Do the stress and strains of the holiday season bring out the worst in people to contribute to criminal victimization or is it mere coincidence that a surge in crime - much of it violent - just happens to occur across the nation as 2008 ends and a new year begins? In College Park, Maryland an elderly man was robbed and severely beaten with a baseball bat on Christmas Eve in a church parking lot as he dropped off his wife. While exiting his vehicle, he was attacked. Though critically injured and bleeding profusely, the victim was able to provide police a description of his attacker(s). Fortunately, the man survived the incident.
In Phoenix, Arizona, two young boys, ages seven and ten and cousins to one another, were bludgeoned to death with a baseball bat by a man in their neighborhood who suffered from Schizophrenia. The defendant was charged with two counts of first degree murder and two counts of child abuse; he is being held on one million dollars cash bond.
In Los Angeles, a man dressed in a Santa suit, appeared at the home of his estranged wife where she was celebrating Christmas Eve along with other family members. The defendant, disturbed by their recent contentious divorce, opened fire on those in the home and subsequently turned the house into an inferno with the result being the discovery of nine extremely charred bodies that were those of his ex-wife and other family members.
On Christmas Day, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a man seated in a movie theater was perturbed by a family that was talking during the show and told them to be quiet. An argument ensued, and the defendant threw popcorn in the young boy's face and subsequently shot the man - the boy's father - in his left arm. The offender had a .380 caliber handgun in his possession and was charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, and weapons violations and was taken into custody.
On December 19, 2008, also in Philadelphia, two women, ages 22 and 24, were sexually assaulted in their apartment. A man confronted one of the women in the hallway and, displaying a knife, forced her into her apartment. He bound and gagged the woman, sexually assaulted her, and robbed her of her laptop, cell phone, IPod, and cash. When her roommate arrived home a short time later, she was also bound, gagged, and sexually assaulted.
In Miami, Florida, on Christmas Day, a 22-year-old woman reported her five-month-old child missing, and a police investigation began. The woman claimed the child was the son of her ex-boyfriend and that he was unaware he had fathered a child. It was later discovered that the woman fabricated the entire story in an attempt to gain her ex-boyfriend's attention and have him re-enter her life in some fashion. She has been charged with filing a false police report.
On Christmas Day, in Washington, D. C., a young girl - approximately age eight or nine - was stabbed and subsequently died after being found in a burning house. Her death has been declared a homicide by law enforcement authorities.
For many, the holidays are presumably a time of celebration, happiness, and reunions in which the meaning of the season is cherished by good times shared with family and friends. For others, however, the season may bring to the forefront a host of troublesome issues and circumstances in their own personal lives and serve as a stark reminder of difficulties they are facing and problems that confront them. Not everyone has a family to spend time with and those that do may not necessarily have a healthy relationship with their loved ones. There are those who live alone, have few friends, and who may feel isolated from the world around them in a multitude of ways.
For those who are economically disadvantaged, unemployed, homeless, physically ill, mentally challenged, or handicapped in a variety of other ways, the sense of desperation that can ensue, as a consequence, can lead to inappropriate reactions, dysfunctional behavior, and criminal acts. On the surface, the extremes of their conditions may not present themselves and, therefore, to outsiders who may pay them little or no attention, their behavioral state may escape the vital attention it needs. However, these individuals may be experiencing - in various stages - forms of depression, sadness, anxiety, anger, bitterness, alienation, and uncertainty. The coping process for these individuals is, oftentimes, marginal and can have potentially dangerous implications. They may be incapable of recognizing the fact that they need help and are unable, of their own volition, to draw on outside resources for support and assistance. Consequently, their inner turmoil and desolation can be augmented by feelings of helplessness leading to an even greater degree of hopelessness in their lives that can eventually lead to destructive consequences.
It is important for law enforcement officers, victim services professionals, social workers, and community resource providers to recognize that the holidays can present unique challenges for them in terms of the nature of crime, the frequency of occurrence, and the violent victimizations that can occur during a time frame that is promoted with a seasonally targeted and specific esprit de corps. Police officers need to be increasingly vigilant and prepared for a potential rise in criminal activity. Currently, though a recession embraced with societal economic woes is prevalent and stimulating the dismantling of continued funds for services in some localities, police officers should be familiar with the availability of any and all community resources in their particular jurisdictions. It is imperative they be acquainted with allied professionals who can assist them with preventative strategies as well as the aftermath of crime and victimization that impacts their communities.
Collaborative efforts, in terms of communication, planning and preparation, should be an ongoing process and one that is particularly reinforced during the holiday season when the tide of escalating, disturbing, and violent crime can mar its intended effects. At the same time, all professionals involved in the criminal justice system should take advantage of the emotional support and camaraderie they can provide one another to bolster their own resolve in maintaining a balanced perspective and healthy outlook that can be quickly tarnished by rapidly changing and traumatic events. As a new year begins, the rise and fall of crime will continue but criminal justice professionals will be even more keenly attuned to recognize how they can engage in creative efforts to make their crime fighting strategies stronger and their communities safer.
Karen L. Bune | Victim Specialist Contributor
Karen L. Bune is a Victim Specialist in the domestic violence unit of the State's Attorney's Office for Prince George's County, Md. She serves as an Adjunct Professor in the Dept. of Criminal Justice at George Mason University and Marymount University in Virginia where she teaches victimology. Ms. Bune is a nationally recognized consultant on victim issues. She is Board Certified in Traumatic Stress and Domestic Violence, and she is a Fellow of the Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress. She appears in the 2007 edition of Marquis "Who's Who in the World."
