criminal

Where is the evidence?” Testing hypotheses yields interesting findings, especially discoveries that cast doubt on common- sense notions (challenging what everyone “knows” to be true) and widely held beliefs. A major goal is try to sort out myths from realities. For example, will the “dos and don’ts” tips offered on websites for women who are […]

Gather Evidence to Test Hypotheses Victimologists investigate all kinds of hypotheses: suspicions, hunches, impressions, accusations, assertions, and predictions. Like all social scientists, when presented with claims about what is true and what is false, their proper response is not to accept or reject the assertion but to declare: “Prove it! Show me! Place Your Order

Investigate How Victims Are Handled Researchers scrutinize how victims actually are treated by the criminal justice and social service systems that are ostensibly designed to help them. Their studies can pinpoint the sources of tension, conflict, mistreatment, and dissatisfaction that alienate victims from the agencies that are supposed to serve them. Program evaluations determine whether

Or is female aggression of minor concern when compared to male violence? Other pressing questions that can be answered by careful measure- ments and accurate statistics include the following: Are huge numbers of children being snatched up by kidnappers demanding ransoms? Or are abductions by strangers rare? Are husbands assaulted by their wives about as

Are husbands assaulted by their wives about as often as wives are battered by their husbands? Other pressing questions that can be answered by careful measure- ments and accurate statistics include the following: Are huge numbers of children being snatched up by kidnappers demanding ransoms? Or are abductions by strangers rare? Are husbands assaulted by

Or are abductions by strangers rare? Are husbands assaulted by their wives about as often as wives are battered by their husbands? Other pressing questions that can be answered by careful measure- ments and accurate statistics include the following: Are huge numbers of children being snatched up by kidnappers demanding ransoms? Or are abductions by

Exploring the Bonds between Captives and their Captors Hostages (of terrorists, skyjackers, kidnappers, bank robbers, rebelling prisoners, and gunmen) are used by their captors to exert leverage on a third party—perhaps a family, the police, or a government agency. These captives could react in an unanticipated way to being trapped and held against their will.

Are huge numbers of children being snatched up by kidnappers demanding ransoms? Other pressing questions that can be answered by careful measure- ments and accurate statistics include the following: Are huge numbers of children being snatched up by kidnappers demanding ransoms? Or are abductions by strangers rare? Are husbands assaulted by their wives about as

Examining How Pickpockets View their Targets According to a sample of 20 “class cannons” (professional pickpockets) working the streets of Miami, Florida, their preferred marks (victims) are tourists who are relaxed, off guard, loaded with money, and lacking in clout with criminal justice officials. Some pickpockets choose “paps” (elderly men) because their reaction time is

Explaining Public Indifference toward Victims of Fraud and Con Games People who have lost money to swindlers often are pictured as undeserving of sympathy in the media, and they may encounter callousness, suspicion, or contempt when they turn to the police or consumer affairs bureaus for help. This second-class treatment seems to be due to