Crime Victims An Introduction to Victimology Seventh Edition

Crime Victims: An Introduction to Victimology Seventh Edition By Andrew Karmen Chapter Eight: Children as Victims

Children as Victims § Maximalist vs. Minimalist Positions – Debate continues with no real statistical data Maximalist Overlooked problem reaching epidemic proportions Wide problem not receiving adequate attention Must mobilize people to combat growing crisis

Children as Victims § Minimalist – Skeptical of scope and seriousness – Attention and expenditures not warranted Minimalists’ and Maximalists’ viewpoints are ideologies Individuals of these categories are considered alarmists (Maximalists) or skeptics (Minimalists)

Missing Children Kidnapping need not involved force or violence to be illegal § Inveiglement—detainment through trickery or manipulation – Kidnapping – For ransom – For sexual abuse – Raise as their own child – To kill

Missing Children § See Box 8. 1, page 197: Highlights of the Rediscovery of the Missing Children Problem § No real data on “Kidnapping” – Not even a Part 1 Crime under UCR – NCVS does not include crimes against children under age 12

Missing Children § 1984 National Incidence Study of Missing, Abducted, Runaway and Throwaway (NISMART) established to gather data – See Box 8. 2, page 200 – 90 -115 Life-Threatening Kidnappings per Year – 12, 000 Short-Term Abductions by Non-Family Member per Year – 56, 500 Long-Term Abductions by Family Member per Year

Missing Children § NISMART 2 study of over 800, 000 cases reported to police: – 45% runaways or throwaways – Throwaway: child turned out of the house by parents – 43% misunderstandings and miscommunication between child and parents – 8% did not return home due to lost/injured

Missing Children § National Responses to Problem – “Be On the Look Out” (BOLO) – Code Adam – Amber Alert – Stranger Danger – Family Secret Words – Stockholm Syndrome Challenges

Physically and Sexually Abused Children § Battered Child Syndrome—cyclical pattern of excessive force perpetrated by parents who themselves were abused § Neglect—abandoned or failed to provide basic requirements – Physical, Emotional, Educational Physical Abuse—Physical force to extended confinement Sexual Abuse—Incest, fondling, sodomy, intercourse, rape and exploitation (pornography and prostitution)

Child Abuse § Private Survey – 60% of 2 -parent families experience violence – 38% of girls molested – 31% of boys sexually molested – 1% raped by father or grandfather

Child Abuse § Maximalist Position – Occurring in enormous numbers—not reported – Under-reporting serious problem – Professionals, teachers, counselors not reporting – Cases reported not followed up on due to lack of resources

Child Abuse § Minimalist Position – Definition of child abuse expanding—slaps and spanking included – “Abuse” now includes “normal discipline” – Events not increasing—Reporting increasing – Unproven allegations should not be counted – Media have sensationalized occurrences

Child Abuse § § § Trends of 70 s– 90 s saw increased events Ebbed in late 90 s and now decreasing 2001: Rates of “very serious violence” dropped from 36/1000 to 19/1000— almost a 50% decrease! § Drugs and alcohol are factors contributing to child abuse

Child Sex Abuse Continued § SAID Syndrome—”Sexual Allegations in Divorce” § Repressed Memories of Children—False Memory (Pseudomemories) coined by Sigmund Freud § Sex Abuse by Clerics § Satanic Cults

Abused Children and Legal Proceedings § § § Prevention of further abuse in CJ system Guardian Ad Litem (GAL)—Child Advocate Two ways to view abusers: – 1. View the parental wrong as dysfunctional and in need of help – 2. View them as criminals deserving punishment

Children as Witnesses § Two Points of View – Pro-prosecution/Pro-victim—Children generally competent on fairly recent events. – Pro-Defendant—Questions trustworthiness as vulnerable to coaching by adults. High pressure techniques can lead to false memory and ultimately lead to false conviction.

Children as Witnesses § Wheeler vs. US (1895): children under 14 had to pass competency before testifying § Child Abuse Act of 1990 ruled all children competent unless evidence to contrary § Child Friendly Courtrooms/Practices § 1990 US Supreme Court (Maryland vs. Craig) ruled alternatives permissible – Hearsay Rule exceptions, use of dolls, etc.

Child Abuse § Funnel Model of Criminal Justice System – So many cases are weeded out at various stages, that very few cases remain in which the child testifies and parents are convicted – Pro-active vs. Re-active Strategies § What is the proper role of Government? § Who do children belong to? § Who is responsible for them?

Additional Forms of Exploitation of Children § Sibling Abuse § Abuse of Adolescents by Parents § Statutory Rape of Minors

Key Terms Maximalist Minimalist Throwaways Missing Children Code Adam Amber Alert Child Lures Cruelty to Children House of Refuge Movement Incidence Prevalence Battered Child Syndrome Unfounded Reports Funnel Model SAID syndrome Pseudomemories Guardian ad litem GAL Inveiglement