NCJ Number
48831
Date Published
1976
Length
0 pages
Annotation
RECORDED AT A SEMINAR ON THE EXISTING STATE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE RESEARCH AND THE PROSPECTS FOR FUTURE STUDY, THIS CASSETTE PRESENTS ADDRESSES ON ORGANIZED CRIME, RAPE, VICTIMLESS CRIME, AND FAMILY VIOLENCE.
Abstract
THE DIRECTOR OF INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH AT THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT ALBANY DISCUSSES THE MAFIA MYSTIQUE AND ARGUES FOR A REORIENTATION OF ORGANIZED CRIME THEORIES, SUGGESTING THAT RESEARCHERS MUST TURN AWAY FROM AN ETHNIC VIEW OF RACKETEERS AND INSTEAD EXAMINE ORGANIZED CRIME AS A PHENOMENON OF A MARKET SYSTEM DYNAMIC. A PROFESSOR OF SOCIOLOGY AT NEW YORK UNIVERSITY FOCUSES ON THE CONCEPT OF VICTIMLESS CRIME AND THE RESULTS OF SUCH DEVIANT BEHAVIOR AS PROSTITUTION, DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE, AND GAMBLING. HE ARGUES THAT LAWS AGAINST SELECTED BEHAVIOR SHOULD ADDRESS THE OUTCOMES OF SUCH DEVIANCE, NOT THE ASSORTED MORAL VIEWS WHICH PREVAIL IN A COMMUNITY. PROSTITUTION, FOR EXAMPLE, SHOULD NOT BE CONTROLLED BECAUSE IT REPRESENTS 'SINFUL' CONDUCT, BUT BECAUSE IT OFTEN LEADS TO REAL VICTIMIZATION, EITHER OF THE CUSTOMER BY THE PROSTITUTE, THE PROSTITUTE BY THE CUSTOMER, OR EITHER OR BOTH BY PIMPS AND OTHERS. A PROFESSOR OF SOCIOLOGY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE SUMMARIZES RESEARCH ON VIOLENCE IN THE FAMILY AND ARGUES THAT PREVALENT INTRAFAMILY ABUSE CANNOT BE VIEWED AS THE PRODUCT OF PSYCHOLOGICAL ILLNESS, BUT RATHER IS A MORE AND MORE TYPICAL MANIFESTATION OF THE MODERN SOCIAL MILIEU, AND THAT VIOLENCE IS INCREASINGLY AS TYPICAL OF A FAMILY RELATIONSHIP AS IS LOVE. A SOCIOLOGY PROFESSOR AND A MEMBER OF THE NURSING FACULTY AT BOSTON COLLEGE DISCUSS THEIR EXPERIENCE WITH RAPE AND RAPE VICTIMS, BOTH FROM PRACTICAL AND ACADEMIC VIEWPOINTS. A HISTORIAL OVERVIEW OF THE TREATMENT OF RAPE VICTIMS IS PRESENTED, ALONG WITH COMMENTS ON THE STATE OF EXISTING VICTIM-CENTERED RESEARCH AND SERVICES. (KBL)