criminal

Winning Victories, Implementing Reforms The rediscovery process enters its second stage whenever activists and advocacy groups begin to make headway toward their goals. At first, it might be necessary to set up indepen- dent demonstration projects or pilot programs to prove the need for special services. Then government grants or funding from private foundations can […]

Calling Attention to an Overlooked Problem The rediscovery process is set in motion whenever activists begin to raise the public’s consciousness about some type of illegal situation that “everybody knows” happens but few have cared enough to investigate or try to correct. These moral entrepre- neurs, who lead campaigns to change laws and win people

THE REDISCOVERY PROCESS IN ACTION, STEP BY STEP The rediscovery process is more than just a well- intentioned humanitarian undertaking, media cam- paign, or example of special pleading. It has far- reaching consequences for everyday life, and the stakes are high. Injured people who gain legitimacy as innocent victims and win public backing are in

The Process of Rediscovery Goes On and On These recently recognized groups of victims face special pro- blems that require imaginative solutions. They eventually will receive the assistance and support they need as the rediscovery process continues to focus attention and resources on their plight: ■ Individuals who are deaf, blind, mentally retarded, mentally ill,

Highlights in the Brief History of Victimology and Victim Assistance Year Event 1924 Edwin Sutherland writes the first criminology textbook that includes a short discussion about victims. 1941 Hans Von Hentig publishes an article focusing on the interaction between victims and criminals. 1947 Beniamin Mendelsohn coins the term victimology in an article written in French.

REDISCOVERING ADDITIONAL GROUPS OF VICTIMS This process—in which people whose plight was recognized long ago but is neglected for many years until it finally attracts the attention it deserves—goes on and on with no end in sight. Some rediscovered groups that have received a great deal of study and support include abused children, battered women;

VICTIMOLOGY CONTRIBUTES TO THE REDISCOVERY PROCESS The emergence and acceptance of victimology as a scholarly endeavor has propelled the rediscovery process onward. The beginnings of the academic discipline of vic- timology can be traced back to several articles, books, and research projects initiated by criminologists dur- ing the 1940s and 1950s. Until that time, criminol-

Are car alarms really useful in deter- ring break-ins; in minimizing losses of accessories such as car stereos, navigation systems, or air bags; in pre- venting vehicles from being driven away; and in aid- ing the police to catch thieves red-handed? Similarly, research projects could attempt to determine whether burglar alarms actually deter or cut

Commercial Interests: Selling Security Products and Services to Victims Just as the rediscovery of victims by elected offi- cials and the news media has benefits as well as drawbacks, so too does the new attention paid to injured parties by businesses. An emerging market of people seeking out protective services and anti- theft devices simultaneously

The News Media: Portraying the Victims’ Plight The news media deserve a great deal of credit for rediscovering victims. In the past, offenders received the lion’s share of coverage in newspapers and maga- zines and on radio and television stations. Stories delved into their backgrounds, their motives, and what should be done with them—usually how