Citation

Smith BL, Huff CR. J. Crim. Justice 1992; 20(3): 201-215.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1992, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/0047-2352(92)90045-B

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Although the victims' rights movement has had substantial success in altering the justice process in recent years, the movement has not been examined empirically. Some scholars have suggested that the victims' movement has departed from its original efforts, which focused upon reducing the trauma of a 'second victimization' at the hands of police, prosecutors, and judges. They suggest that the movement has been transformed into a conservative, crime-control approach co-opted by the state. This argument has not, however, been tested empirically. This article presents data collected in a statewide survey on victim issues in one southeastern state. Path analytic procedures were utilized to predict the effects of demographic and attitudinal variables on victim activism. The results suggest that the disproportionately white victims' rights movement in the state examined may have been denying a voice in reforms to those segments of the population at greatest risk of victimization.