Radical Victimology
Radical victimology stems from the work of Mendelsohn and from radical criminology and sociology (Ben-David, 2000). Radical theory came from conflict
theory, including the work of Karl Marx. The notion is that groups in society are in conflict, especially around economic resources, and that crime and victimization can be solved through a major change in the social order, including ending economic inequality (Quinney, 1972). Radical theories focus on how structural inequalities can lead to crime because of the lack of access to resources. Emerging from this foundation, radical victimology focuses on issues around human rights violations, social hierarchies and the associated abuse of power, and the use of the law and criminal justice system as tools to ensure social stratification (Mawby & Walklate, 1994). From a radical theory perspective, it is only through the radical changes in public discourse and cultural practices that crime and victimization can be fixed.
Criticisms of radical theory include the need to more closely link economic stratification and criminality. Others have pointed out that while radical theory might be good for looking at crime, it might not be good for victimization, which should be able to be applied not just in developed nations like the United States, but to diverse societies, where it struggles to explain victimization. As society undergoes changes, so too does our understanding of victimization within these social contexts (Fattah, 2010). In addition, it has been criticized for being too closely aligned with a strong political agenda. Finally, according to Mawby and Walklate (1994), the subjective nature of radical victimology’s definition of the oppressor as victimizer calls into question whether this theory can really be helpful for understanding the realities of victimization.