Amidst the chaos and rapidly changing world, crimes committed seem to be increasing at a steady rate. Advanced technology has somewhat aided criminals and they have become increasingly bolder. In a bid to rehabilitate criminals and help them “get back” into the world, some societies often give too much of their attention to criminals. Such societies thus end up spending and investing large amounts of money into helping them. However this warrants the speculation of the need for such attention to criminals, after all they were the ones who committed the crime. Furthermore their victims, assumed not to need rehabilitation, are not given such treatment and are simply left to resign to living with the traumatic experience etched in their minds. Therefore, although some may argue that today victims are attended to, I feel it is not sufficient and still to a large extent it is true that too much attention is given to helping, educating and even defending criminals today.
With the increasing need to uphold justice, criminals are indeed given too much attention. In the past, heinous crimes were committed and the criminal was immediately given the death sentence. However in this modern day and with societies that adhere to the notion of parties being “innocent until proven guilty” have allowed even the most heinous crime cases to have a fair hearing in court. The time of the judge, the money to gather the jury and that given to employ the lawyers are all spent to settle such criminal cases. For example, one of Singapore’s leading criminal lawyers, Subhas Anandan has represented many accused, from murder and kidnapping to drug trafficking and white collar crimes. Subhas is one example that proves too much attention is given to criminals. This man and many around the world make a living from defending accused criminals. The fact that there are such people who are paid to help criminals shows too much attention is given to them.
Contrary to my view, there are some who argue that in the developed world, victims do get their fair share of attention from society. In an increasingly caring world, emphasis on raising public awareness for victims does take place on a relatively large scale. For example, each April since 1981, the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) has helped lead communities throughout countries in their observances of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW). A host of commemorative activities are held each year to promote victims' rights and to honour crime victims and those who advocate on their behalf. Even in the age of the Internet, online surveys and forums for victim advocates are active. The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) acts as America’s primary source of information on criminal victimization. The survey enables the estimation of the likelihood of victimization by crimes such as sexual assaults and robberies for the population as a whole as well as for segments of the population such as women, the elderly, members of various racial and other groups. Such groups and many more to help victims are in existence and these increase public awareness or victims and give them the attention they need.
However, this argument has its loopholes. Firstly only recently has public awareness of criminal victims increased. Plus, these help-groups are pushed by society and the people and not by governments who with the largest influence still fail to place emphasis on helping victims. Furthermore, the idea of raising awareness does seem to help victims but it is only on the surface. In actual fact, raising awareness cannot and does not provide concrete aid to psychologically help and rehabilitate them. Unless governments take more efforts to subsidize victims or protect them heavily, the attention given to them will continue to be relatively less than that given to criminals.
Also, others argue that unlike criminals who have lost all credibility, victims do not need as much attention since they are still fully capable to “return” to the world on their own. As is always the case for criminals, society often shuns and looks upon them condescendingly while victims on the other hand have won the majority’s favour and are pitied. It thus becomes much easier for the victim after the assault to be employed, earn a decent keep and in that sense, return to living a normal life. The perpetrator on the other hand, no matter how sorry, is rarely given another chance by society. Therefore, a lot more attention is needed to help such criminals return to being self-sufficient and thus the expenditure on rehabilitation centres and on educating criminals becomes justified. For example, the Rehabilitation and Reentry Programs Division in Texas helps offenders by educating and treating them to reduce the potential for further deviant behaviour and to identify and change the behavioural patterns of their offense. Such programs under the umbrella of sexual crimes include the Sex Offender Treatment Program (SOTP) which is an eighteen-month intensive therapeutic treatment to move the participant toward a more pro-social lifestyle. Other programs like the “Yellow Ribbon” also help criminals re-earn their credibility in society’s eye and help them be accepted. Such attention for criminals is thus necessary.
However, this is based on the assumption that victims have not been traumatized by the crime committed unto them. In fact in reality, victims subjected to crimes do go through a traumatic experience as well and in worst case scenarios are psychologically hurt and are unable to do much to help themselves either. Rendered useless and without any attention, these victims are left to their own devices and may possibly turn into criminals themselves. For example, earlier this year, the horror case of Josef Fritzl was made known to the public. Fritzl had fathered seven children by his daughter Elisabeth after imprisoning her in a dungeon beneath his home for 24 years. He pleaded guilty to rape, incest, false imprisonment and coercion. It was known that he had suffered a traumatic childhood himself and was frequently abused by his unmarried mother. In court he explicitly blamed his childhood for making him commit the crimes he had. Though Fritzl may be just one case in many other abused children, there have been increasing links with victims who have not received help becoming perpetrators of crimes. This proves that indeed not enough attention is given to victims who in fact do need help as well.
