Criminal Justice System Issues

.....abuse and/or neglect of children and the elderly is a major issue in the American criminal justice system because of increased prevalence of such cases. However, getting accurate information regarding the extent of child and elder abuse is increasingly challenging in the United States. Some of the major issues contributing to this problem include the fact that most child and elder abuse cases are not reported, misreporting of these cases, seeming inability of victims to report the cases, and the fact that most perpetrators are caregivers.

Children and senior adults are more likely to be victims of abuse, neglect or maltreatment because of lesser physical and mental capabilities, dependence on caregivers, and tendency to trust easily. The likelihood of vulnerable children and the elderly to fall victims to abuse can be decreased through establishing suitable prevention and intervention measures that effectively identify and deal with risk factors and improve reporting procedures (Wolfe, 2003). The criminal justice system has relatively been effective in responding to child and elder abuse cases through arresting, prosecuting, and punishing perpetrators.

A holistic plan for restitution for these victims can be achieved through establishing policies that create harsh punishments for child and elder abuse cases and ensuring perpetrators pay for their crimes. Week 4 -- Discussion 2 Some of the characteristics of these victims that contribute to their victimization include immaturity, dependence on caregivers, innocence, and inability to carry out daily responsibilities by themselves (Finkelhor, 2011). The criminal justice system responds to the victimization through law enforcement, arresting and prosecuting perpetrators, and encouraging reporting of such crimes.

However, a holistic plan for offering restitution to child and elder abuse victims would help enhance effectiveness of the criminal justice system in dealing with the problem. A proposed restitution plan is for criminal justice professionals to ensure that perpetrators do not offer compensation for their crimes but instead pay for the kind of damages they cause on the child or senior adult. Week 5 -- Discussion 1 School and workplace victimizations are violent and non-violent forms of victimization within the school and working environment respectively.

Violent forms of school and workplace victimization are activities carried out to cause physical harm on the victim while non-violent forms of victimization do not cause physical harm but are associated with psychological and emotional harms on the victims (Lichtenfels, n.d.). These forms of victimization are usually targeted towards individuals who appear weak, unsuspecting or vulnerable and sometimes perpetrated by those in positions of authority.

Victims of school and work victimization contribute to their own victimization through positioning themselves in places that provide opportunities for perpetrators to carry out their activities and failing to report. School and workplace victimization has been addressed through creating organizational/institutional policies for prevention and punishment. While the criminal justice system has appropriately responded to school and workplace violence, it has failed to discourage and prevent the rise of more offenders.

Week 5 -- Discussion 2 Property and identify theft crimes have become more prevalent in the United States since more than 17 million Americans experience these crimes annually (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2017). Victims of these crimes are unsuspecting individuals who are lured into giving away their personal information/property or whose personal information/property is stolen from them. These individuals contribute to their victimization through failing to protect their personal information/property or carelessly handing their personal information and property (Anderson, 2015).

Apprehending and prosecuting perpetrators of these crimes is difficult because they continually use sophisticated means to carry out their illegal activities. Law enforcement officials have addressed these crimes through increasing arrest and prosecution of perpetrators and collaborating with other agencies to deal with such offenses. Week 6 -- Discussion 1 The reduction of crime victimization is an important step towards reducing crime rates and enhancing the effectiveness of law enforcement approaches.

A holistic response to crime victimization would entail focusing on prevention and management of victimization, improving the plight of potential crime victims, and establishing an Inter-Professional Collaborative Practice (Scheske, 2015). While the criminal justice has attempted to address victimization through various measures, these efforts fall short because they are largely reactive than proactive in preventing victimization before it occurs.

In this case, a holistic plan for providing victims with restitution involves requiring them to pay for the kind of losses and harm they cause on victims rather than simply offering compensation or being incarcerated. Even though its nearly impossible to make victims whole again, promoting their health and well-being is crucial towards achieving this goal. This would entail providing them with necessary support until they regain full control of their lives or are restored to their previous status before the victimization.

Week 6 -- Discussion 2 Victimology is the scientific study of the physical, psychological, financial and emotional harm that individuals undergo due to being victims of illegal activities perpetrated by criminals. This field is expected to experience tremendous growth over the next 50 years because of the increased significance of reducing victimization in dealing with crime. Over the next 50 years, the field of victimology will contribute towards the development of suitable strategies to reduce the risk factors and vulnerabilities of individuals to different kinds of crimes.

Secondly, the field will help in the development of victim assistance programs that are geared towards restoring crime victims to their previous status before the crime. Third, this field will develop into a stand alone discipline and area of practice in the criminal justice system. Currently, victimology is still in the preliminary stages with regards to promoting the development of crime reduction strategies since it primarily focuses on understanding the sufferings/harm of crime victims.

Secondly, through its variants, victimology is gradually leaning towards promoting the development of victim assistance programs based on understanding of the harms they are subjected.