The effects of violent crime

Violent crime:

robbery, sexual offences, assault and murder

The effects of violent crime

• Effects on victims– Age– Gender– Sexuality– Ethnicity

• Effects on society– Communities– Public services– Government

Effects on victims:

• Elderly least likely to be victims, increased fear of crime. May feel more vulnerable.

• 16-24 year old males most likely to be victims.

• About two-thirds of abused children are being parented by battered women (McKay, 1994).

Effects on victims:

• There has recently been an increase of homophobic violent offences.

• Media portrayal:• Daily Mail • 14th October  2009• A  strange, lonely and  troubling death . .  . 

• Pink News • 19th October  2009• Teenagers  charged with manslaughter  over gay man's death 

• The  Guardian, • 4  February 2009 • Teenager  beaten to death 'because  he was gay' • This can result in individuals feeling more vulnerable.

Effects on victims:

• Gender.

-Statistics show that men are far more likely to be victims of crime than women.

-Studies show that women, however, fear crime far more than men.

-Women’s confidence is also more likely to be affected, meaning they may find it hard to be on their own, hard to find a job etc.

Effects on victims:

• Ethnicity- Ethnic minorities, generally fear crime far more than

whites. An exception to this rule is that whites commonly fear people of ethnic minorities, most probably due to media portrayal.

- Studies show Black people are more likely to be a victim or witness a crime.

Effects on society:Victim’s family

• Emotional and psychological impact on family and friends of the victim

• Homicide victims’ families:– American study (1996):

• Fragmented services provided by CJS• Increased distress

Effects on society:Communities

• Witnessing violent crime– California study:

• Chinese-American urban youth• exposed to violence• higher rates of self-reported PTSD, depressive

symptoms, and perpetration of violence

Effects on society:Areas

• Depends on area’s normal crime rate• Fear of crime

– house prices, business growth

• (Ohio State University research)– Violent crime surges in low crime areas

• Businesses significantly suffer

– Violent crime surges in high crime areas• No significant effect on local business growth

Effects on society:Government

• Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 – maximum penalty for possession of a knife in a public place: 4

years– new offence: using another person to hide or carry guns– Drinking banning orders– Alcohol disorder zones– increased age limit for buying a knife, air weapon or crossbow to

18

• Connected fund (England and Wales): supports community organisations working to tackle guns, gangs and knife crime– disbursed more than £1.25 million since 2004 in grants to local

community groups

Bibliography

• http://www.aaets.org/arts/art8.htm

• http://skylarjordan.wordpress.com/2009/10/27/brown-new-labour-fail-as-homophobic-hate-crimes-increase-dramatically/

• http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/scotland/Merchiston-murder-is-third-gay.6739370.jp

• http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2011/03/22/retired-lecturer-murdered-in-his-own-home-is-third-gay-man-killed-in-a-month-in-edinburgh-86908-23007182/

• Violent crime's effect on retailers studyhttp://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/crimsurg.htm

• Home office on violent crimehttp://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http:/www.homeoffice.gov.uk/crime-victims/reducing-crime/violent-crime/index.html

• Articles in Violent crime in a communityhttp://www.humanimpact.org/evidencebase/category/violent_crime_in_a_community_impacts_physical_and_mental_health

• Thompson, M. P., Norris, F. H., & Ruback, R. B. (1996).System influences on post-homicide beliefs and distress. American Journal of Community Psychology, 24, 785-809