Assignment 3: Ideal Victims

Assignment 3 Draft 3

On the first floor of Bugis Library,  volunteers of Migrant Writers of Singapore (MWS) were preparing for the Migrant Storytelling Festival. The vinyl flooring was squeaky clean, with rows of neatly arranged chairs. 

‘Could someone prop the books up?,’ Mary, a 32-year-old Filipino lady, was in a blue polo T-shirt and tight jeans -- a stark contrast with the baggy T-shirt and shorts domestic helpers sport during weekdays. As the chairwoman of MWS leading 20 volunteers, her heels clicked in time when she paced around ensuring everything was in order.

“Where are the rest of the books for the goodie bags?” Only 20 minutes till the start of the event, yet the volunteers who were to bring the books were nowhere to be found. 

Still, the event continued seamlessly. Tears were shed as audience members resonated with heartfelt stories of migration. A rousing applause sounded, concluding the event. 

As everyone herded out of the room, there were chairs in disarray and biscuit crumbs on the floor from the tea break. Some tried to tidy up, while others gathered to take selfies, simply turning a blind eye.

‘I didn’t expect them to be so vocal and have good leadership qualities!” Susan, a student volunteer, remarked at an informal lunch some days later. 

“I shouldn’t be saying this…,” Susan’s eyes suddenly averted my gaze as she continued, “but if I were a minority or underprivileged, I would try to come earlier for sessions. Sometimes they don’t clean up after themselves, and they even like to gather for a drink.” 

She paused, then said quietly, “Makes me think if they really need help.”

Many volunteers enter with preconceived notions of how a disadvantaged individual should look like or behave. Like Susan, some assume that they should be a ‘model victim’ -- hardworking, docile, unassuming -- faultless, except for the challenges afforded to them by their demographic. 

Recently, American actress Amber Heard faced charges of defamation because she wrote about her husband, actor Johnny Depp, perpetuating domestic violence. Due to her past lies and behaviour (e.g., defecating on a shared bed with her husband), Amber was not the faultless ‘model victim’ and was found guilty—despite evidence proving 12 counts of violence on Depp’s part (Docktermann, 2022).

As Heard’s case proves, unrealistic expectations of victims can determine whether their pleas for help are heard. This brings us to the question, what factors influence our judgment of whether an individual is deserving of help? 

The Ideal Victim, and whose story gets heard

In a book chapter titled, “The Ideal Victim”, Norwegian criminologist Nile Christie observes that society turns to unrealistic and subjective notions like the ‘ideal victim’ and ‘ideal offender’, distracting us from blame and guilt of the crime itself (p. 29). Furthermore, whose story is deemed as credible is dependent on social status and societal values.

Christie (1986) defines ideal victims as those most readily “given the complete and legitimate status of being a victim” when crime occurs, evoking the trope of “the little old lady” (p. 18). The victim has to be vulnerable, like the sick or old. Secondly, the victim is faultless -- she is noble, cares for others, and was present at a socially appropriate place and time when attacked, e.g., in a street during daytime (p.19). Thirdly, the victim is considered “more ideal” if attacked by an ideal offender, who usually boasts a huge stature and is an evil stranger. The ideal offender is also more likely to be an individual than a disembodied entity, like the faults of a social system (p. 24-25). Finally, the victim is able to report the crime, yet not be vocal enough to “become a threat to other important interests” (p. 20). 

Christie (1986) observed three factors affecting our perceptions of who deserves help: The ‘ideal victim’ trope, societal values, and social status. His seminal article, though dated, is still highly cited in criminology and victimology papers. In Susan’s case, her judgment was mitigated by societal values. Similarly, we tend to view others as one-dimensional, e.g., the migrant worker cannot exhibit traits of the average Joe, like lateness or imbibing alcohol, and can only behave like a typical worker, such as being subservient. Secondly, migrant workers do not fit the “ideal victim” trope, as the “perpetrator” in their case is the entire social system, not a specific entity.  As for social status affecting whose story gets heard, we may simply turn to the #MeToo movement to see how powerful people like American film producer Harvey Weinstein paid women to stay silent about sexual assault (Gross, 2019) or hired lawyers to subject victims to aggressive cross-examination (Hill, 2021). 

While Christie (1986) frowns upon the ‘ideal victim’ trope, perhaps it is an inherent thought pattern in humans. Consider the prototype theory in Linguistics. When we think of jewelry, we might imagine a necklace first, instead of a brooch. Similarly, the “ideal victim” is a mental prototype and a yardstick. Such mental models aid decision making, and are often influenced by society.

Social Narratives Sterotypes as cognitive frameworks 

In a book titled, “This Is What Inequality Looks Like”, Singaporean sociologist Teo Yeo Yenn looks at victims of circumstance, specifically discussing the social narrative surrounding class and poverty, and its inordinate effect on whether lower-income families feel they deserve help and can indeed receive help. Teo (2018) bases her claims on interviews with lower-income families living in rental flats subsidised by the government. 

