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So, not too long ago, in a decent neighborhood (or so we say) a lady in her 60s was targeted for murder by my neighborhood. the cause and motive was unknown (to their knowledge) sure maybe something in the back end we all wont know
But say Me, you, or anyone on here...how is it we become victims if we are not involved in crime, drugs, messing with wrong people?
what causes murders to target certain individuals? What about home invasions that go wrong? What targets those homes? how do we avoid it
When my husband was a small child in Santa Monica, the night stalker (Richard Ramirez) was on the loose. My mother-in-law told him that he was targeting yellow houses near the freeway — such as the one they lived in.
There’s a science called victimology that studies this. It’s fascinating.
I’ll find the name of the book about it that I have. It’s like Stalkers of the Soul or something.
Okay, the book I’m talking about doesn’t specifically deal with crime victims, but it does address it.
I was interested in serial victims. Why is a seemingly smart , average , well- adjusted person just trying to make it through the day targeted a series of times in different situations.
The book is Stalking the Soul by Marie-France Hirigoyen. She helped come up with some anti-workplace mobbing strategies in France.
Other authors/speakers to check out are Chris Ryan and David Nance. I believe they have stuff on YouTube.
Dangerous Personalities by Joe Navarro is another.
I can’t find the other one that I’m thinking of.
I’ve seen books etc that discuss “conspiracy theory”-type mobbing; these books aren’t about those questionable occurrences. These deal with how the average person can protect him/herself.
Oh- The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker.
Also-Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss.
I’ve found many sites and YouTube’s about this subject. Sam Harris the neuroscientist/philosopher has some interviews with DeBecker and Voss on his podcasts. Those are available on YouTube.
Even if you don’t agree with Harris’ atheism you’ll enjoy some of the discussions he has about psychopaths, sociopaths with various guests.
Might be worth looking for TED talks as well.
Some of this violence surely seems random, but you do wonder if you set it off somehow.
A lot of reasons. You forget to smile at some low-life who takes offense at it then follows you home from the supermarket to see where you live. Or you're stupid enough to buy a new large screen TV then leave the empty box on the curb awaiting trash pickup and advertising to every passerby that you own nice stuff. Or you're careless enough to leave your doors and windows unlocked. Or you're a single woman. Or unlucky enough to live in a neighborhood that's being encroached upon by gangs and drug dealers.
A lot of reasons. You forget to smile at some low-life who takes offense at it then follows you home from the supermarket to see where you live. Or you're stupid enough to buy a new large screen TV then leave the empty box on the curb awaiting trash pickup and advertising to every passerby that you own nice stuff. Or you're careless enough to leave your doors and windows unlocked. Or you're a single woman. Or unlucky enough to live in a neighborhood that's being encroached upon by gangs and drug dealers.
It's really surprising though how many criminals roll the dice and break into homes not knowing if someone like me has a .357 in the night stand and a 9mm in the kitchen.
Do the crime... do the time... if you're lucky.
I was watching a "Lock Up" episode last week and they were profiling an 18 year old kid in Indiana who was just starting a 70 year sentence for home invasion and robbery. He got off easy IMO.
So, not too long ago, in a decent neighborhood (or so we say) a lady in her 60s was targeted for murder by my neighborhood. the cause and motive was unknown (to their knowledge) sure maybe something in the back end we all wont know
But say Me, you, or anyone on here...how is it we become victims if we are not involved in crime, drugs, messing with wrong people?
what causes murders to target certain individuals? What about home invasions that go wrong? What targets those homes? how do we avoid it
Perhaps that lady in her 60s was the mother of someone that someone else had a vendetta against.
Also, people in their 60s can most certainly be involved in drugs. I know of a meth user who is about 60 years old now.
A lot of reasons. You forget to smile at some low-life who takes offense at it then follows you home from the supermarket to see where you live. Or you're stupid enough to buy a new large screen TV then leave the empty box on the curb awaiting trash pickup and advertising to every passerby that you own nice stuff. Or you're careless enough to leave your doors and windows unlocked. Or you're a single woman. Or unlucky enough to live in a neighborhood that's being encroached upon by gangs and drug dealers.
I think young, single women are very vulnerable to being targeted for things like harassment, rape, and home invasion. A police officer told me criminals are far more likely to break into an apartment or home if they think only a woman is at home. They said it's a good idea to put a pair of men's work boots outside the doorway so criminals will think a man lives there.
Regarding "forgetting to smile" I was targeted in my early 20s by a psychotic male who got upset that he felt I wasn't returning his friendly overtures and he started making threats. A mentally unstable person can get ticked off more easily than normal people can.
It’s important to remember that victimology does not mean blaming the victim. It’s an investigative tool, getting to know the person (alive or dead) and understanding why the criminal chose them. It doesn’t mean they did anything wrong. It could mean they were in the wrong place at the wrong time, or had some characteristic the attacker likes, such as blonde hair.
