UNSW Annotated Bibliography: Crime Victims & Equal Recognition

This annotated bibliography critically examines the assertion that all crime victims receive equal recognition in society. It presents arguments against this statement, supported by four academic sources. The analysis highlights that society often judges victims differently based on the severity and nature of the crime, with examples including a student who steals to pay fees and disparities in how corporate crimes are treated compared to individual offenses. The bibliography references works by Adam (2017) on equal dignity, Lanier, Henry, and Desire'JM (2014) on crime seriousness, Reid (2015) on societal discrimination against criminals, and Weisburd (2015) on the influence of powerful groups in shaping crime definitions. The conclusion firmly disagrees with the initial statement, emphasizing the unequal treatment of crime victims due to varying perceptions of crime severity and the protection afforded to certain entities by the state.

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‘All victims of crime are afforded equal recognition in society’
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Introduction
The word ‘victim’ could be associated with an individual who has encountered some
form of misfortune or suffering, however, when the word ‘victim’ is thought of policing
perspective it is used to refer to complainant of the crime. Therefore, there are crime that are
bigger than the others, all the criminals not be treated the same. However as much as crimes are
committed it does not means that these individuals should be treated differently in the society
when they get reformed. They have the right of their own and should be accorded equal dignity
to all as well as the politics of difference where everyone is recognized for a particular
distinctiveness. However, on my view, I disagree with this statement because the society today
does not recognition that all the crime are the same since they believe each crime has its own
magnitude and the punishment is not the same. This annotated bibliography aims to critically
analyse the statement ‘All victims of crime are afforded equal recognition in society’. To support
this statement I will raise various there are points and use a crime type to of a student who steals
money to pay his fees. There are four academic sources which have been selected for the
annotated essay.
Adam, H., 2017. Divided Memories: Reckoning with a Criminal Regime. In Justice and the
Politics of Memory (pp. 17-36). Routledge.
According to Adam (2017) he has highlighted that recognition is to equal dignity which is
accorded to all. This therefore means that victims of crime should not be judged by the society, it
is important for the individuals in the society to understand the circumstances surrounding the
crime. According to Schlosberg observed that lack of recognition in the social realms clearly
demonstrate some levels of inflict damage to oppressed persons and communities in the cultural
realms. On the issue of this statement he highlighted that wrongdoing is perpetrated by the
society as unlawful act. In the society we live today individuals do not view the crimes as the
same. There are those crimes which are highly judged for instance you cannot compare a bank
robber with conmen. These two crimes are treated differently in regards to the fines that are
imposed yet; both of them are crimes that were committed. There is need for a development of
criteria and definitions of crimes which are not restricted to specific laws, but more universal in
nature.
Lanier, M.M., Henry, S. and Desire'JM, A., 2014. Essential criminology. Hachette UK.

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Based on this book, the authors have highlighted that crimes have different degree of
seriousness. Each crime which is committed involves assessing various factors such as the
physical effect of the conduct on the victim, psychological trauma, and the monetary value of the
property crimes. An example is given of a student who lacks fees and has seen an opportunity
that stealing money will solve his problem and he would go back to school. In the long run he
believes that this act will help him even though it is a crime. In such a case even though it is a
crime to steal the student has decided to help himself. This has physical effect on the conduct of
the student. Despite going to all this trouble, the society will judge the student for the crime
committed and would not recognize the basis of doing that wrongful act.
Reid, S.T., 2015. Crime and criminology. Wolters Kluwer Law & Business.
According to the Titus (2015), society discriminates criminal victim because of the deed they did
in the past. The society we live today, discriminate against the criminals to a great extent.
Individuals do not like to be associated with them despite the magnitude of the crime that was
committed. Many do not believe that criminals could change and give them a second chance to
correct their mistake. An example, an ex-convict who has finished his sentence and moves back
to his former neighborhood would encounter a cold society. Not many would want to be
associated with him despite going through the system to correct his mistakes. More often, there
are cases of mistaken arrest and individuals have been sentenced, even after finishing such
sentence and come back to their society many do not want to know the circumstances that led to
their arrest. They are also treated different in the society.
Weisburd, D., 2015. The law of crime concentration and the criminology of place.
Criminology, 53(2), pp.133-157.
David (2015) in this article focuses on how crime has been perpetrated by powerful groups as
well as organizations for example such as the transnational corporations are more often treated
by the state as the civil as opposed to the criminal matters. In this case it reflects on the capacity
of the powerful in shaping the laws in ways which would not criminalize their activities. From
this it can be said that there are some favoritism when it comes to certain entities. Even though
crimes are committed in those organizations, it is shaped as civil matter rather than criminals.
There are some individuals who commit the crimes yet they are favored by the system. This

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makes the statement that victims of crimes are recognized in the society the same to be wrong.
There are some individuals in these large corporations that are shielded by the state when they do
run and the law is twisted in manner to favor them.
Conclusion ‘
I take the stand to disagree with the statement that victims of crimes are afforded equal
recognition in the society. This is not true, in the current society we live in. victim of crime are
judged differently depending on the degree of the seriousness of the crime which is committed.
Different crimes are viewed on different magnitude. A conman and a murderer are viewed
different because of the kind of crime committed. Moreover, there are also situation where
corporations are protected by the state and laws has being changed to suit their needs. in some
instances the crime is treated as civil rather than criminal matters. Therefore, ‘All victims of
crime are afforded equal recognition in society’ statement is untrue.

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Bibliography
Adam, H., 2017. Divided Memories: Reckoning with a Criminal Regime. In Justice and the
Politics of Memory (pp. 17-36). Routledge.
Lanier, M.M., Henry, S. and Desire'JM, A., 2014. Essential criminology. Hachette UK.
Reid, S.T., 2015. Crime and criminology. Wolters Kluwer Law & Business.
Weisburd, D., 2015. The law of crime concentration and the criminology of place. Criminology,
53(2), pp.133-157.