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Abstract

The aim of this review was to explore how such effects from victimisation may predispose an individual to leading themselves down a criminal pathway, and whether criminal justice settings should consider these as a factor in determining which punishment to take, as it could be argued that it was a pathway that could not be avoided for them. To do this, a narrative literature review was conducted, focusing on three main areas. These included theories of criminal behaviour and how this may explain the link between victimisation and offending, the psychological effects of physical abuse; substance abuse and psychological abuse, and finally the interventions available to both victims and offenders, to stop them following this route. The findings suggest that many psychological effects from victimisation can, in fact, lead a person to committing criminal actions, which was the case for all 3 crime types looked at. The interventions for reducing recidivism were effective, however combining two or more would see more effective results. For victims, there was a lack of personalised interventions that would deter them from crime, which was one of the implications considered. Other limitations included a lack of up-to-date theories, confidentiality with using secondary research and the lack of primary research available. Recommendations for future research were also considered, including stronger legislation for protection of victims, research into the effectiveness of incarceration on psychologically vulnerable individuals, and an increase in research regarding women victims and offenders.

Course: Criminal Justice - MSc - C2681F

Date Deposited: 2024-11-21

URI/permalink: https://library.port.ac.uk/dissert/dis14556.html