Victims Still The Political Manipulation of Crime Victims [Paperback]

The 1980s saw official crime policy in the United States shifting its focus from crime and criminals to victimization and victims. In this thought-provoking book, Robert Elias evaluates the effectiveness of this shift in policy and argues that victims have been politically manipulated for official objectives.

From a thorough examination of victim legislation, get-tough crime policies, media crime coverage, the victim movement, and the wars on crime and drugs, Elias concludes that little victim support has actually occurred and that victimization is, in fact, escalating. He argues for a change in the structural sources of crime and proposes a `new culture' that could lead to substantially less crime.The 1980s saw official crime policy in the United States shifting its focus from crime and criminals to victimization and victims. In this thought-provoking book, Robert Elias evaluates the effectiveness of this shift in policy and argues that victims have been politically manipulated for official objectives.

From a thorough examination of victim legislation, get-tough crime policies, media crime coverage, the victim movement, and the wars on crime and drugs, Elias concludes that little victim support has actually occurred and that victimization is, in fact, escalating. He argues for a change in the structural sources of crime and proposes a `new culture' that could lead to substantially less crime.Still Victims After all These Years
Media Amnesia
Abetting Victimization
Victims
All Dressed Up But No Place To Go?
Taking the Victims' Movement for a Ride
Wars on Drugs as Wars on Victims
Do Victims Want Revenge?
Controlling Victimization
War or Peace?
New Culture, Less Victimization