Hate Crime Analysis on Gays - Essay Example

Hate Crime Analysis on Gay Hate Crime Analysis on Gays Introduction Victimization refers to research that studies the process, theincidences, the rates, and prevalence of victimization and falling under victimology. Conceptions of past studies to try and understand the various risk factors that contribute toward victimization have incorporated ideas such as routine activity and lifestyle theory, for example, declined guardianship and increased exposure to offenders (Yeung & Leadbeater, 2013, p.291). However, other researchers argue that personal characteristics play a significant role in putting youths into risks. Nevertheless, this study will concentrate on other risks that expose individuals to victimization such as race, religion, and sexual orientation. Moreover, the youths are at a risk of victimization than any other population segment. Therefore, it is important to study, analyze, and understand the factors, restorative justice models, instruments to measure victimization, and the various theories that underpin this particular concept. Factors contributing to victimization Race Racial profiling of the minority groups in a country enhances the basis of victimization among the individuals. Due to their numbers or skin color, the people in America fall victims of circumstance and suffer severe consequences regardless of the state of residence. For instance, since the 9/11 bombings racial profiling in the American minority has increased at a very high rate. The case should not be in place since the color of the skin does not define the individual’s rights. Religion Religion is also another basis on which the offenders have based their prejudices on the people and discriminated them. The offenders have drawn a line between the Christians and the Muslims arguing that either group is worshiping a different Creator of the human beings. Indeed, religion as become a core factor in the negative finger pointing of about the Muslims the world over. The Christians hold that their counterparts have formed terrorist groups that fight against Christians. Hence, the situation has increased the level of victimization among the people of diversified religions. For instance, Christians believe that the Al-Qaeda militia is purely a Muslim construct aimed at terrorizing them. Sexual orientation Discrimination has found its basis on the orientation of one’s sex leading to increased prejudices among the people in America. People regard being gay, lesbian or bisexual as a vice. Hence, anyone engaging in such practices receives consideration as an outcast and should not be part of the society. Also, such kinds of individuals faced discrimination from both private and the public sector employees, a case that brought severe challenges in the US. However, there has been enactment of new to fight for the rights of such individuals arguing that there is no problem to exercise a varied sexual orientation. For example, it was until recently that the US passed a law allowing people of the same sex to get married. (Smith, 2013, p. 1692) A list of the restoration justice models applicable to gays a) The Victim and Offender Mediation Model (VOMM) b) Gay Group Conferencing Model (GGCM) c) Restorative Cautioning Model (RCM) (Tsui, 2014, p.635) Importance of restorative justice models Benefits to the victims The victims have the chance to question the offender and gain an understanding of the reasons that underlie the offense. Further, the victims are in a position to express the impact caused to them and how they have been affected by the harm. Additionally, the victims get empowered as they become part of the process of making the decisions that affect them and to what extent to deal with particular challenges in the aftermath of the given incidence. Benefits to the offenders The offenders get the opportunity to reintegrate themselves into the society through taking responsibility and promising not to repeat the offenses. They also get a chance to undergo self-transformation by addressing and healing the issues that led to their unacceptable behavior. Restoration justice offers the offenders a chance to take accountability for the offenses and repair the harm done (McClinton et al., 2015, p. 31). A contemporary research instrument to measure victimization of young adult gays Depression of young adults In the contemporary society, the young adults who have varied sexual orientation tend to receive significant discrimination that lead to their stress and depression. Recent research studies have found out that depression among gay individuals caused skewed depression. Sexual orientation and depression among the young adults often cause disability and premature deaths. More often than not, victimization leads to declined self-esteem that can force a person to commit suicide. For instance, recent research shows that suicide is number three in the cause of deaths among the teenagers besides the young adults in the United States. As observations hold, adolescence has proven to be the toughest time among many young individuals. Contextually, discrimination and victimization of these young people leads to negative cultural stigmas and attitudes increasing the risks of physical, mental, and emotional violence (Desmarais et al., 2014, p. 2343). When these teenagers undergo victimization, they resort to substance and drug abuse in the bid to fight the stress and depression. In most cases, the stresses experienced by this group of individuals puts them at risk of mental problems that affect them negatively. Criminological theories The rational choice theory The other term for the rational choice theory is either rational action theory or choice theory. The theory bases its argument of reasons and on the rational viewpoint of the specific person. From the theory, it is clear that humans have desire, beliefs, and acts that combine to satisfy the desires according to the beliefs held (Einstadter, 2006, p.34). The person has individual desires to fulfill and hence the foundation of the behavior observed. In this context, desires are derived preferences driving the individual toward the adopted practice. The case means that the people behave in the manner they act because they have thought about their desirable outcomes and preferences. For instance, the individuals that decide to practice gay should have a consideration that they have rationally chosen their way of life and should be free from any form of victimization. However, they still undergo discrimination and stigmatization that leads to serious challenges among them. Justification of the Rational Choice Theory The gay community needs consideration as a rational group of people that have critically thought about the outcomes of their behavior and should not experience any victimization related to their situation whatsoever. Individualism takes a significant percentage of the people who ultimately make and take their decisions. The critics say that the outcomes of individuals add up to the society’s wellbeing. Hence, gay individuals run contrary to the expectations of the community. The individuals optimally choose their actions based on the constraints and opportunities they face. Indeed, the persons being social actors strive to achieve the best for their lives through setting the preferences that best suits them, according to their circumstances. However, some people do not choose actions for themselves facilitating the notion that all people that choose varied behaviors are deviant from the society’s prescribed notions. The rational choice theory disagrees with the setting of options by the society for adoption. In essence, the options may be narrow excluding one’s rational preferences leading to conflicts with the society. Therefore, the people need to exercise their freedom to choose that that best suits them. People have self-regard; hence they entirely strive for their welfare. People might have sentiments against the people who pursue self-regard because of the things like charity, sacrifice, self-denial, altruism, and cooperation. These obstacles may hinder the process of another who need concentrate on personal things. Hence, the people need to realize the importance of self-regard and avoid distractions to one’s own life (Khubchandani et al., 2013, p. 128). Conclusion Victimization is harmful to the lives of the people who have chosen their ways of life, based on the case of gay individuals. However, victimizing persons against religion, sexual orientation, and a race is brutal and serious laws should address this matter to avoid dangerous consequences associated with the victimization. More studies and models need development to illustrate the importance of avoiding victimization and the various strategies to use in reintegrating the individuals back into the society. Thus, it is important to have more insightful researchers that focus on the factors, models, and reintegration of the peopled referred to as deviant into their respective communities. References Desmarais, S. L., Van Dorn, R. A., Johnson, K. L., Grimm, K. J., Douglas, K. S., & Swartz, M. S. (2014). Community Violence Perpetration and Victimization among Adults with Mental Illnesses. American Journal of Public Health, 104(12), 2342-2349. Einstadter, W. & Henry, S. (2006). Criminological theory: an analysis of its underlying assumptions. Lanham, Md: Rowman & Littlefield. Khubchandani, J., Telljohann, S. K., Price, J. H., Dake, J. A., & Hendershot, C. (2013). Providing Assistance to the Victims of Adolescent Dating Violence: A National Assessment of School Nurses Practices. Journal of School Health, 83(2), 127-136. McClinton Appollis, T., Lund, C., de Vries, P. J., & Mathews, C. (2015). Adolescents’ and Adults’ Experiences of Being Surveyed About Violence and Abuse: A Systematic Review of Harms, Benefits, and Regrets. American Journal of Public Health, 105(2), e31-e45. Smith, S. (2013). Introduction: Reflections on Villains, Victims and Violence. Europe-Asia Studies, 65(9), 1691-1699. doi:10.1080/09668136.2013.842365 Tsui, J. C. (2014). Breaking Free Of the Prison Paradigm: Integrating Restorative Justice Techniques into Chicagos Juvenile Justice System. Journal of Criminal Law & Criminology, 104(3), 634-666. Yeung Thompson, R. S., & Leadbeater, B. J. (2013). Peer Victimization and Internalizing Symptoms from Adolescence into Young Adulthood: Building Strength through Emotional Support. Journal of Research on Adolescence (Wiley-Blackwell), 23(2), 290-303. doi:10.1111/j.1532-7795.2012.00827.x Read More