The Study of Victimology

Victimology is a field of study created in the 1940s. The field was created to study victimization as well as the relationship between offenders and victims. According to the Office of Justice Programs, a victim is defined as an individual who has been tortured or subjected to suffering by another person. The victim usually suffers loss, injury or death.

Identification

• The field of victimology has several components. They include victimization, victims and the media, victims and social movements, and the victim-offender relationship. More recent avenues of research for victimology include the impact of victimization on society and how the criminal justice system tends to treat victims. For example, one aspect of victimology is "victim blaming," which victimologists believe was created to combat the fear of rising crime in society.

Misconceptions

• Although victimology is often confused with criminology, they are not the same. Victimology focuses on the psychological and emotional consequences that the victim faces, whereas criminology focuses specifically on the criminal mindset.

Victimology and Behavior

• Victimologists also study different types of victim behavior. For example, famed victimologist Von Gentig divided victims into four categories: the depressive type, the greedy type, the wanton type and the tormenter. After becoming a victim, the individual usually displays certain behaviors and characteristics that are often contingent on the nature of the crime.

  One notable observation that victimologists have made is the wide range of psychological disorders from which victims tend to suffer. Victims usually have much higher rates of depression, anxiety disorders and thoughts of suicide than the general population.