The Rediscovery of Crime Victims
The History of Rediscovered Crime Victims
The late 1950’s and early 1960’s brought in a time of restoration for crime victims. For centuries they were disregarded and left behind to deal with what happened to them on their own. Somehow the victims of crime had gone unnoticed and the criminal had gotten all the attention. However, with thanks to several entities, the focus on the victim has been reclaimed and they are getting the help they desperately need and want. Self-help advocates, social scientists, journalists, criminal justice officials, and law makers are credited for helping to point out this crucial problem. Individuals from each group gathered together to deliberate about this issue and what could be done to fix it. These deliberations are how crime victims came to be rediscovered along with several other critical factions. During the 1970’s a social movement emerged. This movement consisted of activists, support groups, and advocacy organizations, which campaigned for, among other things, victims’ rights. The belief of these social entities was one of empowering the victim instead of leaving them feeling defenseless and out of control. One way to empower them was to provide crisis centers and shelters with experienced and loyal professionals who have first-hand knowledge and comprehension of the many different processes that the victim might encounter. These processes might include the legal system, medical assistance, or financial claims. Three larger and more notable movements are responsible for the victims uprising. They are the law-and- order movement, the women’s movement, and the civil rights movement. The law-and-order movement focused on rising crime rates and fought for tougher policies against violence and theft of street crimes. The women’s movement focused primarily on female victims who were hurt by males and did not get the help they needed afterward. They are responsible for setting up the first women’s safe house
The late 1950’s and early 1960’s brought in a time of restoration for crime victims. For centuries they were disregarded and left behind to deal with what happened to them on their own. Somehow the victims of crime had gone unnoticed and the criminal had gotten all the attention. However, with thanks to several entities, the focus on the victim has been reclaimed and they are getting the help they desperately need and want. Self-help advocates, social scientists, journalists, criminal justice officials, and law makers are credited for helping to point out this crucial problem. Individuals from each group gathered together to deliberate about this issue and what could be done to fix it. These deliberations are how crime victims came to be rediscovered along with several other critical factions. During the 1970’s a social movement emerged. This movement consisted of activists, support groups, and advocacy organizations, which campaigned for, among other things, victims’ rights. The belief of these social entities was one of empowering the victim instead of leaving them feeling defenseless and out of control. One way to empower them was to provide crisis centers and shelters with experienced and loyal professionals who have first-hand knowledge and comprehension of the many different processes that the victim might encounter. These processes might include the legal system, medical assistance, or financial claims. Three larger and more notable movements are responsible for the victims uprising. They are the law-and- order movement, the women’s movement, and the civil rights movement. The law-and-order movement focused on rising crime rates and fought for tougher policies against violence and theft of street crimes. The women’s movement focused primarily on female victims who were hurt by males and did not get the help they needed afterward. They are responsible for setting up the first women’s safe house
Bibliography: Caylee 's Law. (2012, November 16). Retrieved October 19, 2013, from Nationsl Conference of State Legislatures: http://www.ncsl.org/research/civil-and-criminal-justice/caylees-law.aspx Karmen, A. (2013). Crime Victims: An Introduction to Victimology. Belmont: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.