Rape Victim's Life: Aimee Duffy's Story of Being Alive But Dead - Essay Sample

Introduction

Aimee Duffy, a rape victim, described her life as being alive but dead (Adegoke, 2020). Crime occurs in various forms such as theft, burglary, assault, rape, sexual assault, domestic violence, and bullying. These crimes leave a trail of victims whose lives undergo significant change. Victims of crime undergo varying stressors depending on the type of harm inflicted upon them. The main negative effect of crimes such as theft and burglary is financial loss. As a result of the loss of money or property, the financial status of victims may be severely affected. Although financial loss cannot be underestimated, in most cases its effects are short-term and can be easily overcome.

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There are more grievous effects that are psychological that have far more reaching consequences. Many victims have reported living in fear, anxiety, angered by their circumstances which left them feeling vulnerable with the possibility of depression such as post-depression disorder (Janssen, 2020). Aimee Duffy explained how her life changed after being raped. As a victim, she was unable to seek help for fear of the stigma that would have ruined her life. Duffy explained how men would avoid her after revealing her ordeal (Adegoke, 2020). As a result, many victims for fear of the backlash of society fail to report. As a result of the effects of victimization that drastically change the lives of victims, it is vital to allocate adequate resources to help overcome the challenges that ensue.

Perception of Victimization by Society

Society has failed to view victimization as a serious issue. For every crime that occurs, there is a criminal and a victim. However, society has chosen to focus more on the criminal rather than the victim. The United States, for instance, has the highest prison population that costs the country dearly. The criminal justice system is a complex system with multiple parties, mainly the courts, law enforcement, and correction facilities. The system is designed to put criminals behind bars.

On the other hand, victims are ignored and not given the assistance they require. Currently, in the United States, there is much uproar following the killing of George Floyd. The demonstrations and protests that have attracted much attention are calling for the police officers to be brought to be justice. Little is being done to help the family of the victim. A family has been left behind likely to be affected by the loss of their breadwinner. But to society, it is more important to ensure the police officers are incarcerated than to help the victim. As a result, there is a need for more measures to be put in place to help victims overcome the negative effects rather than solely focusing on the criminal.

Thoughts on Allegations of Victimization

Although allegations of victimization require more attention, it faces significant challenges. One of the most serious concerns has been discerning true and false victimization. On numerous occasions, false allegations of victimization have led to the wrongful conviction of innocent persons. People make false allegations to gain financially, exert revenge, or to attract attention. These allegations have tainted the images of courts that trusted the individuals.

The case of Jennifer Wilbanks, who alleged she had been abducted and sexually abused is an example of good policing (Peace et al., 2011). The police were able to prove she had fabricated her victimization. Therefore, the police prevented a hunt that would have wasted resources. Hence, the criminal justice system needs to ensure due diligence by conducting thorough investigations to ensure that actual victims get the help they deserve while innocent individuals are not falsely convicted.

References

Adegoke, Y. (2020, Apr. 8). Duffy's brave account highlights why so few rape victims speak up. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2020/apr/08/duffys-brave-account-highlights-why-so-few-victims-speak-up

Janssen, H., Oberwittler, D., & Koeber, G. (2020). Victimization and its consequences for well-being: a between- and within-person analysis. Journal of Quantitative Criminology, 17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10940-019-09445-6

Peace, K., Brower, K., & Shudra, R. (2011). Fact or Fiction?: Discriminating True and False Allegations of Victimization. In A. N. Hutcherson, Psychology of victimization (pp. 1-46). Nova Science Publishers.