Reflection paper APA Style (Read Instructions carefully) Study Guide attached

Let’s begin with discussing victims with disabilities. Just like other victims, those with disabilities have the same rights; however, they are one of the largest categories of victims often neglected by our system. Their victimization carries special problems and issues that the criminal justice system must address. Can you think of any special problems or issues? Can you think of ways in which the criminal justice system may victimize them a second time? Victim service professionals and criminal justice practitioners must be aware of these potential problems in order to assist. What causes victims with disabilities to be neglected? Typically they are not given the same access, legitimacy, and respect as other victims (Wallace & Roberson, 2015). What about when the disabilities are developmental or result from a severe learning disability? The justice system is often difficult to understand or navigate for most people. Imagine if you had a learning or cognitive disability. How much harder would the system be then? What about being victimized? If you suffered from a disability that affected your cognition, you might not even understand you were victimized, and you may not report it. Research shows that the level of violence against adults and children with a developmental or other severe disability is often five times higher than the general public (Wallace & Roberson, 2015). Those same studies show the report rate is lower as are levels of prosecution and conviction. These statistics alone should stress the importance of a victim services professional or criminal justice practitioner to assist these people within the system. The types of issues you may face can vary, but some of the typical obstacles are explained in your textbook reading. One could be in responding to those who are victims of crime. Various disabilities may require different types of responses; for example, the person could struggle with hearing. This might change the way you interact with the victim. Your textbook points out some “rules” for working with those who are disabled and are victimized (Wallace & Roberson, 2015, p. 208). Look through these guidelines. What do you think? Is there anything that should be added to the list, anything that should be taken away from the list?Around 43 million Americans suffer from a mental or physical disability, sometimes both (Wallace & Roberson, 2015). Therefore, you will likely encounter people with disabilities in the field. Many of them need you to help them work with local government agencies, and you should be prepared to provide a different level of service. Being familiar with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) laws and regulations is pertinent. What kinds of laws involve those with disabilities? A search on the Internet will overwhelm you but will also educate you on the potential laws you may encounter. Another special victim area is that of prisoners as victims. Inmates often suffer victimization, but many people ignore this issue. Why is it easy for society to forget this potential category of victimization? Is it that many people view them as “out of sight, out of mind,” or is it because some people think they do not matter, as if they are second class citizens? Inmates are often victims of rape, violence, and psychological intimidation, among other crimes. With our incarcerated population being near two million, there are likely thousands of rapes and assaults not reported. Many of these victims do not report. Why? Think of the possible repercussions of reporting that many victims face. Is that different for inmates? What are your thoughts on prisoner victimization? What can the criminal justice system do to help these individuals? What can you, as a practitioner, do if you work with incarcerated victims? The last category we will discuss in this unit is the abuse of students. The violence that occurs in schools is becoming highly publicized in the media. It is emotional and controversial since it involves children. It can be bullying, fighting, gang activity, and sexual misconduct. Has

it changed, and is there more violence, or is the media just reporting on it more? Think back to your school experience. Did you witness or know about the same types of crimes that occur today? What has changed? There are many possible theories that have been proposed to explain this change. Bullying, fighting, gangs, and sexual assaults could perhaps be explained by the following theories: social learning theory, the exchange theory, and violence in the media. Do you think any of these could be a potential explanation? Are there other areas that are possibly left out? Keep in mind that the disabled, prisoners, and students are a few of many special populations you may encounter within the justice system. Each has its own special issues, concerns, and possible causes of victimization. Reflect on how you may work with each one as well as what may make it more difficult for you to perform your job. Reference Wallace, H., & Roberson, C. (2015). Victimology: Legal, psychological, and social perspectives (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.