Singapore champions a social narrative that subsidies for the poor are “beyond public responsibility” (p. 279), “it’s everyone for themselves” (p. 273) and that meritocracy offers an equal chance at social mobility through hard work. Consequently, Teo (2018) found that social workers, who are faced with limited resources, inevitably judge if applicants have the correct mindset of being independent, and are also less likely to advocate for them if found otherwise. Her interviewees thus hesitate when applying for financial support because the process is tedious and “creates indignity” as the poor are deemed abnormal (p. 263-264). 

From Teo (2018), we learn that the social narrative trickles down to individuals like social workers, and if the individual does not fit the government’s mental model of the ‘ideal poor-but-hardworking individual’, they cannot receive help. Secondly, social workers, when faced with limited time and resources, are likely to turn to such mental models to make decisions. In medicine, a rare symptom may elude several specialists, who are primed to look for prototypical symptoms within a specialised field. Recently, 17 doctors failed to diagnose a 4-year-old boy accurately with tethered cord syndrome, but ChatGPT managed to do so (ET Online, 2023). Prototypes fail to account for how complex humans are, yet, we rely on them so we can survive in this fast-paced world.

Comparing both sources, Christie (1986) focuses on victims of crime and the ‘ideal victim’ trope, while Teo (2018) examines victims of circumstance, social narratives and limited resources surrounding help. Both are in fact highlighting how society influences the individual to conceive who is worthy of help.

Additionally, we may combine Teo’s (2018) about limited resources and Christie’s (1986) ideas of the ‘ideal victim’. Humans try to rationalise their biases. In 2019, a university student pleaded guilty to one charge of molestation, but was given a lenient sentence of 21 months of probation as he excelled academically and the District Judge felt that proved “his potential to excel in life” (Sun, 2019). When one thinks of the ‘ideal offender’ trope, they are unlikely to think of a ‘university student’. In fact, the label ‘student’ evokes the idea that they are still ‘learning’, and open to reformative training. Consequently, leniency is granted, augmented by a utilitarian argument. 

 

So who deserves our help? 

So, what factors influence our judgment of whether an individual is deserving of help? Christie (1986) posits that we consider the “ideal victim” trope and the social status of the victim (and offender). Teo (2018) believes that authority and social narratives affect our decision, and we rely more on stereotypes if we perceive that resources are limited. Furthermore, in a world society which prides itself on rational thinking since the Age of Enlightenment, we hide our biases behind ‘logical’ arguments.

I once did a thought experiment with my class via a series of questions. “If there are a group of ladies who are very passionate about the arts, how many of you would volunteer for them?” Two to three hands shot up. “What if I told you they were foreign domestic helpers?” Almost the entire class raised their hands. “And they are late to their own events?” Some brows furrowed, and a few students lowered their hands and gaze. “And that they drink alcohol after their events?” Everyone who still had their hands raised put them down.

In that split second, a glimmer of understanding shone in some students’ eyes, as their eyes darted around the room to observe others’ responses. Murmurings ensued: “You too?” and “Wait, does that mean I’m biased…?” were heard and the discussion got louder.

It is normal to think in prototypes and we can all learn to be aware of our own biases. This awareness isn’t confined to self-reflection; it can be open discussion with people we trust so that we can refine our personal beliefs. As Shakespeare wrote, “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players”. The disadvantaged individual surely does not wear only that status as a badge of honour around the clock; they are susceptible to ordinary human failings. 

When we are aware of our own biases, we notice our fallibility and are less likely to intellectualise our wayward emotions and back them up with utilitarian arguments. We are more likely to question our own predilections. 

In turn, society will be a kinder, less polarised place to live in -- a place where people feel comfortable to ask for help. 

1612 words 

Minus 32 words from in-text citation and 12 from headers

1568 words, and unfortunately over the word limit (Target: 1485 words)

References: 

Christie, N. (1986). The Ideal Victim. In E.A. Fattah, From Crime Policy to Victim Policy: Reorienting the Justice System (pp. 17-30). The Macmillan Press Ltd. 

Dockterman, E. (2022, June 2). The Depp-Heard Trial Perpetuates the Myth of the Perfect Victim. TIME. https://time.com/6183505/amber-heard-perfect-victim-myth-johnny-depp/  

ET Online. (2023, September 13). ChatGPT diagnoses 4 yr olds chronic pain after 17 doctors fail to do so. Economic Times. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/new-updates/chatgpt-diagnoses-4-yr-olds-chronic-pain-after-17-doctors-fail-to-do-so/articleshow/103622026.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst 

Gross, T. (2019, September 10). 'She Said' Reveals The People And Practices That Protected Weinstein. National Public Radio. https://www.npr.org/2019/09/10/759384251/she-said-reveals-the-people-and-practices-that-protected-weinstein#:~:text=There%20were%20many%20obstacles%20the,who%20tried%20to%20prevent%20any 

Hill, A. (2020, February 25). Weinstein case ‘could deter UK victims from reporting abuse’. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/25/weinstein-case-could-deter-uk-victims-from-reporting-abuse-experts-warn 

Sun, D. (2019, September 26). 'Potential to excel in life': NUS undergrad who molested woman gets probation for 'minor intrusion' offences. The Straits Times. https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/courts-crime/university-student-who-molested-woman-gets-probation-for-minor-intrusion 

Teo, Y. Y. (2018). This Is What Inequality Looks Like. Ethos Books.