Victimology
Victimology is the systematic study of victims, victimization, and the relationships among victims, offenders, and criminal justice systems.
Victimization: The process or experience of being harmed, exploited, or deprived through another person's actions or structural conditions. It is victimology’s central object of study, encompassing both direct harms and their effects.
Routine activity theory: A criminological theory explaining crime through the convergence of a motivated offender, suitable target, and absent capable guardian. It explains how everyday routines can shape who becomes exposed to crime.
Hans von Hentig: A German-American criminologist whose work helped establish victimology as a field of study. His analysis of victim characteristics helped shape early theoretical victimology.
Victim impact statement: A statement describing the harm a crime caused, submitted during sentencing or another justice proceeding. It gives victims a formal channel to communicate consequences of an offense.
Victim blaming: The attribution of responsibility for a harmful act to the person who experienced it. It is a recurring ethical risk when studying victims’ conduct and vulnerability.
Crime: An act or omission prohibited and punishable under the law of a jurisdiction. Victimology often examines harms recognized as crimes while also studying harms beyond criminal law.
Lifestyle theory of victimization: A theory that links victimization risks to patterns of daily activity and social roles. It connects differing exposure to crime with differences in routine activities.
Benjamin Mendelsohn: A Romanian-Israeli lawyer and criminologist who advanced the study and classification of victims. He promoted victimology as a distinct discipline and developed victim typologies.
Victim services: Support, advocacy, and practical assistance offered to people affected by crime or violence. Victimological findings help shape services around trauma, safety, and recovery needs.
Rape myth: A false or misleading belief about sexual violence that excuses perpetrators or casts doubt on victims. Such beliefs can distort reporting, research, and institutional treatment of sexual assault.