Reference no: EM132100826

Article : David Holthouse confronts killer inside him on This American Life: Read shocking story here By MICHAEL ROBERTS.

Read this powerful retelling of child rape from the victim's perspective. The article is entitled Stalking the Bogeymen, Coming to Grips with the Killer Inside Me. It is the self report of David Holthouse who was victimized as a child and he, as an adult, planned to confront and kill his "bogeyman".

I would like you to begin using theory to understand criminal behavior. Read chapters 1-2 and incorporate the material into your response. Your responses (for all discussion forums) should demonstrate that you have read and understand the chapter assigned. In other words, use the chapter material in your discussion responses.

Select ONE of the sets of questions to respond to and respond to 2 of your peers (Your response/comments should be an evaluation of their perspective, pose questions for them to consider, and/or elaborate on their ideas in a meaningful way).

Please number your response so I know which set of questions you're addressing. Your original post (your answer to the questions below) should be at least 10 sentences in length for each set of questions. You should use the chapter material in your response to the questions. This is not an opinion post, but an analysis and application response.

Here are the questions:

1. EXAMINING CRIMINALS & VICTIMIZATION Under contemporary criminology in Chapter 1, what two theories do you think would be most helpful in understanding the crimes of the author's bogeyman? Are there elements that we still need to know to formulate a better understanding of the bogeyman's behavior?

Read Chapter 2. How does the chart above reveal failures in the justice system? How do these failures impact report rates? Discuss reasons why victims of sexual violence do not report crime. What reasons did the author give for not telling anyone about his victimization? If someone came to you with a similar experience like the author's, would advise him or her to report their childhood victimization as an adult?

2. EXAMINING A VICTIM TURNED PREDATOR Under contemporary criminology in Chapter 1, what two theories do you think would be most helpful in understanding the author's crime planning of killing his rapist? If you were to sit down and interview David Holthouse, what would you want to know as a criminologist in training? Explain the importance of criminology in understanding Holthouse's plan. The chart above refers to victimization rates and Chapter 2.

How can social scientists accurately measure the number of sexually abused victims there are today? Do you think that as a victim, David Holthouse should have a right to justice? What form of justice do you think is appropriate in his case? Do you think offenders who were victims themselves should be treated differently in sentencing? Why, why not?

3. CLASSIC VIEW OF CRIME Compare and contrast two of the three main sociological theories on victims and seeking justice. These are discussed on page 17. How would each theory view Holthouse's victimization?

What form of justice would each theory seek? Which do you agree with and why? In regards to the chart above, which of the 3 theories best explains the discrepancy in numbers (the number of victims versus number of convictions)? Who are most likely to be victims of sexual abuse as far as race, sex, social class? Who are most likely to be offenders of sexual abuse as far as race, sex, social class?