Victim Compensation, Application Essay Example

The proponents of victim compensation bases their assertions on the philosophical underpinnings that compensation should be based on social agreement perspective whereby the government is obliged to care for the citizens by the virtue that the very citizens are the main providers of the government taxes. The element of taxation in itself calls for provision of social services by the government. In this light, the agreement is a two way affair way the government gets the taxes from the citizens and the very citizens expects services in return. The agreement in this case beats the element of formality in the sense that the government by its definition has the sole responsibility of ensuring safety and wellbeing of its people. Nobody in the country plans or intendeds to be a victim of any circumstance whatsoever, or rather people find themselves engulfed in situations that they cannot predict its route course or determine it source. The social construct poses the philosophical argument that the governments are formed to promote the element of collective responsibility where certain institutions and entities are formed to act as custodians of the peoples’ welfare. The institutions derive their mandates from the people and are funded by the people through taxes. The government through such entities ensures that the victims are compensated. Unexpected incidences including emergencies and becoming victims to several crime offences are specifically included in such considerations of support to be provided by the government. The idea behind giving such support is based upon the idea that individuals who are victimized by particular crimes are often facing the need to support themselves with financial compensation. This would allow them to recover fast from what has occurred to them and thus allowing them to become part of the society again.

The other facet that underpins philosophical view in victim compensation is the issue that delves on social welfare of the people. This facet views the government as a social welfare organization that has the sole responsibility of ensuring that the citizens who cannot help themselves can turn to the government for help. This approach asserts that crimes are never induced by the victims but rather the victims find themselves in helpless situations after such occurrences. The government as a social welfare organization should therefore be responsible enough to ensure that the living conditions of the victims are improved and the disabled can have access to basic amenities. Based on the principles of the Compensation for Victims of Crime Act; the government has a responsibility over the welfare of the victim and his or her family that is dependent on the individual. Such support entails financial and mental conditions of assisting the people to recover from what they may have experienced in the hands of the criminals. Another part of the compensation to be provided for the victims includes physical support such as medication and physical recovery assistance. While papers are to be completed before such support could be released, it is essential that the government respond full to the support they are supposed to provide the people with.

The social welfare is hinged on the view that the government as a social welfare organization should stand with citizens in situations of adversity and help the victims of crime to solve alleviate their condition. The government should ensure that the disabled are helped to enable them lead a normal life

Reference

Victim Compensation. http://vcgcb.ca.gov/victims/. (Retrieved on May 11, 2013)