Showing papers in "International Review of Victimology in 2004"
TL;DR: There is considerable debate among both academics and professionals about whether restorative justice offers victims a better deal than the traditional criminal justice system as mentioned in this paper, and advocates of Restorative justice advocates argue that restorative approaches can offer victims better deals than traditional justice systems.
Abstract: There is considerable debate among both academics and professionals about whether restorative justice offers victims a better deal than the traditional criminal justice system. Advocates of restora...
65 citations
TL;DR: The role of the victim in the sentencing process continues to generate controversy among scholars and practitioners across many jurisdictions as discussed by the authors, and this article addresses some of the persistent oblique oblique problems in the criminal justice system.
Abstract: The role of the victim in the sentencing process continues to generate controversy among scholars and practitioners across many jurisdictions. In this article we address some of the persistent obje...
61 citations
TL;DR: The authors examined the international campaign against the trafficking of women for sexual exploitation from a critical and a historical perspective and questioned the accuracy of the campaign's central image of the nice girl forced into sexual exploitation.
Abstract: Today's international campaign against the trafficking of women for sexual exploitation is examined from a critical and a historical perspective Descriptions of the nature and magnitude of the problem are questioned, as is the accuracy of the campaign's central image of the nice girl forced into sexual exploitation Available data suggest that the campaign is a long way from meeting its instrumental goals of preventing trafficking, prosecuting traffickers or protecting victims However, today's phase of the campaign has had important symbolic successes, winning broad political support; providing leverage for feminists to push for improving the status of women and promoting conventional morality with its anti-prostitution orientation as the globally accepted norm The conflicts among the moral entrepreneurs that have driven the campaign are described The campaign's continued viability is said to rest upon whether its central image can be sustained, something that has become problematic as the result of t
45 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors collected information on the numbers and locations of recruitment of women from 500 web based sites for marriage agencies from 15 countries of the former Soviet Union and found that there were large differences in the number of women recruited in different oblasts within each country.
Abstract: Each year tens of thousands of women leave the former Soviet Union by accepting risky offers of employment and marriage in the hope of finding a better life. Many of these women become victims of violence sexual exploitation and trafficking. Marriage agencies play a role in recruiting women and connecting them with foreign men. Information on the numbers and locations of recruitment of women were collected from 500 Web based sites for marriage agencies from 15 countries of the former Soviet Union. Additional research included interviews with representatives of NGOs in Russia research interviews in Ukraine media stories and content analysis of web based sites. Russia Ukraine and Belarus had the highest number of women recruited (62605 31837 and 12683 respectively) followed by Kyrgyzstan Kazakhstan Latvia and Uzbekistan (4190 3037 1760 1139 respectively) with the lowest numbers from Moldova Lithuania Estonia Azerbaijan Turkmenistan Armenia Georgia and Tajikistan (884 626 551 204 25 23 8 7 respectively). There were large differences in the number of women recruited in different oblasts within each country. There is not uniform recruitment of women across the 15 countries or within the countries. Some of the variation may be explained by population size but the operation of recruiters for marriage agencies also must play a role. Marriage agencies also serve as sex tour and pornographic model agencies for foreign men. Vulnerable populations of women are targeted for recruitment. (authors)
42 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors discuss the social construction of the victim and analyze conditions for ascription of the role of a victim in the setting of victimological research and practice, and propose a theoretical model for the successful communication of victimisation.
Abstract: This article discusses the social construction of the victim and analyses conditions for ascription of the victim role. As a neutral point of reference a scientific construction of the victim is presented. It is agued that for the concept of victimisation to apply within the realm of victimological research and practice five minimum criteria should be fulfilled. Suffering directly or indirectly from victimisation, as defined in this way, is regarded as a precondition for ascription of the victim role. Additional conditions in given social contexts are discussed and a theoretical model for the successful communication of victimisation introduced. Results from interviews with Turkish men and women living in Germany are presented in order to illustrate the model.
