UPLIFTING AND INSPIRING DEVELOPMENTS
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ROBBED AT KNIFEPOINT, A SOCIAL WORKER CONVINCES HIS ASSAILANT TO VOLUNTARILY RETURN THE STOLEN GOODS
Elaborates on a case cited on p. 34 of Chapter One in the Ninth Edition, and page 47 in Chapter Two of the Tenth Edition
A robbery victim explains how he “disarmed” the person who accosted him and stole his wallet, by relying on empathy and compassion and reasoning with him, in this viral video.
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THE LEGACY OF A HEROIC NYPD OFFICER WHO SOUGHT RECONCILIATION WITH HIS ASSAILANT
Presents an obituary that reviews the accomplishments of a pioneer in victim-offender reconciliation.
A courageous policeman who was a widely respected role model for the ideal of forgiveness and reconciliation has passed away, in part from his wounds inflicted by his attacker decades ago, as recounted in this video.
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HEROIC WOMAN SAVES CHILDREN FROM POTENTIAL SCHOOL SHOOTER
A woman who worked in the office of an elementary school confronted a mentally distraught young man who barged in with a gun. She calmed him down as effectively as any experienced police hostage negotiator could, and got him to surrender peacefully. Listen to how she handled the situation while alerting a 911 operator as well as talking to the intruder in a firm but non-pleading but also non-threatening way here.
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WOMAN WHO WAS CARJACKED HELPS TO CATCH THE ROBBER
Carjacking is discussed in Box 4.2 on p. 103 in the 8th edition and in Box 4.3 on p. 113 of the 9th edition.
A man follows a woman into her garage and demands her car keys. She complies but then hits the button and closes the garage door, trapping him. She calls the police and they catch the carjacker sitting inside the vehicle, as recounted here.
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WOMAN HELPS TO RECOVER HER OWN STOLEN CAR
While crossing the street, she spots someone driving her vehicle. A confrontation ensues, and although she is injured, she is able to recover the vehicle and aids in the capture of the car thief. Read this upbeat item here.
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HOMEOWNERS HELP TO CATCH BURGLARS
A woman logged on to her sophisticated home-security system through her smartphone, and was shocked to see an intruder inside her house. She called the police and monitored the burglar’s whereabouts until she saw the beam from the officers’ flashlights when they first arrived. Then she guided them and they caught the perpetrator in a neighbor’s backyard, as described here.
In a similar case, a man uses his surveillance camera to spot two burglars prowling through his home. He calls the police and the responding officers catch the duo red-handed, as shown here.
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WOMAN DRIVES OFF INTRUDER
A woman grabbed whatever was handy to ward off an intruder and chase him out of her home, in a brave bid to protect her family, as re-enacted in this video
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WOMAN ORDERS PIZZA VIA ONLINE SERVICE IN ORDER TO GET RESCUED
A woman was being held hostage by her angry boyfriend. But he allowed her to order a pizza. She wrote in the comments section that she and her children were captives. The pizzeria notified the local sheriff’s office and deputies arrived to free her and capture the hostage-taker, as described here.
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WHO KNEW THAT GETTING PISTOL-WHIPPED BY A ROBBER COULD SAVE A VICTIM’S LIFE?
A clerk at a convenience store is beaten by a robber. He is rushed to the hospital emergency room – but the doctors treating his injuries there make a grim discovery. Just in time, because of his head injuries, they detect a large brain tumor which threatens his life. He is operated on and hopefully on the road to recovery, as explained in this video showing the robbery and assault, followed by an interview with the victim and his wife.
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Can Victimization Ever Be Humorous???___________________________
MAN IN AN EASTER BUNNY COSTUME INTERVENES AS A GOOD SAMARITAN BUT TURNS OUT TO HAVE A BAD RECORD
A man in a costume sees a woman and man fighting on the street. He tries to separate them, and eventually throws some rabbit punches at the man so that the woman can escape his clutches.
But when the video goes viral, the good samaritan is unmasked as a person with a history of committing robberies, car break-ins, and other offenses, according to this TV story.
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MOVIE ABOUT IDENTITY THEFT TRIES TO MAKE THIS TYPE OF IMPERSONATION A LAUGHING MATTER
Provides a counterpoint to the emphasis on the frustration experienced discussed on p. 144 of Ch. 5 in the 8th edition, and p. 121 of Ch. 4 in the 9th edition.Who says victimology is always depressing? This movie struggles to inject a little humor into a story about a victim who tracks down the woman who stole his identity – but the critics generally give it a thumbs down. Read the movie review here, and watch the trailer here.
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FISHING TACKLE SHOP OWNER NEVER REALIZED HOW A NOVELTY DEVICE COULD SERVE AS A BURGLAR ALARM
A motion activated singing fish scared off a would-be burglar. The recorded song that the fish sang caused the intruder to panic and flee without grabbing cash that was plainly visible, as described here.
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A CAR ALARM TRIES TO REASON WITH – DEFLECT – AND THEN SCARE AWAY – A WOULD-BE THIEF
Victimologists ask whether car alarms really work, as explained in chapters 1 and 2.
This smart car alarm tries to convince a thief to give up his plans.
Its just a spoof, right? View the video and then decide.
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GET KIDNAPPED FOR KICKS?
Would you like to be whisked off as a hostage, just for the thrill of it? Apparently, some otherwise jaded people are willing to pay $500 or more for this “exhilarating” extreme experience. Read all about the business that has been offering this service to its customers for years here. _______________________________________________________
CAN JOKES ABOUT RAPE EVER BE FUNNY?
A Comedian Mocks Victim Blaming Arguments About Rape
In a tweet about a case on trial, the comedian makes analogy between robbery and rape, about whether “no really means no,” as recounted here.________________________________________________
That’s Not Funny!
The author of this opinion piece analyzes the dynamics and implications, and then comes to the conclusion: No! Read this commentary here. A stand-up comic made a joke about a member of the audience getting raped. Under what circumstances can rape be a laughing matter? View a discussion here and here. _______________________________________________________
CAN A SPOOF ABOUT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE BE CONSIDERED FUNNY?
A commercial for a sports team thought it would provoke laughter but some viewers didn’t find it funny. A woman who is wearing the “wrong” t-shirt of the rival team takes a spill, as shown in this ad.
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RESPONDENTS APPEAR TO BE MORE CONCERNED ABOUT BATTERED PETS THAN BATTERED PERSONS
Researchers sought to discover whether there was more concern about abused children or puppies, and greater empathy for battered people or brutally treated dogs. Read about the study here. Are these findings funny or sad? _______________________________________________________
A NEW YORKER MUSES ABOUT “THE BAD OLD DAYS” WHEN CRIME WAS A MUCH MORE SERIOUS PROBLEM
This essay makes light of everyday life in New York City during the 1980s and early 1990s, when the odds of being mugged or burglarized were much higher. Read most of the anecdotes here. ___________________________________________________
PEOPLE TRICKED BY FAKE CALLS FROM THE IRS WHICH ACTUALLY WERE PLACED FROM INDIA
The highly publicized phony IRS phone call scam hopefully has been put out of business. Warnings were issued but still many people panicked and paid off the “IRS” before penalties escalated, when actually they should have hung up, as described here. Those thousands of Americans who fell for it – and forked over hundreds of thousands of dollars – really should not be ridiculed. Even though the caller ID display might indicate “IRS” or “Washington,” the scam emanated from a call center overseas. In certain cases, the scammers did their homework by gathering information from social media in order to make their demands for “back taxes” seem more credible, as recounted here.
