Understanding Victimology: Key Concepts and Perspectives

Posted on Feb 8, 2025 in Criminology and Security

Understanding Victimological Concepts in Victim Attention

These concepts consider victimology’s youth in its study of science and critical criminology, examining different approaches or models to study it.

Victimology: Conservative Perspective

This perspective studies the relations between the criminal and the victim, influencing society (persistent and stable with values), the Victim (taxpayer), and the Law (reflecting wishes and hopes).

Victimology: Liberal Perspective

Victimology is viewed from the response that the crime causes. The individual is identified by their label. The neutral legal system punishes criminal behavior and mitigates human suffering.

Victimology: Social Perspective

This perspective proposes a change in social structures, pretending that this change will prevent victimization and the violation of Human Rights. The Act favors the power groups.

Defining ‘Victim’: Key Concepts

Victim: A person who voluntarily sacrifices.

Victim: A person suffering because of another.

Victim: A person who suffers for their own shortcomings.

Mendelsohn’s Roads Regarding Victim and Victimizer

Becoming criminal

Victim of itself (a), deficiency, or inclination distinctive psychic drive or unconscious decision.

Victim of antisocial behavior.

Individual or Collective

Victim of technology

Victim of uncontrolled energy (natural).

Defining ‘Perpetrator’

A person who causes harm, suffering, or a condition to another person (victim).

Victims vs. Crime: Key Differences

• Victim: Has biopsychosocial characteristics and exists in a place and time.
• Crime: Is antisocial behavior that occurs in a place and space, involving a criminal.

Victims and Victimization: Definitions

• Victimhood: The totality of the biopsychosocial characteristics of all victims, which society wants to prevent and fight.
• Victimization: The subjugation of pain and suffering on the victim.

Entrapment Table

1. Human Intervention (Behavior)

2. Human Intervention “With Natural Disaster Animal Attack

Classifying Victimization: Three Different Ways

1. Primary Victimization: Committed against a person or individual.
2. Secondary Victimization: Committed against specific groups or part of the population (e.g., prostitutes, addicts, street children).
3. Tertiary Victimization: Committed against a wider community or the population (e.g., Indians).

1. Direct Victimization: Goes directly against the victim itself (aggression falls on the sufferer). Example: assault, kidnapping.
2. Indirect Victimization: Given as a direct result of falls in people who have a close relationship with the victim. Example: theft, fraud.

1. Known Victimization: Those who make known their complaint one who is captured by the community or in their knowledge of the authorities
2. Indirect Victimization: Is in the consciousness of the victim and victimizer

Exogenous Factors: Definition

Exogenous factors are those outside the individual and can be modified. Examples: climate, religion, civil status, and occupation.

Endogenous Factors: Definition

Endogenous factors are implicit in the person and generally unaffected by external causes. Examples: mental disorders, age, etc.

Causes vs. Factors: Key Differences

• Causes: Produce the victimization or victim.
• Factors: Provide that an individual is the victim of a crime.

Three Factors of Victims

1. The man as a human being: Conduct and behavior that develops in a group is important since it is known in some ways his actions.
2. Society: In places or areas of high crime, change anyone.
3. The nature: Internal or external changes affect human behavior to others, affecting others and themselves.