Victimology: A Study of Victims in Criminal Justice Through Time - Essay Sample

Introduction

Victimology is a word used to depict the scientific study of victims. In the mid-1900s, victims were known to be wounded by crime, and their duties in criminal justice have seen an evolution over time. Throughout the middle ages, the concern of the justice system descended on the victim, and whenever a person was harmed or hurt, justice fell into the hands of the victim's family. The early forms of crime centered on the victims and not the state, a focus that continued till the time of the industrial revolution, when the criminal law commenced regarding crime violations to be against the state rather than the victims (Karmen, 2012). In this paper, the case analysis of the act, labeled as the first murder, is represented. The essay will also describe theories, substantive issues, and methods that constitute the contemporary field of Victimology, starting from the 1940s to the 1970s. Lastly, it will explain the philosophy and history that forms the structural approach to the study of victimology.

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The First Murder

The story between Cain and Abel is a reflection of the old age rivalry that existed between farmers and shepherds. The shepherds were nomads and roamed freely in the land, owning little property which includes the things they could carry. This illustrated the fact that anyone that settled in the land was eligible for material possession and would become greed, corrupt, and idolatrous, from the religious perception. Abel was a shepherd and Cain was a farmer; due to this, they were bound to be enemies (Cline, 2012). The condemnation of Cain to nomadic life is ironic. Cain had many motives of murdering Abel, the first being because God accepted Abel's offerings. It was more of a sibling rivalry than envy since Cain being the firstborn son, was supposed to hold more authority over his younger brother Abel (Cline, 2012). The first victimology story arises when Cain kills his brother Abel. Cain brought God an offering, while Abel offered God the best of his produces. God accepted the offering brought by Abel because it was heartfelt and essential to him. Cain became violent and was filled with rage, and decided to carry out vengeance on Abel. The degree of criminal depravity is shown by Cain when he says, "I am not my brother's keeper, I do not know where he is, and it does not concern me" (Cline, 2012). The statement portrays the principle of "every man for himself," and the hatred humans have towards people who stand in their way. Cain, being banished into the wilderness to live with guilt, was the highest form of punishment, which would prevent others from committing homicide.

Theories, Methods and Substantive Issues Constituting the Modern Field of Victimology From the 1940S to 1970S, Impacts in the Analysis of the First Murder

The emergence of Victimology dates back in the 1940s and the 1950s when criminologists such as Benjamin Mendelson, Hans von Hentig and Henri Ellenberger looked into the associations between offenders and victims, and emphasize reversal of roles and reciprocal influences. They elevated the possibilities that those who went through some losses and incurred wounds would share some extent of responsibility with those who broke the law, for their predicaments. By the 1970s, the field of victimology paid more attention to the degree at which the victim blamed the offender, and was overshadowed by the extent to which researches conducted were intended to enhance the way the police and the courts handled complainants, and how victimization could be prevented (Zaykowski & Campagna, 2014). Early ideas of sacrifice that influenced the modern concepts of victim arose from the belief systems which became organized into religion.

The Philosophy and History Constituting Cohen and Felson's Structural Approach to the Study of VictimologyCohen and Felson established theories that explained why people engaged in crime. Cohen and Felson relied on the concept of routine activity to describe the rates of direct- contact predatory violationsThey argued that routine activities influence the rates of crime (Zaykowski & Campagna, 2014). According to Cohen and Felson, the probability of victimization is a function of the convergence of possible offenders, suitable targets, and the absence of capable guardians, influenced by routine activities. Their predictions on changes in crime rates were consistent with the information on robberies, homicides, assault, and rape. Under the routine activities theory by Cohen and Felson, crimes are structured to result from the same cause, where a motivated offender finds a suitable target who is not guarded (Zaykowski & Campagna, 2014).

Conclusion

From the stories of the first murder of Cain and Abel, the history of victimology and the philosophy of Cohen and Felson, it is right to say that offenders make decisions to engage in criminal activities based on what motivates them. Human efforts to understand victims and offenders are mutually beneficial since, by understanding victims, one can understand offenders. Most information on victimization is compatible with the notion that specific social control techniques impact routine activity patterns in ways that are essential to the production of higher risks of victimization.

References

Cline, E. H. (2012). From Eden to Exile: Unraveling Mysteries of the Bible. Simon and Schuster. Retrieved from https://www.amazon.com/Eden-Exile-Unraveling-Mysteries-Bible/dp/1426202083

Karmen, A. (2012). Crime victims: An introduction to victimology. Cengage Learning. Retrieved fromhttps://books.google.co.ke/books/about/Crime_Victims.html?id=4dZzNAEACAAJ&redir_esc=y

Zaykowski, H., & Campagna, L. (2014). Teaching theories of victimology. Journal of Criminal Justice Education, 25(4), 452-467. Retrieved fromhttps://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10511253.2014.965410?tokenDomain=eprints&tokenAccess=rIpg4J4VfQSsTpSnKwyk&forwardService=showFullText&doi=10.1080%2F10511253.2014.965410&doi=10.1080%2F10511253.2014.965410&journalCode=rcje20