CRJS 4203 Walden University Criminal Justice Victimology Discussion

The act of blaming a victim for his or her own victimization is referred to as victim blaming. This blaming can come from many sources including the offender, society, family members, health care providers, the media, and even criminal justice professionals.

The act of blaming a victim for their crime—which differs from actions that may inadvertently or structurally create criminal opportunity—may begin with bias. Preconceived, negative ideas about those involved in a crime may lead to a less than objective analysis of the facts in a case. These biases may be personal, come from a community, or be perpetuated by news outlets. And, bias can affect the offender as much as the victim, leading to such negative outcomes as victim blaming or jury bias.

In this Discussion, you first consider your own personal bias in relation to a criminal case before examining how bias in general can lead to consequential effects for offenders, victims, and juries.

To prepare:

• Your Instructor may post a contemporary news story or other case that details a crime; alternately, your Instructor may invite you to find your own example.
• Read the Instructor’s posted contemporary crime story or case. You may also refer to a story you researched.

By Day 3

Post a response to the following:

• Based on either the case or news item that your Instructor posted or that you found, describe one bias you may have in relation to the circumstances.
• Determine whether your bias falls in the category of victim blaming or is a bias toward the offender and explain why.
• Explain how media coverage of the case contributes to overall bias and the possibility of jury bias.