pp.9). From this, it is highlights that some ethnic minorities internalise the perception broadcasted in contemporary media articles suggesting that white individuals are more prone to victimization; and consequently, label white people to be ideal.

In contemporary society it is not uncommon for terrorist attacks and mass atrocities to take place internationally, with attacks happening on the daily. Technological advances have resulted in the public having heightened levels of choice regarding the information they are exposed to due to them having access to information from all over the world (Ang, 1996). Despite of this, a small proportion of global disasters are broadcasted in western media. Common disasters in war-zones lack publicity due to the assumption that ‘everyday realities, no matter how shocking they may be, do not produce news’ (Van Wijk, 2013, pp.169). Therefore, if a victim would like the opportunity to be considered ideal, the timing of the incident is integral (Van Wijk, 2013, pp.170). The #metoo campaign in 2017 was started from the tweet by Alyssa Milano which expressed her desire to publicise the problem of sexual assault and harassment, in order to spread the common nature of women’s victimisation, therefore, reinforcing their image as ideal victims. The campaign caught global attention however at the time of the of tweets, people were oblivious of the bombing in Mogadishu whereby over 300 people were killed. Western media platforms failed to publicise the Mogadishu bombing due to the perception that it would not generate the same level of solidarity. It is argued that ‘the ideal media victim is someone who arouses identification in the audience’ (Smolej 2010, cited in JLgervi, 2014, pp.74). Therefore, western media platforms narrow their focus onto issues which the audience can sympathize with.

In conclusion, mainstream media has adopted heightened levels of power in contemporary society which influences the information the audience is exposed to. Women

are most likely to be attached an ideal victim label due to the media’s over-exaggeration on crimes of a sexual nature. On the other hand, social class is an integral aspect which influences the idealisation of some victims. Individuals belonging to a working-class background are invisible in mainstream media due to the assumption that they are somewhat to blame (Hall, 2018, pp.6). By adopting a western lens, the media focuses their broadcastings on events which would derive sympathy through the idea that the audience can relate to the victims. Therefore, it is important to analyse contemporary media's portrayal of crime and its victims in its creation of an ideal victim.

Bibliography

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