Victimology

Victimology is the study of why certain people are victims of crime and how lifestyles affect the chances that a certain person will fall victim to a crime. The field of victimology can cover a wide number of disciplines, including sociology, psychology, criminal justice, law and advocacy.

One particularly well known example of a class at increased risk to varying forms of attacks is the "streetwalker" prostitute. These people have been known anecdotally to have an abnormally high incidence of violent crime, and such crimes go unresolved frequently. Victimological studies of the matter might investigate current societal mores (expectations, roles, social status), legal status of prostitutes, typical working/living conditions, statistical analysis of the actual increased risk and secondary risk factors, and the economic activity of streetwalkers.

Emotional distress as the result of crime is a recurring theme for all victims of crime, the most common problem affecting three quarters of victims, were psychological problems including fear, anxiety, nervousness, self-blame, anger, shame and difficulty sleeping. These problems often result in the development of chronic PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). Post crime distress is also linked to pre-existing emotional problems and sociodemographic variables, this leads the elderly to be more adversely affected. Victims suffer from the following,

• Increase in the belief of personal vulnerability.
• The perception of the world as unmeaningful and incomprehensible.
• The view of themselves in a negative light.

The experience of victimisation results in increasing fear and the spread of this fear and suspicion in the community.

The study of victims is multidisciplinary. It does not just cover victims of crime, but also victims of (traffic) accidents, natural disasters, war crimes and abuse of power. The professionals involved in victimology may be scientists, practitioners and policy makers. Studying victims can be done from the perspective of the individual victim but also from an epidemiolomical point of view.

The study of vitimology also includes the "culture of victimhood," wherein the self-professed "victim," reveling in his status of victimhood, goes about proclaiming that self-created victimhood throughout a community in order to salve his low self-esteem by winning the sympathy of professionals and peers [1], [2], [3].

See also

• Crime fiction
• Criminology
• Stockholm syndrome
• Victim Support

External links

• American Society of Victimology
• International Victimology Institute Tilburg
• International Victimology Website
• Tokiwa International Victimology Institute
• World Society of Victimology