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Intro to Criminology Edititon 10 book for reference
Assignment Purpose:
The purpose of the assignment is to help you further explore a key aspect of the textbook chapter. You will learn how to apply one of the early theories related to crime victims. This assignment aligns with Chapter 4 Objectives (2) and Course Outcomes/Competencies (1).
Assignment Directions:
Step 1: After you read Chapter 4, review Benjamin Mendelsohn’s Typology of Crime Victims (p.100), and take a few notes about the specifics of each type.
Completely innocent victim
Victim more guilty than offender
Victim with minor guilt
Most guilty victim
Victim as guilty as offender/voluntary victim
Simulating or imaginary victim
Step 2: Determine which typology correctly corresponds with each of the hypothetical cases below.
Case #1
A woman reported to police that on August 20th at approximately 3:30pm, she was on a public walking trail near Bay Point Lake Apartments, when two men approached her from behind and waved a knife at her. The woman stated she was grabbed by the neck by one of the men and robbed of her purse. When she tried to resist she was cut with a knife. She identified the attacker as a man she had previously dated and one of his close friends. After an investigation, it was determined that her wounds were self-inflicted and her ex-boyfriend was out of town the week of the incident.
Case #2
On May 13th at 2:37am outside of Ghostface Brewery, the local police were called to the scene of a physical assault. The victim reported that he had been attacked when leaving the brewery after last call. He stated that a man he did not know approached him from behind and started yelling at him. The victim stated that he tried to walk away, but the man shoved him and hit him in the back of the head. The victim then tried to defend himself, but was further injured in the process. He received a laceration on the front of his head, a broken nose, various bruising and minor cuts, and a broken knuckle. During the investigation, a witness from inside the brewery said that the two men had engaged in a verbal altercation prior to closing and the “victim” had actually attacked the “assailant” inside the bar which spilled out into the parking lot. Two more witnesses corroborated the first witness’s story.
Case #3
Police were called to the scene of a possible homicide via a 911 phone call by lady walking her dog at 7:00am on June 27th near the Creekside Apartments in a “bad” neighborhood. The victim was a knows drug dealer that had 13 prior arrests related to manufacturing and selling of various illegal substances. After an investigation, it was determined that the victim’s car was missing and he had no personal items or paraphernalia on or near him. His car turned up later that day after a traffic stop. Inside the car, the officer found the victim’s ID with $3200 in cash and one once of Ketamine divided into 0.7-gram bags.
Case #4
On December 9th at 10:00am officers responded to a domestic violence incident. When they arrived at the scene they found the home’s front window shattered and heard the sound of women screaming coming from inside. Police entered through the window and discovered a man in his 40s who was stabbed and beaten, a female who was also beaten, and two more uninjured females. One female was holding a gold club. The male victim died at the scene and the injured female victim was taken to the hospital and treated for facial and neck injuries. Investigators later learned that the man forced his way into the home by using a brick to break the window. He then began beating and choking his former partner. When the woman’s mother and sister heard her screaming they came to her aid and stabbed the man and beat him with a golf club.
Case #5
On September 9th at 1:12 am outside of the Wizard Saloon, the local police were called to the scene of a physical assault. The victim reported that he had been attacked when leaving the saloon. He stated that a man he did not know approached him from behind and started yelling at him. The victim stated that he tried to walk away, but the man shoved him and hit him in the back of the head. The victim then tried to defend himself, but was further injured in the process. He received a laceration on the front of his head, a broken nose, various bruising and minor cuts, and a broken knuckle. During the investigation, a witness from inside the saloon corroborated the victim’s story. This was the 31st reported incident at the saloon so far this year.
Case #6
A woman reported to police that on June 3rd at approximately 9:00am, she was on a public walking trail near Bay Point Lake Apartments, when two men approached her from behind and waved a knife at her. The woman stated she was grabbed by the neck by one of the men and robbed of her purse. When she tried to resist she was cut with a knife. She was not able to identify either of the men, because she did not recognize either of them. She gave a general description of each assailant and her missing purse with the items in it.
Step 3: Provide a brief written discussion (100-200 words per case) that includes the following information:
Provide the case number you’re discussing
Name the specific typology that applies to the case
Explain why that specific typology applies to the case (you may want to use additional examples to better support your reasoning)
In addition to the cases, answer the following questions:
What did the early theories on victims focus on? In other words, were there common themes that the theories proposed?
What are some critiques of these early theories?
What do more recent theories of crime victims suggest?
Assignment Requirements:
You must submit your own work and do not copy or share your answers. If you are caught copying work from the Internet or a classmate, you will receive a zero.
You should also use the textbook as your primary source, so there is no need to cite it. If you use any outside sources to supplement your responses (other than the textbook), then you must cite each source at the bottom of the page. Failure to do so will result in a zero on the assignment for plagiarism. Don’t remember how to cite sources? Check out the “APA and MLA Citations Information” under the How to be Successful in an Online Course folder (Opens in New Window) in Week 1.
Assignment Submission:
You may then submit your written work in one of the following ways:
An attached Word or PDF file (you are allowed to upload multiple files),
Share your Google Doc or Office 365 Word link in the “Online Textbox.” The link must be set to the “Anyone with link” + “Editor/Can Edit” option, or
Type your work directly into the “Online Textbox” provided in the assignment submission link.
Please copy and paste the correct numbering over to your responses.
Assignment Grading:
This assignment will be graded using a numerical grade and feedback. The assignment will be graded within 1 week of the deadline. Additional grading criteria can be found here (downloads in new window) . You may view your numerical grade and feedback by viewing the course gradebook.
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