Abstract
This chapter focuses on both extremes of the age spectrum to explore and illustrate how, in relation to some crime types and some victimisations—especially those that are violent in nature, but also those that are financially motivated where older aged victims are targeted—the age-power dynamic can be an illuminating lens through which to conduct criminological and victimological inquiry. The chapter will address the conundrums associated with young people and children as victims and offenders. This is done using the Jamie Bulger murder as a case study. We investigate patterns and risks to offending and victimisation and theoretical explanations that have been postulated to account for the enduring age/crime curve to offending as well as the lack of attention given to the enduring age/victimisation curve to much victimisation. Our second case study of elder abuse in Australia highlights the hidden victimisation and power relations occurring at the other end of the age spectrum. We address age-related vulnerabilities to crime and victimisation and begin to debunk some of the enduring stereotypes surrounding the young as the victimological other and the elderly as the criminological other.
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Davies, P., Wyatt, T. (2021). Age. In: Crime and Power. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-57314-0_8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-57314-0_8
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