In my case, I am disabled, and was originally targeted for identity theft by someone I hired as a care assistant. However, she misjudged me as I noticed a credit card missing the first weekend. I didn’t necessarily think she stole it, but her work ethic was bad so I gently let her go. Even though I was never rude to her, she didn’t get what she wanted, so she sent her boyfriend to break into my house and attack me. There’s a lot more to the story, but my victimology is that I was perceived as vulnerable and that’s why I was a target.
Unfortunately, I will always need assistance and as such I am continually at risk. However, what I went through was rare. Usually these kinds of criminals just steal things and don’t resort to violence. I have always been careful about who I hired, but to be honest, I’ve gotten more classist since then. I just don’t hire people who seem poor and uneducated. I look for students, artists, married moms looking for part-time work and others who don’t come from a culture where theft and violence are acceptable. I have always background checked people, but now I also check their husbands/boyfriends as soon as I learn their names. If the guy in their life is sketchy, I very carefully let them go without them ever knowing I found out, change all combinations and up security for a while. I also have 4 enormous dogs who look and sound very scary when people come to the door.
Predators will be predators, and you can do everything “right” and still be a victim. I have been interested in true crime and watched shows like Law and Order since long before crime happened to me. It didn’t protect me, but it did teach me how to analyze crime scenes and the behavior of the attacker. I was able to remember that he didn't respond when I spoke to him and had an odd accent. As I was talking to the police and the assistant who was attacked along with me, she and I realized he was deaf. The other assistant whom I had fired told me she had a deaf boyfriend. BOOM I knew who was responsible, and told the police. They were both eventually arrested and are serving long prison sentences.
In my case, I am disabled, and was originally targeted for identity theft by someone I hired as a care assistant. However, she misjudged me as I noticed a credit card missing the first weekend. I didn’t necessarily think she stole it, but her work ethic was bad so I gently let her go. Even though I was never rude to her, she didn’t get what she wanted, so she sent her boyfriend to break into my house and attack me. There’s a lot more to the story, but my victimology is that I was perceived as vulnerable and that’s why I was a target..
I'm so sorry that happened to you. I hired a caregiver (through an agency called comfor care) for a couple of weeks one time to help me with my kids. Only problem I had with her was, she was very lazy. I guess I'm lucky I didn't get robbed or something.
It’s important to remember that victimology does not mean blaming the victim. It’s an investigative tool, getting to know the person (alive or dead) and understanding why the criminal chose them. It doesn’t mean they did anything wrong. It could mean they were in the wrong place at the wrong time, or had some characteristic the attacker likes, such as blonde hair.
In my case, I am disabled, and was originally targeted for identity theft by someone I hired as a care assistant. However, she misjudged me as I noticed a credit card missing the first weekend. I didn’t necessarily think she stole it, but her work ethic was bad so I gently let her go. Even though I was never rude to her, she didn’t get what she wanted, so she sent her boyfriend to break into my house and attack me. There’s a lot more to the story, but my victimology is that I was perceived as vulnerable and that’s why I was a target.
Unfortunately, I will always need assistance and as such I am continually at risk. However, what I went through was rare. Usually these kinds of criminals just steal things and don’t resort to violence. I have always been careful about who I hired, but to be honest, I’ve gotten more classist since then. I just don’t hire people who seem poor and uneducated. I look for students, artists, married moms looking for part-time work and others who don’t come from a culture where theft and violence are acceptable. I have always background checked people, but now I also check their husbands/boyfriends as soon as I learn their names. If the guy in their life is sketchy, I very carefully let them go without them ever knowing I found out, change all combinations and up security for a while. I also have 4 enormous dogs who look and sound very scary when people come to the door.
Predators will be predators, and you can do everything “right” and still be a victim. I have been interested in true crime and watched shows like Law and Order since long before crime happened to me. It didn’t protect me, but it did teach me how to analyze crime scenes and the behavior of the attacker. I was able to remember that he didn't respond when I spoke to him and had an odd accent. As I was talking to the police and the assistant who was attacked along with me, she and I realized he was deaf. The other assistant whom I had fired told me she had a deaf boyfriend. BOOM I knew who was responsible, and told the police. They were both eventually arrested and are serving long prison sentences.
wow sorry that happened. It is a shame we live in a world like this. I do notice Women tend to be a target. Still, any way to reduce to possibly being a victim is always a plus.
This case I usually try to stay to myself. i dont have many friends nor do I socialize with many people. Dont really leave things of value in site...not that I have any. Not sure what they would take ha ha.
Some reason though, ive always been on edge with these scenarios. A serial stalker/killer or someone looking for thrills. My house is cluttered with security as well...in order to get to the top of my house, there is a loud alarm that gets set off. Cameras, guns etc.
However been a target of robbery...just my cars. Only thing this makes me nervous about is, what if they get bold enough to try and enter a house while I am sleeping.
The whole car thing is just be being reckless and leaving it unlocked. As to targeting inside a home, not sure what I can do to prevent it
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