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Alienating the Victim: Compensation and Victim Attitudes
Author(s) -
Elias Robert
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
journal of social issues
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.618
H-Index - 122
eISSN - 1540-4560
pISSN - 0022-4537
DOI - 10.1111/j.1540-4560.1984.tb01084.x
Subject(s) - compensation (psychology) , receipt , disenchantment , government (linguistics) , criminal justice , affect (linguistics) , economic justice , psychology , criminology , perception , social psychology , political science , business , law , politics , linguistics , philosophy , accounting , communication , neuroscience
Criminal victimization and postvictimization experiences often affect victim attitudes negatively toward criminal justice and government. Victim‐compensation programs seek to improve those attitudes as well as to curb crime and repay victim losses. A few studies have evaluated the effectiveness of compensation plans in achieving their goals, and special attention is given herein to the programs' effects on attitudes. The research, done mostly in Florida, New York, and New Jersey, shows considerable victim disenchantment and even some evidence of greater discontent among applicants to such plans than among nonapplicants. Two primary causes of dissatisfaction are administrative inconvenience and receipt of an inadequate (or no) award. Thus, the effect of compensation plans seems to be more symbolic than tangible.