39 citations
TL;DR: More than half of all respondents in the 1999 General Social Survey of Canadian Criminal Victimization were 15 years of age and over as mentioned in this paper, a survey of about 26,000 individuals.
Abstract: This study was based on the 1999 General Social Survey, a national Canadian survey of criminal victimization involving about 26,000 individuals, 15 years of age and over. More than half of all resp...
26 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present quantitative and qualitative information about victims of human trafficking in Italy from the point of view of Italian judicial activities and draw on information from various sources: statistics on criminal proceedings, judicial cases from the Italian public prosecutors' offices handling the largest volume of prosecutions for human trafficking, and interviews with investigating magistrates of these offices and NGOs.
Abstract: This article presents quantitative and qualitative information about victims of human trafficking in Italy. It does so from the point of view of Italian judicial activities and draws on information from various sources: statistics on criminal proceedings, judicial cases from the Italian public prosecutors' offices handling the largest volume of prosecutions for human trafficking, and interviews with investigating magistrates of these offices and NGOs. The first part of the article provides a quantitative analysis of criminal proceedings brought against traffickers in Italy between June 1996 and June 2001. Particular attention is paid to the victims of trafficking. It considers their nationalities and their geographic distribution in the country and an attempt is made to estimate their number on the basis of judicial data. In the second part a qualitative analysis of recent judicial cases on human trafficking is provided, the purpose being to draw up profiles of the victims and identify current trends. Fin...
22 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors define the concepts of smuggling and trafficking in human beings and discuss the difficulty of applying these definitions and the illegal markets that profit from the trafficking of persons.
Abstract: This article will define the concepts of smuggling and trafficking in human beings and discuss the difficulty of applying these definitions. The illegal markets that profit from the trafficking of persons will be discussed. The reader will be introduced to the United Nations Global Programme Against Trafficking in Human Beings, and in particular, the pilot project carried out in the Philippines. The experiences of victims of trafficking obtained in the Philippines, Japan and Malaysia will be presented. The discussion closes with brief recommendations to protect and assist victims of exploitation.
16 citations
TL;DR: However, it appears that many victimologists do not accept the definitions and limitations of the 1985 UN Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power (the ‘Declaration’).
Abstract: Should there be any limitations on who is defined as a ‘victim’ for the purposes of the discipline of victimology? Does the discipline extend beyond the traditional study of victims of crime, to include, for example, the study of victims of natural disasters, poverty, HIV/AIDS, and all forms of repression and discrimination? While this issue was frequently discussed in the earlier years of modern victimology, since the agreement of the UN General Assembly to the 1985 UN Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power (the ‘Declaration’), debate on this issue seemed to have subsided. The title of the Declaration suggests that a consensus emerged that victimology should only include victims of crime and victims of abuse of power, each of these terms having specific definitions as found in the Declaration.However, it appears that many victimologists do not necessarily accept the definitions and limitations of the Declaration. They argue that victimology ought to be concerne...
16 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explore "good practice" in sex trafficking cases with respect to the following three points: (1) clarification of what is meant by 'good practice', (2) sensitivity to cross-national and comparative criminal justice practice when considering replication of ''good practice'' between jurisdictions; and (3) the 'place' of the victim in different criminal justice jurisdictions.
Abstract: This article explores ‘good practice’ in sex trafficking cases with respect to the following three points: (1) clarification of what is meant by ‘good practice’; (2) sensitivity to cross-national and comparative criminal justice practice when considering replication of ‘good practice’ between jurisdictions; and (3) the ‘place’ of the victim in different criminal justice jurisdictions. The article does not offer descriptive accounts of ‘good practice’ in sex trafficking cases, but critiques suggestions for ‘good practice’ in sex trafficking cases that are made without due consideration of what is currently on offer for victims of crime in general. Examples from the author's research on policy recommendations for ‘good practice’, and examples of criminal justice practice in selected EU member states, are briefly referred to as illustrating some of the problems encountered when promoting ‘good practice’ in sex trafficking cases.
14 citations
TL;DR: In some respects this represents a psychological aftereffect of the crime, an experience in which something was done to them against t... as discussed by the authors. But this is not the case for all victims of violent crime.
