Victims Still: The Political Manipulation of Crime VictimsOfficial crime policy shifted its focus from crime and criminals to victimization and victims in the 1980s and early 1990s. As a result, crime victims were the subject of extensive new legislation addressing victim needs, rights, and services. But did these initiatives really help victims, or did they help further Reagan and Bush administration "law and order" policies for curbing offender and public rights in favor of increasing police power? And has such power escalated incidents like the Rodney King case in Los Angeles? In this controversial and thought-provoking book, Robert Elias evaluates the effectiveness of the last decade′s victim policy and argues that victims have been politically manipulated for official objectives. As a result, little victim support has occurred, and victimization keeps escalating. He reaches these conclusions from a thorough examination of victim legislation, get-tough crime policies, media crime coverage, the victim movement, and the wars on crime and drugs. Finally, he proposes solutions that could lead to substantially less crime. Students and professionals of criminology, victimology, policy studies, and political science will find Victims Still an exceptionally stimulating resource. "In Victims Still, Elias demonstrates again that he is a preeminent scholar in the field of victimology. This work provides a unique, provocative, and elucidative account of the politicization of the victims′ movement as well as the social and political ramifications of the ′get tough′ crime policies and enforcement strategies of the 1980s. Dr. Elias raises serious and challenging questions about the currency of conventional responses to crime victims and offenders. Victims Still should be required reading for crime victim researchers and program practitioners. This book offers a thoughtful reconsideration of the causes of crime and violence in America. Professor Elias′s solutions to the crime problem are sweeping and progressive." --Arthur J. Lurigio, Ph.D., Loyola University of Chicago |
Contents
1 | |
Abetting Victimization | 6 |
All Dressed up but No Place to Go? | 26 |
Chapter 4 Taking the Victims Movement for a Ride | 52 |
Chapter 5 Wars on Drugs as Wars on Victims | 66 |
Chapter 6 Do Victims Want Revenge? | 88 |
War or Peace? | 106 |
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Common terms and phrases
advocates African-Americans alternatives American blame causes child abuse co-optation cocaine conservative court crime and drugs crime and violence crime control crime policy crime problem crime victims criminal justice criminal process Criminology crusades culture domestic violence drug abuse drug wars economic Elias eliminate exclusionary rule Fattah federal feminist fight force Frances Fox Piven funding get-tough harm help victims Henderson human rights imprisonment increased institutions Karmen launched law enforcement law-and-order legislation manipulated ment National Newsweek newsweeklies numbers offenders official peace penalties Pepinsky perspectives plea bargaining police officers political pornography prevent prison produce programs promote protection punishment pursue Quinney Radical criminology rape reduce crime reduce victimization reforms repression restitution routinely sentencing seriously sexism sexual assault Smith & Freinkel social society sources strategies tion tive Viano victim and witness victim impact statements victim participation victim policy Victim Rights victimology Victims of Crime World Report