The Politics of Victimization: Victims, Victimology, and Human Rights

By Robert Elias

Book Overview

This useful text provides a comprehensive introductory overview of the study of victims and victimization. Victimization is here considered as a reflection of American society. Taking a broad perspective, Elias argues that the study of victimology requires more than merely analyzing criminal justice; it requires linking it to much wider social, political and economic relations--especially to the American political economy. This study rejects the official definition of crime and victimization and establishes a relationship between victimology and human rights, thus advocating a "new" victimology which embraces victims of both crime and repression. Elias proposes that since much crime arises in response to various forms of oppression, a society unconcerned with human rights violations and its victims can likewise provide little help for crime victims.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0195039815
• ISBN13: 9780195039818
• Release Date: December 1986
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Length: 408 Pages
• Weight: 1.08 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.4" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

An unusual view to the criminalization system

Robert Elias give us in this book an unusual view of the juditial and the criminalization process in general. Over the common explanations given by many "law and order" policy makers to various social problem, Elias show us another approach to the same issues in a very different manner achieving significant revelations. A fine example is his approach to the police institution, where Mr. Elias reveals his role as victimizer and also as a victim.