Definition of Victimology

The resources invested in curbing crime in contemporary society are a clear indication of the high prevalence of misconduct among individuals. Unfortunately, when crimes happen, they impact people’s lives in unimaginable ways. For instance, some crimes such as sexual assault and battery significantly affect the physical and emotional well-being of the victims. Hence, helping victims of crime access justice and the necessary treatment is paramount. However, providing individuals with a combination of emotional and professional support within the criminal justice system may not be easy, primarily because of the many cases that prosecutors and other people in the system have to deal with. Given the numerous challenges that victims of crime experience, it is essential to connect them with victim advocacy to help the former group navigate the criminal justice system efficiently.

Definition of Victimology

One of the most current concepts in criminology is victimology. Psychologists define victimology as the “scientific study of the causes, circumstances, individual characteristic, and social context of becoming a victim of crime” (Brown & Campbell, 2010, p. 732). In other words, victimology focuses mainly on the process of victimization and the psychological effects of crime on the victim’s lives.

As a new concept in the criminal justice system, victimology differs significantly from other scientific approaches to crime, such as sociology and psychology. For instance, unlike victimology, which focuses on the process of victimization, sociology entails the study of the society and the manner in which it shapes or is shaped by acts of crime. Similarly, victimology differs from psychology in the sense that the latter primarily involves the study of human behavior and mind and the way society influences an individual’s behavior. Although the three concepts can be used to analyze crime in society, they vary significantly in definition and scope.

Safe Houses for Battered Women

The battering of women, commonly known as domestic violence today, began several years ago. Unfortunately, women in the olden days lacked places in which they could seek refuge, and the majority of them ended up suffering in the hands of their abusers. In 1973, a group of activist-minded women in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States, established the first safe houses for battered women in the country (Dennison, 2015). In particular, the safe houses provided an environment in which female victims of battery could recover from the emotional distress inflicted by their abusers, by sharing their experiences and empowering each other to develop resilience. The safe houses also provided a place of refuge for children. Over the years, safe houses have grown in numbers, offering assistance to more women and children.

Establishment of Rape Crisis Centers

Today, a number of rape crisis centers have been established across nations to help rape victims. Unknown to many, these centers were first established more than four decades ago to provide assistance to sexual assault victims. In particular, a women’s activist group established the first rape crisis centers in 1972 in Washington D.C, Los Angeles, California, and Seattle (Smith, 2004). Arguably, the success in setting up such rape-crisis centers was facilitated by the organized nature of women’s advocacy groups, which were ready to address issues that faced women, including rape, publicly. During their initial establishment, activist groups mainly funded these centers. However, after a while, the independent centers began accepting Federal funds (Smith, 2004). Through funds and support by advocate groups, more rape crisis centers have been established in present times to assist victims of sexual assault.

Roles That Children’s Rights Groups Play in Highlighting the Problems That Child Victims Face in The Criminal Justice System

Just like their adult counterparts, children found guilty of committing offenses face the full force of law through the criminal justice system. However, unlike adults, children are tried through a juvenile justice system that takes into account the unique needs of minors. Having a justice system that primarily focuses on children in present times is a result of the success that children’s rights groups have had in ensuring that children’s rights are taken into account in the criminal justice system.

Apart from ensuring that children are treated differently from their adult counterparts in the criminal justice system, children’s rights groups also ensure that each child is protected from all forms of abuse; physical, emotional, and sexual. Thus, to achieve this, the children’s rights groups make sure that members of the public are enlightened about potential problems that face children who are exposed to abuse at a tender age and indulge in efforts to convince government branches that are in charge of making laws to delve into the matter and develop policies that protect them from harm. Often, these rights groups indulge different stakeholders, including media groups, in their change initiatives to publicize their work and gain substantial number of followers.

Services not Provided by the Government Crime Compensation Program

Each state in the United States has a crime compensation program that plays an essential role in reimbursing individuals that suffer crime-related expenses. Often, these programs cover multiple expenses, including medical costs, mental health counseling, funeral, and burial costs (“State Crime Victims,” n.d). However, there are a number of services that are excluded from the compensation program. For instance, expenses associated with theft, damage, and loss of property, are often not covered in these programs. Thus, individuals who suffer such financial losses can only seek compensation from private insurance.

Religious Organizations and Child Abuse

To ensure that child abuse and neglect are adequately controlled in the country, States adopt statutes that identify individuals expected to report such cases, among them clergymen. According to reports issued by the Child Welfare organization, about 28 States and Guan include members of the clergy among professionals mandated to report known or suspected instances of child abuse and neglect (“Clergy as Mandatory,” n.d). The remaining states in the nation should adopt similar statutes because clergy people often have the closest relationship with their congregation. Hence, they can quickly identify or obtain information regarding potential cases of child abuse and neglect within their communities. Besides, clergymen are often required to maintain confidentiality, especially during pastoral communications with their followers (“Clergy as Mandatory,” n.d). Therefore, requiring mandatory reporting by this group of individuals can facilitate the breaking of such doctrines in instances where a child is at the risk of being neglected or abused.  

Use of Media to Effect Change on Mandatory Reporting

As the literature suggests, some states are yet to require mandatory reporting by clergy on matters regarding child abuse. In such states, the media can play an essential role in publicizing the prevalence of child abuse in society and calling upon policymakers to adopt effective ways of handling child maltreatment, such as involving clergymen, who have a more reliable connection with victims of abuse. In addition, media can effect change in states that do not yet require mandatory reporting by airing testimonials of success stories that involve the use of clergy people, to entice other states to utilize a similar approach.

References

“Clergy as mandatory reporters of child abuse and neglect” (N.d). Child Welfare. Retrieved from https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubPDFs/clergymandated.pdf

“State crime victims compensation” (N.d). Benefits GOV. Retrieved from https://www.benefits.gov/benefit/4416

Brown, J., & Campbell, E. (2010). The Cambridge handbook of forensic psychology. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press

Dennison, A. (2015). Women’s advocates: Grassroots organizing in St. Paul, Minnesota. Dissertation. Retrieved from https://etd.ohiolink.edu/!etd.send_file?accession=bgsu1435836256&disposition=inline

Smith, M. (2004). Encyclopedia of rape. Westport, CT: Greenwood publishing group