Abstract: Victims of violent crime often complain of feeling powerless. In some respects this represents a psychological aftereffect of the crime — an experience in which something was done to them against t...
TL;DR: The article as mentioned in this paper provides broad coverage of the problem of, and response to, sex trafficking, with special concentration on trafficking involving persons who originate from the former Soviet Republics and Eastern and Southeastern Europe and migrate into Western Europe and beyond.
Abstract: The articles in the present issue of "International Review of Victimology" provide broad coverage of the problem of, and response to, sex trafficking, with special concentration on trafficking involving persons who originate from the former Soviet Republics and Eastern and Southeastern Europe and migrate into Western Europe and beyond. Only one article (see record [rid]2004-18341-007[/rid]) addresses trafficking in the general sense, that is, in terms inclusive of other forms of exploited labor besides the various forms of sex work. The articles included in this issue provide insights into many of the areas of human trafficking: problems with the definition and conceptualization of the phenomenon (see record [rid]2004-18341-002[/rid]); issues in documenting its nature and estimating its magnitude (see record [rid]2004-18341-008[/rid]), the mechanisms of recruitment and the organization of the market (see record [rid]2004-18341-004[/rid]); best practices promoted in the interests of protecting victims (see record [rid]2004-18341-006[/rid]); prosecutors' approaches to working with victims in the prosecution of trafficking cases; and a summary assessment of the campaign's history, politics and accomplishments. itation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
TL;DR: The persistent questioning within the ‘fear of crime’ literature of its own conservative measurement, has resulted in a growing tendency towards using scaling techniques, as a far better way of measuring a complex and multidimensional concept like 'fear'.
Abstract: The persistent questioning within the ‘fear of crime’ literature of its own conservative measurement, has resulted in a growing tendency towards using scaling techniques, as a far better way of measuring a complex and multidimensional concept like ‘fear of crime’. Choosing more complex measures, however, gives rise to a number of ‘new’ issues related to measurement error, which have remained mostly undiscussed in the ‘fear of crime’ literature. Cross-cultural measurement invariance is such an issue; in order for cross-cultural comparisons of fear of crime to be meaningful, the instruments used to measure the theoretical constructs have to exhibit adequate cross-cultural equivalence. Gender bias is another potential danger to measurement invariance; a substantial part of the ‘fear of crime’ literature has empirically found and discussed different ‘fear of crime’ levels between men and women. Without testing the assumption of measurement invariance it is unclear whether these gender differences in ‘fear of ...
TL;DR: In this article, an overview of trafficking of women for their exploitation in prostitution markets from eastern and central Europe into western and southern Europe and beyond is presented, based on information collected during three years as coordinator of a UN research team on trafficking issues.
Abstract: The article presents an overview of trafficking of women for their exploitation in prostitution markets from eastern and central Europe into western and southern Europe and beyond. The author's analysis relies on information collected during three years as coordinator of a UN research team on trafficking issues, and in the course of in-depth field research in Italy. The focus of the article is on organised crime groups involved in illegal business. It considers the strategies of these groups within their ‘natural’ context: the sex market. The article describes main trafficking routes and mechanisms, with reference to specific forms of organised crime and their evolution. The structure of the clandestine market of prostitution — both supply and demand sides — is presented briefly, together with a consideration of migration issues. Concrete examples on the complexity of organized crime's ‘contribution’ to the phenomenon of sex trafficking are given and some comparative points are drawn.
TL;DR: In this paper, women and girls are designated "victims" or "migrant sex workers" in discussions of trafficking in interesting and contradictory ways, and debates on prostitution are played out.
Abstract: Intense and unresolved debates on prostitution are played out in discussions of trafficking in interesting and contradictory ways. Should women and girls be designated ‘victims’ or ‘migrant sex wor...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors used data from the 2001 Cornwall Business Crime Survey to explore the extent to which business people in a rural county of England perceive crime and disorder to be a problem locally and are concerned at its impact on their businesses.
