Journey of a Lifetime

Barrow measures the rate of criminal victimization of persons who are Deaf using a culturally and linguistically sensitive research instrument. She explores the hypotheses that persons who are Deaf are victimized at rates disproportionately higher than their hearing counterparts. The findings confirm that persons who are Deaf are more likely to be victimized sexually and violently although there did not appear to be any differences with respect to property crimes. Further persons who are Deaf are more likely to know their offenders; and the offenders are more likely to be members of the hearing community. And finally persons who are Deaf are disenfranchised from mainstream culture resulting in limited information acquisition regarding the general practices and policies of criminal justice personnel including the police prosecutors and judges.