Thus on the whole, based on the current situation, indeed it is true to a large extent that with the efforts taken to increase awareness for criminals and the large expenditure to facilitate their integration back into society, too much attention is given to them. Furthermore, victims are assumed to be able to help themselves and thus in no need of attention and are left to their own devices when they are the ones that the crime has been done to.
With the increasing need to uphold justice, criminals are indeed given too much attention. In the past, heinous crimes were committed and the criminal was immediately given the death sentence. However in this modern day and with societies that adhere to the notion of parties being “innocent until proven guilty” have allowed even the most heinous crime cases to have a fair hearing in court. The time of the judge, the money to gather the jury and that given to employ the lawyers are all spent to settle such criminal cases. For example, one of Singapore’s leading criminal lawyers, Subhas Anandan has represented many accused, from murder and kidnapping to drug trafficking and white collar crimes. Subhas is one example that proves too much attention is given to criminals. This man and many around the world make a living from defending accused criminals. The fact that there are such people who are paid to help criminals shows too much attention is given to them.
Contrary to my view, there are some who argue that in the developed world, victims do get their fair share of attention from society. In an increasingly caring world, emphasis on raising public awareness for victims does take place on a relatively large scale. For example, each April since 1981, the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) has helped lead communities throughout countries in their observances of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW). A host of commemorative activities are held each year to promote victims' rights and to honour crime victims and those who advocate on their behalf. Even in the age of the Internet, online surveys and forums for victim advocates are active. The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) acts as America’s primary source of information on criminal victimization. The survey enables the estimation of the likelihood of victimization by crimes such as sexual assaults and robberies for the population as a whole as well as for segments of the population such as women, the elderly, members of various racial and other groups. Such groups and many more to help victims are in existence and these increase public awareness or victims and give them the attention they need.
However, this argument has its loopholes. Firstly only recently has public awareness of criminal victims increased. Plus, these help-groups are pushed by society and the people and not by governments who with the largest influence still fail to place emphasis on helping victims. Furthermore, the idea of raising awareness does seem to help victims but it is only on the surface. In actual fact, raising awareness cannot and does not provide concrete aid to psychologically help and rehabilitate them. Unless governments take more efforts to subsidize victims or protect them heavily, the attention given to them will continue to be relatively less than that given to criminals.
Also, others argue that unlike criminals who have lost all credibility, victims do not need as much attention since they are still fully capable to “return” to the world on their own. As is always the case for criminals, society often shuns and looks upon them condescendingly while victims on the other hand have won the majority’s favour and are pitied. It thus becomes much easier for the victim after the assault to be employed, earn a decent keep and in that sense, return to living a normal life. The perpetrator on the other hand, no matter how sorry, is rarely given another chance by society. Therefore, a lot more attention is needed to help such criminals return to being self-sufficient and thus the expenditure on rehabilitation centres and on educating criminals becomes justified. For example, the Rehabilitation and Reentry Programs Division in Texas helps offenders by educating and treating them to reduce the potential for further deviant behaviour and to identify and change the behavioural patterns of their offense. Such programs under the umbrella of sexual crimes include the Sex Offender Treatment Program (SOTP) which is an eighteen-month intensive therapeutic treatment to move the participant toward a more pro-social lifestyle. Other programs like the “Yellow Ribbon” also help criminals re-earn their credibility in society’s eye and help them be accepted. Such attention for criminals is thus necessary.
However, this is based on the assumption that victims have not been traumatized by the crime committed unto them. In fact in reality, victims subjected to crimes do go through a traumatic experience as well and in worst case scenarios are psychologically hurt and are unable to do much to help themselves either. Rendered useless and without any attention, these victims are left to their own devices and may possibly turn into criminals themselves. For example, earlier this year, the horror case of Josef Fritzl was made known to the public. Fritzl had fathered seven children by his daughter Elisabeth after imprisoning her in a dungeon beneath his home for 24 years. He pleaded guilty to rape, incest, false imprisonment and coercion. It was known that he had suffered a traumatic childhood himself and was frequently abused by his unmarried mother. In court he explicitly blamed his childhood for making him commit the crimes he had. Though Fritzl may be just one case in many other abused children, there have been increasing links with victims who have not received help becoming perpetrators of crimes. This proves that indeed not enough attention is given to victims who in fact do need help as well.
Thus on the whole, based on the current situation, indeed it is true to a large extent that with the efforts taken to increase awareness for criminals and the large expenditure to facilitate their integration back into society, too much attention is given to them. Furthermore, victims are assumed to be able to help themselves and thus in no need of attention and are left to their own devices when they are the ones that the crime has been done to.
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