Professional Documents
Culture Documents
101
Impact of crime on victims
Dr Jayson Ware
University of Canterbury
Focusing on victims
We will spend a lot of time considering and thinking
about perpetrators in CRJU 101.
This is important as we consider how to prevent
and/or respond to crime
Importantly, the justice system’s treatment of crimes
and offenders needs to be mindful of the needs of
victims.
New Zealand has legislation that ensures appropriate
provision is made for victims of crime. It also includes
legislation providing for the justice system response
to family violence and sexual violence.
Today’s lecture
Introduce the concept of victimology
Consider the different “levels” of crime impact
Look at who is affected by crime Define individual
“victim” (New Zealand Victims’ Rights Act 2002)
Examine the extent of criminal victimisation [using data
from New Zealand Crime and Victims Survey, 2021]
Consider the different types of victim harm [including
example of financial costs]
Briefly discuss potential victim reactions in aftermath of
crime
Introduce concept of secondary victimisation
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Talking about victims issues
Thinking about victim’s issues can be hard.
Many of you may have been victims of crime
We assume this because of crime rates/surveys
Research into why students major in criminal justice
If you find yourself becoming distressed by the
lecture content…
1. This can be a normal reaction
2. Stop listening
3. Talk to someone
4. Go to last slide only (for number to call)
The scientific study of crime victims
Looks at the aetiology (cause) of victimisation, its Three approaches: positivitist (identifying who are likely to be victims)
consequences, how the criminal justice system
accommodates and assists victims, how other critical victimology (social processes around victim issues, if they are more likely to be
elements of society deal with crime victims (e.g., victimized through organizational structures)
media) Left realism ( disadvantaged diverse area of population makes them more likely to be
victimized) more victims in particular groups and places compared to others
Levels of impact of crime
Individuals (victim) – harm to an individual, e.g.,
emotional damage to a person… or a broken bone
Community – antisocial behaviour affects the
neighbourhood environment and perceptions of safety
Institutions – directly affect businesses, the government
and third sector organisations, such as financial losses
from fraud and theft offences
Society – harms that have wide‐ranging impacts that
affect society as a whole, such as expenditure of public
money to fund victim services
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Who is affected by crime?
Everyone!
Either as direct victim, or a friend, or a family member
of a victim
Even individuals who are not victims can be negatively
affected
Developing an increased fear of crime
Behaving in ways that relate to these fears
Experiencing financial impact of crime (higher insurance rates,
low work days, lost income for businesses)
First responders (police, firefighters, ambulance, bystanders)
Who is affected by crime?
New Zealand Crime and Victims Survey (NZCVS) 2021
Random sample of 6,244 adults representing different
areas, households and people from the New Zealand
adult population (response rate of 76%)
Asked questions about their experience of crime in the 12
months preceding the date of the interview
Importantly…. The NZCVS results are not directly
comparable with Police crime statistics.
The main reason for this is that more than three‐quarters of
incidents collected by the NZCVS were not reported to the Police
Only 8% of sexual assaults and 9% of fraud and cybercrime
incidents were reported to the Police.
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Who is affected by crime?
New Zealand Crime and Victims Survey (NZCVS) 2021
29% of adults reported being victimised once or
more in the previous 12 months.
Similar to UK where 20% reported being victimised [Office
of National Statistics, 2022]
About 2% of adults had experienced one or more
offences by family members in the previous 12
months.
The three most common offence types were (1)
harassment and threatening behaviour, (2) burglary,
and (3) fraud and deception (51% of reported
crimes).
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Who is affected by crime?
New Zealand Crime and Victims Survey (NZCVS) 2021
Take a moment to talk to those next to you.
Who do you think are individuals most likely to
report being victimised?
Who do you think are the individuals least likely to
report being victimised?
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Who is affected by crime?
New Zealand Crime and Victims Survey (NZCVS) 2021
Most likely to be highly Those least likely to be
victimised (e.g., 4 x crimes) highly victimised
1. Younger adults (aged 15–29) 1. Males
2. Māori 2. Older adults (aged 60+)
3. People with disabilities 3. People of Asian descent
4. People with diverse sexualities 4. Those living in a couple‐only, couple‐
5. Those living in a one‐parent‐with‐ with child(ren) or two‐person
child(ren) household household
6. Those living in a household with four 5. Retired adults
or more children 6. Those who were not under financial
7. Those who were unemployed and pressure
not actively seeking work 7. Those who were not psychologically
distressed
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4
Types of victim harm
(Office National statistics; UK, 2022)
Physical – any physical damage including death, injury, or
violence
Emotional or psychological – any adverse impacts on
psychological and emotional well‐being
Financial or economic – any material or financial losses
Community safety – any restrictions in autonomy,
freedom of movement, access to information, due to
fear or other detrimental effects of crime
Privacy – any violation of privacy, including access to
personal or confidential information or unauthorised
entry to property
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Potential victim reactions in aftermath of crime
Crime affects everyone differently (e.g., nature of crime,
individuals involved, context/circumstances)
The impact of intimate partner violence, rape and sexual
victimisation, hate crimes, theft of property, etc. can have
similar but also unique physical, emotional, and psychological
impacts (Hamilton‐Giachritsis & Sleath, 2017).
The immediate and short term emotional impact of
victimisation can include:
shock, disbelief, and denial
Anger or rage, fear or terror
Confusion, Guilt or self‐blame
Shame and humiliation
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Secondary Victimisation (Ash, 1972)
Secondary victimisation refers to victimisation which
occurs, not as a direct result of the criminal act, but
through the response of “the system”, institutions,
and individuals to the victim
This might include:
Intrusive or inappropriate conduct by police or other
criminal justice staff
The whole process of criminal investigation and trial
(decisions whether to prosecute, the trial itself, sentencing
of offender, his or her release, parole board hearings)
Responses of victim’s and perpetrator’s families and social
networks (is the victim believed? Blamed?)
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5
Financial costs of crime (Miller et al., 2021)
In 2017, over 120 million crimes were committed in
the U.S. [including 24 million violent crimes].
Estimated costs/year = $2.7 trillion
$2.2 trillion for violence
$160 billion for impaired driving
$220 billion for non‐violent crime
Direct out‐of‐pocket costs to victims and taxpayers
equalled $620 billion – or about $1,900 for every
person in the U.S.
The direct cost of crime exceeded the $590 billion for
military spending or the $450 billion spent on social
welfare programs in 2017.
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