Victimology

The use of Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) in criminology has brought about some problems. The first one is the issue with the jurisdictional reporting whereby various police agencies define crime differently. For instance, in one state, rape can be described as sexual harassment while in another, burglary can be defined as theft.

More so, police reports are the source of UCR. In this case, the police may arrest a person and file a report recording a different crime other than the real offense for which such an individual has committed.  The problem continues even into the courtroom where the suspect is charged with the assault that they did not commit.

A crisis has phases such that it is divided into three major ones. Pre-crisis is the first one, and it is characterized by the fact that the crisis graduates into a suspect. In most circumstances, there is the launching of investigations, and in others, the threat is ignored in a bid to avoid coming to terms with reality. In the second phase, the crisis unfolds. The variables involved are the factors that determine the duration; whether short or long. For instance, an earthquake may happen within a short period while depression may take longer.

Post-crisis phase is the final stage. The duration that the crisis has taken does not matter. With time, the crisis comes to an end and the period of recovery is ushered. It is then that the recovery efforts begin. In my opinion, this is the stage that is most crucial for victims because evaluation is done so that the needs in terms of human and mechanical are determined. For instance, the humanitarian needs may be assessed when a tornado has attacked a particular place.