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This essay will critically discuss the ways in which vulnerable groups experience secondary victimisation at the hands of the Criminal Justice System (CJS) and whether recent reforms have effectively reduced and/or eliminated this secondary victimisation. ... All too often this damage is made worse by insensitive treatment and lack of understanding of the victims needs by the agencies that they come into contact with. ...
There are two categories of concern for victims that are known as primary and secondary victimisation. ...
When one talks about primary victimisation it can be referred to the prejudices of victims, resulting directly from the criminal offence such as bodily injuries or deterioration of health, loss of a close relative, loss of property or damage, loss of income, damage to reputation, disturbance of marriage and family ad the psychological and emotional consequences. ... These problems are usually created by the system itself. ... The most vulnerable victims in society are the ethnic minority groups, women and young people. ...
According to Sampson et al as cited in working with victims of crime (1999), factors discouraging black people from reporting racial abuse and violence were their experiences of not being taken seriously when reporting the incidents.
According to the British Crime Survey, Policing and the Public (2002), victims from the ethnic minority community had the lowest level of confidence in their local police. ...
According to criminal statistics (1983), women in England and Wales have a relatively low level risk of suffering most type of crime, but a high level of violent crime involving rape and domestic violence. ... The criminal justice system is currently failing women, not just those who report rape, but every woman, since the message being sent out is that rape is a low risk, high reward activity. ...
According to Temkin, as cited in Working with Victims of crime (1999), many women felt that the doctor made them feel more like an object than a person. ... In cases of child victims of sexual abuse secondary victimisation can be apparent in the CJS. ... Such a procedure is generally characterised by the presence of many stress factors that can further traumatise a child, such as, little knowledge of the system and its procedures, long delays, repeated questions, harsh cross-examination, the layout of the courtroom together with the presence of the accused in court.
In 1989 Children, Young Persons And Their Families Act established family group conferences in New Zealand, bringing young offenders and their victims together and giving victims a say in sentencing decisions. ...
The last 25 years have seen considerable innovation and reform for victims of crime armed at tackling secondary victimisation for victims, but theses measures are exclusively contained within the CJS.
Approximate Word count = 2202
Approximate Pages = 8.8
(250 words per page double spaced)
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