Criminology & Criminal Justice: A Victim Biography of Reena Virk

This essay presents a victim biography of Reena Virk, a 14-year-old Canadian girl whose tragic murder in 1997 sparked national outrage and discussions about youth violence and bullying. The essay explores the direct victimization Virk experienced through a brutal assault by her peers, as well as the secondary victimization stemming from racism and discrimination. It further examines the community's response, including support and healing initiatives aimed at preventing youth violence and fostering inclusion. The essay concludes by emphasizing the importance of addressing bullying, discrimination, and racism to create a more inclusive society and prevent similar tragedies in the future, highlighting the community efforts to keep Virk's memory alive through anti-bullying programs and memorials near the site of her death.

Running head: INTRODUCTION TO CRIMINOLOGY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE 1
Introduction to Criminology and Criminal Justice
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation

INTRODUCTION TO CRIMINOLOGY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE 2
Introduction
Violent crimes are common in popular media in the North American society and are most
common in reality television shows. Real-life violence is an issue which mostly affects the
victims and their families are inclusive of a different dimension that is only felt and understood
by a few individuals. The senseless and tragic murder of ReenaVirk is a good example of a
victim of a crime story in Canada which can bring to mind feelings of hopelessness and despair
towards youth violence in Canada.
Victim Profile/Background
ReenaVirk was a 14-year-old girl whose story shocked Canadians when they first heard
it. She was badly beaten up by her peers in a calm suburb of Victoria in 1997 November the 14.
The murder took place after she was lured by her friends to a party happening under a secluded
bridge. “Reena Virk was a 14 year-old girl who suffered an extensive and horrific assault by
seven girls and one boy of her age group… and was later pursued by two individuals from the
group who beat her viciously, then held her head under underwater until she was dead” (Aujla,
2014, p. 156). According to Aujla (2014), the mysterious murder led to the charging and
convicting of 6 youths all between ages 14 and 17, with aggravated assault and two more with
second-degree murder. The apparent brutality and lack of feeling of the teenagers horrified the
Canadian public resulting in public debates over numerous and conflicting issues (Vallejos,
2011). It is evident that ReenaVirk’s death has disturbed the core of the Canadian social order as
the victim was a troubled lonely youth in a culture that valued beauty and thinness (Aujla, 2014).
Virk was seen as a chubby girl by her adolescent peers and was also a visible minority member.
She was constantly bullied despite her desperate attempts to fit in and some believe that it is the

INTRODUCTION TO CRIMINOLOGY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE 3
bullying that led to her death. ReenaVirk’s murder brought about the concern of how to protect
the youth from bullies and for people to learn bullying behavior (“Reena Virk: A Senseless
Death”, 2018).
Direct and Secondary Victimization
Virk experienced direct victimization from her peers which resulted in her death. She was
stabbed by a burning cigarette on her forehead and repeatedly kicked and beaten by about eight
teens who were mostly girls. Later after the assaulting group stopped the attack and dispersed,
two teenagers from the group followed her and attacked her once again by kicking her repeatedly
on the head. Warren Paul Glowatski and Kelly Ellard were accused of going back to finish and
drown her which shows the evilness of the human nature. ReenaVirk experienced secondary
victimization from Ellard and Glowatski who followed her to continue the attack after the others
had stopped. Violent behavior is common in school-aged people and it is a reality that it happens
daily in the schools (Linden, 2015). Racism and discrimination can also be considered as
secondary victimization as they are also contributing factors to the attack against Virk who was a
person of color.
Support and Healing
ReenaVirk’s horrifying death has not been easy for almost everyone in Canada. Friends,
family and community members offer support and healing practices to one another regarding the
notorious crimes in Canada committed by the youth. Since the crime and death took place in
November, the birth has since been difficult for the society, friends, and family. The community
has done a lot to keep Virk’s memory alive especially through anti-bullying initiatives and
awareness. She is used as a symbol in the community for the young people to think about and

INTRODUCTION TO CRIMINOLOGY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE 4
reflect on (Thomas, 2017). According to Thomas (2017), the community support and healing has
also been helped by the choice of locating the memorial near where Virk was murdered as the
place is believed to hold the trauma and grief of what the victim went through. Holding the event
in the place of Virk’s death can help the healing process by giving people a new image regarding
the bridge and hopefully provide an opportunity for more healing when it comes to the place
(Thomas, 2017).
Preventing youth violence is also another step towards support and healing. ReenaVirk’s
death can be considered something as poignant in the society as it went beyond what was thought
to be possible in the Canadian community. Fostering inclusion in the community can help the
healing process since discrimination and racism are part of the main contributors to the attack
(DeRosa, 2017). Besides, the move can give every community member a sense of belonging and
hasten the healing process (DeRosa, 2017).
Conclusion
ReenaVirk’s murder is an ideal case of violent crimes in Canada. The senseless murder
mostly perpetrated by reckless youths is especially due to bullying, discrimination, and racism.
Therefore, the best way to heal from the crime is to address the issues of bullying in schools,
discrimination, and racism to give not only the people of color but also the ones from minority
groups a sense of belonging in the contemporary society.

INTRODUCTION TO CRIMINOLOGY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE 5
References
Aujla, A. (2014). A Contrapuntal Reading of the Murder of ReenaVirk. Girlhood Studies, 7(1).
doi: 10.3167/ghs.2014.070112
DeRosa, K. (2017). 20 years after ReenaVirk’s death, a focus on preventing youth
violence,Times Colonist. http://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/20-years-after-reena-
virk-s-death-a-focus-on-preventing-youth-violence-1.23090780
Linden, R. (2015). Criminology: A Canadian Perspective (8th ed.). Nelson Education Limited.
Reena Virk: A Senseless Death. (2018). Retrieved from
https://media.curio.ca/filer_public/a1/06/a1060671-3eab-48ad-bca6-4e5b135aec25/
reena.pdf
Thomas, M. (2017). Family and community mark grim anniversary 20 years after death of
ReenaVirk. CBC News. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/family-and-
community-mark-grim-anniversary-20-years-after-death-of-reena-virk-1.4400343
Vallejos, J. (2011). Reena Virk: Critical Perspectives on a Canadian Murder. Canadian
Dimension. https://canadiandimension.com/articles/view/reena-virk-critical-perspectives-
on-a-canadian-murder