CRIM 3

• Victima


  Latin term used to described individuals or animals whose lives were destined to be sacrificed to please a deity
• Logos


  Greek word meaning a system of knowledge, the direction of something abstract, the direction of teaching, science, and a discipline
• Victimology


  The study of the etiology or causes of victimization, its consequences, how the criminal justice system accommodates and assists victims, and how other elements of the society, such as media, deal with the crime victim
• The term victimology coined


  1900
• The burden of justice system is informal and fell on the victim- it's up to the victim to seek justice once harmed


  5th to 6th century
• The world victim became connected with the notion of harm and loss in general

  19th century
• Victim (in modern CJS)

  Any person who has experienced injury or loss, hardship due to the illegal action of another individual, group, or organization
• Victimology (contemporary)


  Generally refers to the scientific study of victims and victimization, including the relationship between the victims and offender, investigators, courts, corrections, media and social movements
• Lex Taliones (An eye for an eye)

  a criminal would be punished because he or she deserved it, and the punishment would be equal to the harm caused

  Code of Hammurabi (in Babylon)

  restoration of equity between offender and the victim was stressed
• Concerned was shown for crime victim, but this concerned was not entirely sympathetic. Scholarly work during this period focused on identifying to what extent victims could be held responsible for being victimized.


  Beginning 1940s
• Benjamin Mendelsohn


  Referred to as "The Father of Victimology"
• Two Major types of victimology

  • General Victimology - studies victimity in the broadest sense, including those harmed by accident, natural disaster, war and so on
  • Penal Victimology - generally approaches the subject from criminological or legal perspective, where the scope of the study is defined by the criminal law
• Three Distinct Historical Era's of Victimology

  • Golden Age - personal retribution is the only resolution for criminal matters, victims had to take matters into their own hands
  • The Dark Age - offenses were increasingly viewed as perpetrated against the laws of the king or state, not just against victim or victim's family, focus shifted towards offender punishment and rights
  • Reemergence of the Victim - in 1950-1960 when a small number of people began to recognized that those who were most affected by criminal acts were involved in the process
• Victim Precipitation


  The extent to which a victim is responsible for his or her victimization. It involves two parties: the offender and the victim- both parties are acting and often reacting before, during and after the incident.
• Victim Facilitation


  Occurs when a victim unintentionally makes it easier for an offender to commit crimes. The victim's actions certainly made them a likely target and made it easy for the offender.
• 13 Categories of Crime Victim Based on Propensity for Victimization (Hans Von Hentig)


  • The young, old, and females
  • The Immigrants, minorities, and dull normal
  • The mentally defective/deranged
  • The depressed, acquisitive, wanton, lonesome or heartbroken
  • The tormentor/oppressor
  • The blocked, exempted and fighting victims
• Hans Von Hentig's Taxonomy of Murder Victims

  • Depressive Type
  • Greedy of Gain or Acquisitive Type
  • Wanton or Overly Sensual Type
  • Tormentor Type
  • Lonesome Type
  • Heartbroken Type
• Benjamin Mendelsohn's Classification of Victims

  • Completely innocent victims
  • Victim with minor guilt
  • Victim as guilty as offender/voluntary victim
  • Victim more guilty that offender
  • Most guilty victim
  • Simulating or imaginary victim
• Stephen Schafer's Victim Typology

  • Unrelated victims - no responsibility
  • Provocative victims - share responsibility
  • Precipitative victims -some degree of responsibility
  • Biologically weak victim - no responsibility
  • Socially weak victim - no responsibility
  • Self-victimizing - total responsibility
  • Political victims - no responsibility
• Marvin Wolfgang was the first person to empirically investigate victim precipitation in 1957 in his classic study of homicides occurring in Philadelphia from 1948-1952
• Seven categories of victim responsibility identified by Marvin Wolfgang

  • Unrelated victims - no responsibility
  • Provocative victims - share responsibility
  • Precipitative victims -some degree of responsibility
  • Biologically weak victim - no responsibility
  • Socially weak victim - no responsibility
  • Self-victimizing - total responsibility
  • Political victims - no responsibility
• Marvin Wolfgang


  First person to empirically investigate victim precipitation in 1957 in his classic study of homicides occurring in Philadelphia from 1948-1952
• Victim precipitation in homicide cases

  1. Victim has the direct, positive precipitator in the homicide

  2. Victim is the first to brandish or use weapon

  3. Victim is the first to strike a blow

  4. Victim is the first to initiate physical violence
• Victim and offender in homicide cases often knew each other
• Most victim-precipitated homicides involved male offenders and male victims
• Victim was likely to have a history of violent offending himself
• Alcohol was also likely to play a role in victim-precipitated homicides
• Subintentional homicide


  When a victim facilitates his or her own demise by using poor judgement, placing himself or herself at risk living a risky lifestyle, or using alcohol or drugs
• Menachem Amir


  Former student of Wolfgang, conducted empirical investigation into rape incidents reported to the police in Philadelphia occurred from 1956- 1960
• One (1) in five (5) rape incident is a victim precipitated
• These rapes were likely involved alcohol and that the victim was likely to engage in seductive behavior, wear revealing clothing, use risqué (sexy) language and have a bad reputation
• Lifestyle Exposure Theory


  • Lifestyle increase exposure to risk of personal property victimization
  • If you spend more time at home, you would not be exposed to fewer risky situations involving stranger and hence experience fewer stranger-committed victimization
• Routine Activity Theory


  • In the absence of capable guardian, provides an opportunity for crimes to occur
• Empirical support for Lifestyle Exposure Theory and Routine Activity Theory has been applied to examine opportunities for different types of personal and property victimization using diverse samples that range from school age children, college students to adults and in general population across USA and abroad
• Antecedent opportunity


  • Low self-control
  • Social bonds
  • Peer influence have also been found to be important predictors of violent and property victimization
• Victim Participation


  Victims "contribute" to his or her own victimization
• Situated Transactional Model


  • Insult
  • Clarification
  • Retaliation
  • Counter Retaliation
  • Presence of weapon
  • Onlookers
• Threefold Model


  • Precipitating Factor - time, space, being in the wrong place at the wrong time
  • Attracting Factor - choices, option, lifestyle
  • Predisposing Factors - sociodemographic characteristic of the victims (male, young, poor, minority, living in squalor, single, unemployed)
• Routine Activities Theory


  • Suitable targets - poor people
  • Motivated Offender - anyone will try to get away with something if they want
  • Absence of Guardians - absence of security
• Victim Precipitation Theory


  • Active Precipitation - when the victim attack first or act provocatively
  • Passive Precipitation - occurs when a victim exhibits personal characteristics that unknowingly either threatens or encourages the attackers (reputation, status and economic well-being)