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“Radical Victimology: A Critique of the Concept of Victim in Traditional Victimology”

McShane, Marilyn D.
June 4, 2015

Source: (1992) Crime & Delinquency. 38(2):258-271.

Traditional victimology has not yet tapped the potential of radical criminology to assist in the explanation of social reactions to crime and crime victims. From the theoretical perspective of the radial framework it is possible to explore society’s preference for truly innocent victims and the limited ability of the system to avenge them (i.e. through victim assistence programs). Other avenues for the analysis of this perspective include the role of the victim in furthering the intrests of police and prosecution agencies as well as the media and capital business enterprises. A radical victimological approach can also be used to analyze the extended vitimization of the offender’s family by the crimminal justice system.

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