Drawing on a wealth of local, national and international sources, unpublished documents and original research, this book provides a theoretical and practical critique of victimology. The authors outline and discuss the issues facing victims today and address the fundamental question: How can we best ensure justice for victims, while at the same time preserving the rights of defendants? The search for answers raises other key questions: What are the risks of crime and do they vary from country to country? What is the impact of crime on the victim? How are victims treated by police, welfare agencies and courts? Why have governments become interested in victims? Can we learn from the experiences of policies in other nations? How are services developing in the rest of the world, including Eastern Europe? This critical and comparative analysis of `victim services' offers important insights for students and academics in criminology, social work and social policy, as well as for victim support workers.
`A fairly thorough comparison of victim-related policies and the meaning of the 'victims' movement' in various countries - with special attention to the US and British experience - is arguably the most valuable contribution of this work.' - Choice `Critical victimology, like critical criminology, insists on the need to include the social and political context in which crime takes place; Mawby and Walklate have provided a useful introduction' - British Society of Criminology Newsletter `This useful and accessible book provides a more sophisticated and refined understanding of victim issues in the contemporary criminal justice system than has been available hitherto, and should be essential reading for anyone who wants to take practice and policy forward.... this book will leave you better informed about issues of pressing political significance' - LCCJ Newsletter