REPO R TS A B OU T V I C T I M

AND VICT IM I Z A T IO N
 WHAT IS ALL ABOUT VICTIM?
• VICTIMS, VICTIMIZATION AND VICTIMOLOGYVICTIMS MEANS
PERSON WHO, INDIVIDUALLY OR COLLECTIVELY, HAVE SUFFERED
HARM, INCLUDING PHYSICAL OR MENTAL INJURY, EMOTIONAL
SUFFERING, ECONOMIC LOSS OR SUBSTANTIAL IMPAIRMENT OF
THEIR FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS, THROUGH ACTS OR OMISSIONS THAT
ARE IN VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL LAWS OPERATIVE WITHIN MEMBER
STATES, INCLUDING THOSE LAWS PROSCRIBING CRIMINAL ABUSE
POWER
 VICTIMIZATION
• VICTIMIZATIOM IS THE OUTCOME OF DELIBERATE ACTION TAKEN BY A PERSON OR
INSTITUTION TO EXPLOIT, OPPRESS, OR HARM ANOTHER, OR TO DESTROY OR ILLEGALLY
OBTAIN ANOTHER’S PROPERTY OR POSSESSIONS. THE LATIN WORD VICTIMA MEANS
“SACRIFICIAL ANIMAL,” BUT THE TERM VICTIM HAS EVOLVED TO INCLUDE A VARIETY OF
TARGETS, INCLUDING ONESELF, ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL, A HOUSEHOLD, A BUSINESS, THE
STATE, OR THE ENVIRONMENT. THE ACT COMMITTED BY THE OFFENDER IS USUALLY A
VIOLATION OF A CRIMINAL OR CIVIL STATUTE BUT DOES NOT NECESSARILY HAVE TO
VIOLATE A LAW. HARM CAN INCLUDE PSYCHOLOGICAL/EMOTIONAL DAMAGE, PHYSICAL
OR SEXUAL INJURY, OR ECONOMIC LOSS.
SOCIAL ECOLOGY OF VICTIMIZATION
• IN CRIMINOLOGY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE, THE “SOCIAL ECOLOGY” PERSPECTIVE
FOCUSES ON THE INTERDEPENDENCE BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS AND THEIR PHYSICAL,
SOCIAL, AND CULTURAL ENVIRONMENTS IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND CRIME. IT
VIEWS CRIME AS AN OUTGROWTH OF THE WAYS IN WHICH INDIVIDUALS ACT IN
THEIR VARIOUS EMBEDDED ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXTS – AS SUCH, CRIME IS
CONTEXTUALIZED.
 THEORIES OF VICTIMIZATION

Relative to the field of criminology, which originated around the mid-

18th century, victimology is a young field with roots in the late
1940s. Since that time, several generations of scholars have advanced
its theoretical beginnings and promoted the reemergence of interest in
the victim through a wide range of research questions and methods.
WHAT IS A LIFESTYLE THEORY?
• LIFESTYLE THEORY HOLDS THAT CRIME IS A DEVELOPMENTAL PROCESS GUIDED
BY AN ONGOING INTERACTION BETWEEN THREE VARIABLES (INCENTIVE,
OPPORTUNITY, AND CHOICE). DURING EACH PHASE OF THE CRIMINAL LIFESTYLE
(INITIATION, TRANSITION, MAINTENANCE, BURNOUT/MATURITY), INCENTIVE,
OPPORTUNITY, AND CHOICE TAKE ON DIFFERENT VALUES AND MEANINGS.
EXISTENTIAL FEAR SERVES AS THE INCENTIVE FOR THE INITIATION PHASE OF A
CRIMINAL LIFESTYLE. ONCE INITIATED, THE INCENTIVE FOR CONTINUED
LIFESTYLE INVOLVEMENT BECOMES A FEAR OF LOSING OUT ON THE BENEFITS
OF CRIME.
• IT ALSO SUGGESTS THAT CERTAIN PEOPLE MAY BECOME THE VICTIMS OF
CRIMES BECAUSE OF THEIR LIFESTYLES AND CHOICES. FOR EXAMPLE,
SOMEONE WITH A GAMBLING OR SUBSTANCE ADDICTION COULD BE AS AN
“EASY VICTIM” BY A CON ARTIST.

