PIONEERS IN THE STUDY OF

VICTIMOLOGY
AERE JOHN M FAJARDO RCrim.
CRI I50 VICTIMOLOGY
 LEARNING OBJECTIVES
• At the end of this topic the students will
recognized the deferent personality pioneered in
the study of victimology and their contribution.
• to be able to understand the categories of the
victims based on their personality or
characteristics.
• to understand the importance of the study
victimology in the field of criminal justice system.
VICTIMOLOGY- is a branch of criminology that
scientifically studies the relationship between an
injured party and an offender by examining the
causes and nature of the consequent suffering.
 PIONEERS IN THE STUDY OF
VICTIMOLOGY
1).HANS VON HENTIG
( 1887-1974)
- He was German Criminal
Psychologist and politician.
* His notion that victims
contribute their victimiza-
tion through their actions
and behaviors led to the development of the concept of “
VICTIM BLAMING” and is seen by many victims advocates
as an attempt to assigned equal culpability to the victim.
• His book “the criminal and his victim” studies in
the sociobiology of crime.
• recognized the importance of investigating what
factors underpin why certain people are victims.
• He determined that some of the same
characteristics that produce crime also produce
victimization.
• He considered that victims may provoke
victimization. Acting as agents provocation.
• He argued that crime victims could be placed into 13 categories based
on their (characteristics) propensity for victimization.
1. Young - immature under adult supervision
2. Females- lack of physical strength
3. Old
4. Immigrants-connot understand language. Dumuduong.
5. Depressed- various psychological maladies
6. Mentally defective-
7. The acquisitive- the greedy those looking for quick gains/ targeted in scam
8. Dull normal- easily decieved
9. minorities
10. Wanton-
11. the lonesome and heartbroken
12. Tormentor- an abusive parent
13. the blocked, exempted and fighting- blackmail extortion
 2. BENJAMIN MENDELSOHN
(1900-1998)- he was known as
“THE FATHER OF VICTIMOLOGY”
• He was one of the first criminologist to create a
victim typology in 1950 but was not without
controversy.
• He coined the term for this area of study in the
mid 1940’s as an attorney he became interested
in the relationship between the victims and
offenders often knew each other and had some
kind of existing relationship.
• He then created a classification of victims based
on their culpability or degree of victims blame.
• His classification entailed the following;
1, Complete innocent victim- a victim who bears no
responsibility at all for victimization: victimized simply
because of his or her nature, such as being a child.
2, Victim with minor guilt: a victim who is victimized due
to ignorance.
3.Victim as guilty as offender/voluntary victim; a victim
who bears as much responsibility as the offender ex.a
person who enters into a suicide pact.
4.Victim more guilty than offender; a victim who
instigates or provoke his or her own victimization.
5. most guilty victim- a victim who is victimized
during the perpetration of a crime or as a result of
crime.
6.Simulating or imaginary victim- a victim who is
not victimized at all but, instead fabricates a
victimization event.
Note; Mendelsohn's classifications emphasized
degrees of culpability, recognizing that some
victims bear no responsibility for their
victimization, while others, based on their
behaviors or actions do.
3.HENRI FREDERIC ELLENBERGER
( 1905- 1993)
He was a French psychiatrist, medical historian, and
criminologist. Sometimes considered the founding
historiographer of psychiatry.
He examined victim- offender interactions and stressed
reciprocal influences and role reversal.

These pioneers raised and possibility that certain

individuals who suffered wounds and losses might share
some degree of responsibility with law breakers for their
own misfortune.
For example. The carelessness of some motorist made
the task of thieves easier.
• Reckless behavior on the part of intoxicated
customers in a bar often attracted the
attention of robbers, and provocation by some
brawlers caused confrontations to escalate to
the point that the instigator was injured or
even killed.
4. Stephen Schafer (1911-1976)
criminologist and sociologist.
• One of the earliest victimologist, wrote the
victim and his criminal. A study in functional.
• He argued that people have functional
responsibility not to provoke others into
victim or harming them and that they also
should activity attempt to prevent that from
occurring, he identified seven categories and
labeled their levels of responsibility as
follows:
1. Unrelated victims- no responsibility
2. Provocative victims-share responsibilities
3. Precipitative victims- some degree of
responsibilities
4. Biologically weak victim- no responsibility
5. Social weak victim- no responsibilities
6. Self- victimizing- total responsibilities
7. Political victims- no responsibilities
 MY QUOTE
RICH AND SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE CONSTANTLY
LEARN AND GROW, BUT POOR PEOPLE THINK
THEY ALREADY KNOW.
BY T. HARV EKER
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!!!!!