Drawing out perceptions: Using drawing as a method to understand public perceptions of homelessness and crime

Abstract

This article considers the ways in which we as a society see victims of crime, particularly those who fall into Miers’ category of ‘delinquent victims’. Focusing on homelessness in the United Kingdom, the article is critical of the ‘victim’ label, which is arguably at odds with real crime victims, yet produces the victims we do see as well as those we do not. While those experiencing homelessness suffer from heightened levels of victimisation, they are also less likely to attain victim status. The following discussion seeks to rationalise this paradox by suggesting that being seen as homeless is somehow incompatible with being seen as a victim. Given the importance of the visual, drawing is employed as a research method to understand public perceptions of homelessness and crime. The resulting visual representations are unanticipated, yet significant, and often omit the crime component entirely, instead focusing on stereotypical representations of homelessness. The article concludes by emphasising the importance of seeing and suggests directions for future research.