NCJ Number
194788
Journal
Deviant Behavior Volume: 23 Issue: 3 Dated: May-June 2002 Pages: 235-265
Date Published
June 2002
Length
31 pages
Annotation
This article reviews the labeling theory and the expansion of its themes (offenders) in identifying a parallel labeling process for victims, as illustrated through the examination and study of homicide survivors.
Abstract
Past literature on the labeling theory has tended to focus predominantly on offenders. In reviewing theories of deviance it is necessary to be concerned with the social situation as a whole, which includes the victim of the crime. This qualitative study outlined a parallel labeling process for victims through the examination of experiences of individuals who had suffered the murder of a loved one, thereby broadening the labeling perspective. Data fell into 3 general categories: intensive interviews with 32 individuals; mail-back surveys from 22 respondents; and 108 homicide files obtained under an agreement with a Provincial Criminal Injuries Compensation Board, including information on 145 individuals. Results were presented in three parts: (1) extended family and friends; (2) acquaintances, strangers, and community; and (3) subjects’ responses. Results confirmed and elaborated many of the themes in the labeling literature and extended them by identifying a parallel labeling process for victims. Future research needs to follow-up these results and insights, such as the study of the subculture of victims’ lobby and support groups and the medicalization of victims’ behavior. References