Abstract: While there has, recently, been a spate of research on the victimisation of businesses, rather less research has focused on the perceptions of the business community, and — in contrast to studies of the general public — little emphasis has been placed on explaining variations in concern over crime and disorder. This article uses data from the 2001 Cornwall Business Crime Survey to explore the extent to which business people in a rural county of England perceive crime and disorder to be a problem locally and are concerned at its impact on their businesses.The findings suggest that crime and disorder were not considered the most serious problems facing local businesses, but nevertheless evoked some concern, particularly among a significant minority of respondents. The article then focuses on explaining variations in perceptions and concludes that these can be understood in terms of the nature of the businesses, their location, and the extent to which businesses had experienced crime. These findings largely ...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examine the nature and significance of victim participation in international criminal trials through the analysis of relevant substantive and procedural norms of the international criminal justice system, and examine the impact of victim involvement on the outcome of the trial.
Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to examine the nature and significance of victim participation in international criminal trials through the analysis of relevant substantive and procedural norms of the...
TL;DR: In this paper, the extent to which the European Convention on Human Rights creates rights for victims within the criminal justice process in terms of both rights to information and procedural rights is assessed.
Abstract: This paper assesses the extent to which the European Convention on Human Rights creates rights for victims within the criminal justice process in terms of both rights to information and procedural ...
TL;DR: In this article, the extent to which changes in the law of Scotland concerning racist crimes are likely to be effective in dealing with racist victimisation is analyzed and the legal problems raised by this legislation and also highlights practical difficulties in implementing the law.
Abstract: Racist victimisation has become a key area for government policy in many countries. At the same time there is a growing body of knowledge about the experiences, needs and wishes of the survivors of racist victimisation. This article analyses the extent to which changes in the law of Scotland concerning racist crimes are likely to be effective in dealing with racist victimisation. Drawing on a research project about racist crime in Scotland it examines perceptions of racist crime and victimisation in that country, analyses data on prevalence, considers some legal problems raised by this legislation and also highlights practical difficulties in implementing the law.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors focus on non-western ideas on approaches to criminal justice and provide a good mix of explanation, practical examples, and theoretical approaches to restorative justice.
Abstract: that goes back to enhance community involvement, and by doing so contributes to the increasing consciousness of the public of its role in criminal justice. Modem society has become increasingly insular, yet still complacent on issues within its community. Crime has many causes, and there must be societal acceptance of responsibility for criminal activity combined with a willingness to implement measures to repair the harm done by such activities. There is a considerable focus within this text on non-western ideas on approaches to criminal justice. This is certainly refreshing in such a text. The value of community approaches to problems is something that may have been lost in western societies and this book reminds us of the influence of different cultures that could encourage us to recoup such ideas. There is a good mix of explanation, practical examples and theoretical approaches to this subject. The simple 'does restorative justice work?' question is addressed, a basic query that can be missed in similar texts. It has an honest recognition of the limitations and problems within the subject area and encourages the reader, practitioners and academics to learn lessons from research. From this collection it would be obvious that many further developments in restorative justice will be examined soon, and it would appear that the practical applications have a great role to play in the development of community based approaches to crime and disorder. It analyses many aspects of restorative justice in a clear manner, making it a recommendable text on a subject that should and could have positive effects for both victim and offender, benefiting not just them but maybe communities seeking solutions to the ever growing crime problem. It is an important, developing area of criminal justice examined in a practical way. Jenny Ardley, University of Derby, UK
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a book that offers practitioners, policy makers, students and researchers new visions of victimisation that challenge conventional wisdom and traditional paradigms, and some of the articles definitely challenge assumptions and conventional norms of study.
Abstract: Is this a book that offers practitioners, policy makers, students and researchers new visions of victimisation that challenge conventional wisdom and traditional paradigms? Or does the title simply offer traditional notions in a new frame? Some of the articles definitely challenge assumptions and conventional norms of study. Regardless of the bias and the few misplaced articles, this book is a worthwhile addition for the academic, student and practitioners.