VICTIMS OF CRIME Which social groups are at the highest risk of becoming victims of crime and why?

Connector  Work in pairs.  Discuss and write down what you think are the social characteristics of the typical victim by:  Class  Age  Gender  Ethnicity  Add at least one reasons for each of your decisions.

Objectives  All will be able to identify which groups in society are more likely to be victims of crime.  Most will be able to use statistics to provide evidence to show that some groups in society are more likely to be victims of crime.  Some will be able to explain the reasons why some groups in society are more likely to be victims of crime.

Victims of crime  The 2007 BCS showed that 1 in 4 people (24% of the population) experience crime against themselves or their household.  Class – working class / underclass are more likely to be the victims of crime than middle class.  Age – 16 to 24 year olds are more likely to be the victims of crime than older people.  Gender – men are twice as likely to be victims of crime, yet women are more afraid of being victims of crime. Men are more likely to be victimised by strangers, while women are more likely to be victimised by someone they know.  Ethnicity – ethnic minorities more likely to be the victims of crime than white people.  Were your predictions from the Connector accurate?

Task 1  Watch the clip from BBC’s Panorama Hate at the doorstep programme  Now, in pairs, discuss and write down your thoughts on the following: 1. What crime was being committed? 2. Who were the victims of crime? What was the determining factor that led to these people being victimised (class, age, gender or ethnicity)? 3. How frequently were the victims victimised? 4. What was the impact (effect) of the crime on the victims? 5. What do you think is the likelihood of this type of crime being reported to the police and why? 6. Do you think there is any help available for victims of crime in Britain and what that help may be?

Victims of crime 1. What crimes were being committed?  Hate crimes (racism and Islamophobia), GBH, bullying, etc. 2. Who were the victims of crime? What was the determining factor that led to these people being victimised (class, age, gender or ethnicity)?  A young ethnic minority couple. Ethnicity was the determining factor for their victimisation. 3. How frequently were the victims victimised?  Very frequently – 50 times in 2 weeks. This is repeat victimisation which is when a person is a victim of the same crime regularly over time. For example, domestic abuse tends to be experienced as repeat victimisation - on average, a woman will experience 35 incidents of abuse before she contacts the police for the first time.

Victims of crime 4. What was the impact (effect) of the crime on the victims?  Physical – sustained injuries during an assault.  Psychological – stress, anxiety, fearfulness, etc.  Financial – the cost of repairing/replacing damaged items.  Social – the negative effect on family relationships.  The victim's family can also suffer these effects. This is called secondary victimisation. 5. What do you think is the likelihood of this type of crime being reported to the police and why?  Low – fear of reprisals, mistrust of the police, thinking the crime is too trivial.  However, it is crucial to report crimes to the police as without reporting, the crime can not be recorded, investigated thus the perpetrators will not be sanctioned. Therefore, the involvement of victims in the criminal justice system is vital so the government has introduced restorative justice programmes. 5. Do you think there is any help available for victims of crime in Britain and what that help may be?  Charities such as Victim Support help victims of all crimes by providing information, compensation and advice.

Task 2  Work in pairs.  Analyse the statistics on who is most likely to be a victim of burglary on the handout to fill in the first empty column in your worksheet.  Then, discuss the possible reasons why people who fit these characteristics are more likely to be victims of crime and fill in the second empty column in your worksheet.

Extension  Which victims do not appear in victim surveys?  Explain why victims of the following crimes may be under-represented in OCS:  Rape  Domestic violence  Sexism in the workplace  Explain why victims of the following crimes might not report the crimes against them:  Racism in the workplace  Racist attacks  Explain why victims of the following crimes may be under-represented in OCS:  Contraventions of healthy and safety legislation  Industrial pollution  Fraud

Victim characteristic Who is most likely to be a victim of crime? Reasons why these people are more likely to be victims of crime. Age Household type by head of household Employment Income Tenure – house possession / occupancy Accommodation Hours the home is unoccupied in an average weekday Young people, ‘Easy’ target – too young to know how to report the crime, easily frightened with threats of reprisal, etc. Lone parent families ‘Easy’ target – easily frightened with threats of reprisal, if lone mother – may be seen as defenceless, etc. Unemployed More likely to live in poorer, inner city areas where crime rates are higher. May not be able to afford protection devices such as burglar alarms. More stress – domestic abuse. Those on lowest incomes, £5000/year and below More likely to live in poorer, inner city areas where crime rates are higher. May not be able to afford protection devices such as burglar alarms. More stress – domestic abuse. Private renters May not bother to invest in defending the property with burglar alarms, decent locks, etc. FlatsMore difficult to protect the property with burglar alarms. 5 or more hrs The longer the property is left unattended, the more time the burglars have to break in and remove items as their chance of being caught or disrupted is lower.

Review – true or false 1. Police generally treat female victims sympathetically. 2. Some victims are entitled to compensation from the government. 3. Elderly people are the age group most likely to be murdered. 4. The British Crime Survey may tell us about crimes that have not been reported to the police. 5. The government has shown its concern for victims by setting up rape crisis centres and women’s refuges.

Review – true or false 1. Victim Support supports vulnerable witnesses as well as victims of crime. 2. Official crime statistics for bicycle theft are fairly accurate because victims report them to claim insurance. 3. ‘Secondary victimization’ means the suffering experienced by relatives and friends of a victim. 4. Victims only suffer psychological harm. 5. Women are the gender most likely to be victims of violence by a stranger.