Victimology: Positivist Approach

9 Questions

What is the main focus of positivist victimology?

Personal characteristics and relationships between offenders and victims

What was a key feature of Hindelang's research?

Identifying five factors that make individuals more susceptible to crime

What was a criticism of Hindelang's research?

It relied on stereotypes and did not examine criminal motivations

According to Wolfgang's research, what percentage of murders in Philadelphia were instigated by the victim?

26%

What is a common feature of positivist victimology?

Partially blaming the victim for their behavior leading to the crime

What is a characteristic of Amir's research?

It was based on subjective interpretations of police reports

What is a factor that makes individuals more susceptible to crime, according to Hindelang's research?

Age

What is a limitation of positivist victimology?

It can be seen as blaming the victim for the crime

What is a feature of Hindelang's research on crime susceptibility?

It identified factors that make individuals more susceptible to crime

Study Notes

Victimology is the study of victims of crime, and it has two main forms: positivist victimology and critical victimology.
Positivist victimology examines factors that lead to an individual becoming a victim of crime, focusing on personal characteristics, relationships between offenders and victims, and the victim's contribution to becoming a victim.
Maya has identified three key features of positivist victimology: factors linked to the individual, relationships between offenders and victims, and the victim's role in becoming a victim.
Hindelang's research used a positivist victimology approach to identify five factors that make individuals more susceptible to crime: age, gender, marital status, family income, and ethnic background.
Hindelang's research also found that individuals in public spaces at evening were more likely to be victims of crime.
Critics of Hindelang's research have accused them of relying on stereotypes and not examining what motivates criminals to attack.
Wolfgang's research found that in 26% of murders in Philadelphia, the victim had instigated the altercation that led to their murder.
Amir's research found that one in five rapes were victim-precipitated, but both of these findings are based on subjective interpretations of police reports.
A prominent feature of positivist victimology is the extent to which the victim is partially blamed for their behavior leading to the crime.
Positivist victimology has been criticized for being a victim-blaming approach, ignoring the role of the criminal and their background, and implying that certain acceptable standards of moral behavior have been breached by the victim.
Von Hentig's duet theory suggests that criminals are tempted by the behavior of the victim, which has been criticized by feminists and others for blaming the victim rather than the criminal.
Positivist victimology has been criticized for being based on subjective judgments presented as facts, ignoring the subjective interpretations of victims and approaching issues of victimization in a quantitative manner.