The significance of victim ideality in interactions between crime victims and police officers

Miguel Inzunza

doi:10.1016/j.ijlcj.2021.100522

Abstract

A crime victim's first contact with the police may strongly influence subsequent investigations and prosecutions, as well as the crime's impact on the victim. The outcomes of such contacts may depend strongly on the degree to which the victim exhibits the characteristics of an ideal victim. This study sought to find valid ways of evaluating the constructs of victim ideality and police empathy, and to clarify the relationship between the two considering background factors, and outcomes. With a cross-sectional design data were collected from approximately 300 crime victims from cities in Colombia using a questionnaire. The data were analyzed using SEM, MIMIC, and logistic regression models. Being an ideal victim was found to influence the empathy displayed by police (as perceived by the victims), which in turn influenced factors important to citizens exposed to crime. Several areas in need of development based on the principles of procedural justice are identified.

Highlights

The problem of dealing with crime is a central issue in efforts to improve daily life for members of society
The latent variable for citizen perceived police empathy (CPPE) was developed by adapting a self-report instrument previously developed for assessing empathy from the perspective of police officers (Inzunza, 2015a) and the resulting model exhibited a good fit to the data: Chi square (20) = 37.592, p < .05; root mean square approximation (RMSEA) = 0.052 (CI 0.025 - 0.078); comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.981; SRMR = 0.020
Previous studies (Maddox et al, 2011; Patterson, 2011) have identified some key factors that affect the outcome of the contact, notably the empathy shown by the police officer, as well as constructs that may influence the contact event such as the theoretical construct of the ideal victim

Summary

Introduction

The problem of dealing with crime is a central issue in efforts to improve daily life for members of society. Crime prevention strategies can seek to reduce the adverse consequences of crime by reducing the number of crimes or the harm caused by crime (Jerin and Moriarty, 2010). The process of gathering and assimilating information from crime victims during their first contact with the criminal justice system can play a key role in such strategies and in shaping subsequent steps taken in the criminal justice system. Studies on the perspectives of crime victims have shown that several aspects of the first contact can influence subsequent steps such as finding the strength to proceed within the criminal justice system and to cope with daily life after a traumatic experience (Maddox et al, 2011; Wemmers and Cyr, 2006). Effective handling of the first contact is vital for a well-functioning criminal justice system and for social harmony

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion