Home › Forums › Open Discussion › Don't Blame The Victim?
- This topic is empty.
-
AuthorPosts
-
January 9, 2015 at 9:53 pm #816486
2 Much WhineParticipantI understand why we shouldn’t blame the victim in many circumstances involving crime. I really do. I would love to be able to trust the world and leave my car running with my baby in the backseat while I run into 7-11 BUT I’d NEVER DO IT.
–
Today my wife went to the dog park at Greenlake. Yes, the dogs were on leashes so don’t even go there. When she got out of the car she glanced in the car next to her and saw a wallet on the front seat. It was partly open and money was visible. When she called me later and described the situation to me I immediately figured that nobody would be that dumb and it was probably a bait car. Apparently I was wrong. As she was there a young couple returned to the car. My wife pointed out to them that it’s probably not the best idea to leave a wallet on the front seat of the car while they are not around. They acknowledged that they knew it was there, acted as though it had never dawned on them that there might be a risk with leaving a wallet on the front seat of a car while walking around Greenlake and even projected an attitude that said “mind your own business.”
–
Fortunately there is no victim in this instance. BUT, if someone had stolen their wallet wouldn’t it be reasonable to blame them just a little? Isn’t there some level of personal responsibility that should be expected? I go so far as to unplug and hide any power cords and make sure my windshield doesn’t have any marks where the GPS suction cup sticks to it just so thieves won’t think there is a GPS stashed under the seat (which there isn’t because I take it with me).
–
I’m sure I screwed the story up a little but you get the point – when people put themselves and their property at risk aren’t they a little bit responsible when something bad happens or is it always only the fault of someone else (thieves, bus stops, SPD, etc.)?
January 9, 2015 at 10:09 pm #820740
leamkParticipantYes, absolutely there is personal responsibility in these situations. I never leave anything half-way valuable in plain sight in my car or anywhere else where they could be stolen. I always remind my daughter to not leave her electronics behind when we leave the car as well, and have explained to her exactly why. The couple who left visible money on their car seat seem to be a little, um, “not smart”.
January 9, 2015 at 10:16 pm #820741
LindseyParticipant“Yes, the dogs were on leashes so don’t even go there.”
Spoken like a true, long-time forum member. :)
While I somewhat agree with the premise here, there’s no consensus on where exactly that line should be drawn. Even if you didn’t do everything in your power to prevent the malice, somebody else still committed the crime. Everyone has different standards in their heads for how to prevent crime, and some of that victim-blaming is a psychological trick to separate oneself from the pool of possible victims. IE, I did X, Y, Z to prevent this crime, so I will never be a victim. Sadly, it doesn’t work that way. My brother’s car window was smashed without anything in the car and the doors were actually unlocked. So, is he “smart”? It doesn’t matter. He still got his car broken into. I applaud the Blog for its standards on this issue.
January 9, 2015 at 10:29 pm #820742
leamkParticipant“My brother’s car window was smashed without anything in the car and the doors were actually unlocked. So, is he “smart”?”
I think your brother’s situation falls under “s#$% happens, people suck, etc.”. Leaving cash and valuables in plain sight is an invitation/temptation to people who are looking for cash/valuables and it’s stupid no matter how you spin it.
January 9, 2015 at 10:31 pm #820743
datamuseParticipantI think the problems start with this: “when people put themselves and their property at risk”. Because, you can’t know for certain whether the perceived risk had anything to do with it. On the front page right now there’s a story about another car prowl in Lincoln Park where the victims didn’t leave anything in sight (or out of sight for that matter). My conclusion could reasonably be that it’s risky to park one’s car at Lincoln Park and no one should ever do it.
I spend a lot of time assessing risk and personal safety. While it’s common sense not to leave a wallet in plain sight in a car, I find that a lot of other things that people claim are common sense really don’t make much sense at all when you look at what actually tends to happen in those situations. “Well, that wouldn’t have happened if you’d [x, y, z]” is something no one can know, and it’s something I don’t find it particularly useful to say to people who’ve experienced a crime. Trust me, they’re already thinking it themselves, why add to their distress?
January 9, 2015 at 11:49 pm #820744
2 Much WhineParticipantLindsey, I agree with you. I totally understand the WSB stance on this issue and support it 100%. Every now and then I need to fight the urge to post some smart-alec remark blaming the victim and for the most part I succeed. I understand that despite the precautions we take sometimes stuff happens. I also draw the line at a certain point. I’d NEVER feel the need to carry a gun and if that makes me a stupid victim, so be it. Others might look at me like I’d left a wallet on the seat of my car but that’s a risk I’d be willing to take.
January 10, 2015 at 12:38 am #820745
datamuseParticipantHeh, I think Lindsey and I said basically the same thing…down to the x, y, and z!
I was just thinking that a former roommate of mine got the top slashed on her convertible, when if the thieves had just tried the door they’d have found it unlocked…she left it unlocked (with nothing in car of course) so the roof wouldn’t get slashed. Maybe the perp didn’t like Miatas, or something.
January 10, 2015 at 5:21 am #820746
SueParticipantThe reality is, there wouldn’t be so many car prowls at Lincoln Park if it wasn’t generally lucrative for the thieves. It’s risky doing it such a public place, but they wouldn’t do it if there wasn’t a payoff much of the time. There are certain habits of a lot of people who go walking in the park – namely, leaving purses/wallets in the car (hidden or not). The thieves have a better chance of scoring in that situation than in other areas. I won’t go there anymore because even though *I* don’t leave anything in the car, they don’t know that, and I feel riskier there than anywhere else in West Seattle in terms of car prowling.
I agree that we shouldn’t blame the victims and that just because you leave something in your car doesn’t give someone the right to take it. But reality, folks … I see so many posts about how somebody left thousands of dollars of stuff in their trunk, in their back seat, etc.
January 10, 2015 at 5:56 am #820747
VBDParticipantI have a problem with the whole concept of blaming the victim. Criminals are opportunists. They look for a situation they can exploit. It’s not unlike a wild animal.
If you’ve ever been camping in bear country, you know better than to store your food in your tent. Doing so invites the possibility of being attacked. Unfortunately, some people don’t get the message and carelessly bring food into their tent. Do we say “they were asking for it”? Not if they truly didn’t know. We say it was an unfortunate attack.
But if someone willfully ignores the warning about sleeping with food in bear country, they should understand that there is a risk associated with their own behavior. Blame isn’t the issue. It’s just a failure to to take simple precautions.
I see these criminals as animals. Particularly the meth heads who are too far gone to worry about anyone else. Why would you give them an opportunity to steal your stuff?
Whether or not you are a “victim” is up to you. There is no need to label yourself. But there is a need to be aware of your environment.
January 10, 2015 at 4:26 pm #820748
JoBParticipantperhaps the young couple thought their insurance payout would be more lucrative than the money in their wallet and weren’t willing to say so?
perhaps they grew up where doors aren’t locked and it is safe to leave one’s belongings in plain sight?
perhaps they were just too embarrassed by their carelessness to respond appropriately?
i could go on.. but the point is who knows?
where does the line of ignorance of danger cross the line of flouting danger? Is it the same line for any of us on any given day?
sometimes i look around me and wonder how we survive as a race… and then something comes along to remind me that there are days when we far exceed muddling through…
January 10, 2015 at 6:15 pm #820749
waynsterParticipantWe read all the time about how thefts happen when one leaves belongings in cars. When your belongings are left out in the open in your car doesn’t matter where from parks to park an rides to the mountain hiking trails and back to the malls your car is a target. Sad thing is they may want the whole car too…..
on the dog park side …..lmao
January 12, 2015 at 7:17 am #820750
HMC RichParticipantI used to run around Green Lake. I put my wallet under the floor mat before a jog. Came back and the window was broken out and the wallet was gone. I never left a wallet or anything of value in my car on purpose after that. I have however forgotten some items in the car and fortunately except for one other time, did not get something taken.
January 16, 2015 at 7:36 am #820751
J242Participant@ 2 Much Whine: “‘m sure I screwed the story up a little but you get the point – when people put themselves and their property at risk aren’t they a little bit responsible when something bad happens or is it always only the fault of someone else (thieves, bus stops, SPD, etc.)?”
In a perfect world we wouldn’t have people prowling cars for an easy score but sadly, we do not live in a “perfect world” so I can only say that anyone dumb enough to leave visible cash in the open in their vehicle is kinda asking for it. It’s a known risk and if they are so daft as to ignore the reality of the situation that’s on them and they will, unfortunately, get the harsh awakening that they need to change their behavior. It sucks, but it is what it is. You can’t fix stupid…
January 16, 2015 at 3:38 pm #820752
etohick616Memberi like the words “personal responsibility”. sometimes poop happens that is out of my control, however, most times i do have a part in what happens. sometimes small-sometimes large but i do believe in personal responsibility rather than finger pointing and blame.
January 16, 2015 at 4:28 pm #820753
seaopgalParticipantIt’s hard to resist that little smug kick of schadenfreude, though. My mother excelled in it, and I am a victim of genetics. (Blame!)
Nothing wrong with a good SMH. I think we do it partly to “ward off” harm … we share these stories, sometimes shaking our heads, sometimes saying how we would do things differently, as a sort of prayer that it won’t happen to us. And also as a moral teaching tool, constantly reinforcing to ourselves and each other, this is how to behave, like Goofus and Gallant … do this, not that.
-
AuthorPosts
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.