• WALKING ALONE AT NIGHT IN A DANGEROUS AREA, CONSPICUOUSLY WEARING

EXPENSIVE JEWELRY, LEAVING DOORS UNLOCKED AND ASSOCIATING WITH
KNOWN CRIMINALS ARE OTHER LIFESTYLE CHARACTERISTICS THAT MAY LEAD
TO VICTIMIZATION.
WHAT IS DEVIANT PLACE THEORY?
• THERE IS SOME OVERLAP BETWEEN THE LIFESTYLE THEORY AND THE
DEVIANT PLACE THEORY. THE DEVIANT PLACE THEORY STATES THAT AN
INDIVIDUAL IS MORE LIKELY TO BECOME THE VICTIM OF A CRIME WHEN
EXPOSED TO DANGEROUS AREAS. IN OTHER WORDS, A MUGGER IS MORE
LIKELY TO TARGET A PERSON WALKING ALONE AFTER DARK IN A BAD
NEIGHBORHOOD. THE MORE FREQUENTLY A PERSON VENTURES INTO BAD
NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE VIOLENT CRIME IS COMMON, THE GREATER THE
RISK OF VICTIMIZATION.
 WHAT IS A ROUTINE ACTIVITIES THEORY

• COHEN AND FELSON (1979) FORMULATED ROUTINE ACTIVITIES THEORY TO EXPLAIN CHANGES
IN AGGREGATE DIRECT-CONTACT PREDATORY (E.G., MURDER, FORCIBLE RAPE, BURGLARY)
CRIME RATES IN THE UNITED STATES FROM 1947 THROUGH 1974. ROUTINE ACTIVITIES THEORY
POSITS THAT THE CONVERGENCE IN TIME AND SPACE OF A MOTIVATED OFFENDER, A SUITABLE
TARGET, AND THE ABSENCE OF A CAPABLE GUARDIAN PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR CRIMES
TO OCCUR. THE ABSENCE OF ANY ONE OF THESE CONDITIONS IS SUFFICIENT TO DRASTICALLY
REDUCE THE RISK OF CRIMINAL OPPORTUNITY, IF NOT PREVENT IT ALTOGETHER.
• ROUTINE ACTIVITIES THEORY DOES NOT ATTEMPT TO EXPLAIN PARTICIPATION IN CRIME BUT
INSTEAD FOCUSES ON HOW OPPORTUNITIES FOR CRIMES ARE RELATED TO THE NATURE OF
PATTERNS OF ROUTINE SOCIAL INTERACTION, INCLUDING ONE’S WORK, FAMILY, AND
LEISURE ACTIVITIES. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IF SOMEONE SPENDS TIME IN PUBLIC PLACES SUCH
AS BARS OR HANGING OUT ON THE STREETS, HE OR SHE INCREASES THE LIKELIHOOD OF
COMING INTO CONTACT WITH A MOTIVATED OFFENDER IN THE ABSENCE OF A CAPABLE
GUARDIAN. THE SUPPLY OF MOTIVATED OFFENDERS IS TAKEN AS A GIVEN. WHAT VARIES IS
THE SUPPLY OF SUITABLE TARGETS (E.G., LIGHTWEIGHT, EASY-TO-CONCEAL PROPERTY, SUCH
AS CELL PHONES AND DVD PLAYERS, OR DRUNK INDIVIDUALS) AND CAPABLE GUARDIANS.
 WHAT IS VICTIM PRECIPITATION THEORY?
• THE VICTIM PRECIPITATION THEORY SUGGESTS THAT THE CHARACTERISTICS OF
THE VICTIM PRECIPITATE THE CRIME. THAT IS, A CRIMINAL COULD SINGLE OUT A
VICTIM BECAUSE THE VICTIM IS OF A CERTAIN ETHNICITY, RACE, SEXUAL
ORIENTATION, GENDER OR GENDER IDENTITY.

• THIS THEORY DOES NOT ONLY INVOLVE HATE CRIMES DIRECTED AT SPECIFIC
GROUPS OF PEOPLE. IT MIGHT ALSO INVOLVE OCCUPATIONS OR ACTIVITIES. FOR
EXAMPLE, SOMEONE WHO IS OPPOSED TO HIS OR HER VIEWS MAY TARGET A
POLITICAL ACTIVIST. AN EMPLOYEE MAY TARGET A RECENTLY PROMOTED EMPLOYEE
IF HE OR SHE BELIEVES THEY DESERVED THE PROMOTION.