Introduction to Victimology

Introduction to Victimology

American Intercontinental University

Professor John Kuivila

Crime Victim Studies

Abstract

The chief attorney of California is presenting a presentation to the county commission regarding victimology. This report will support not only keeping the victim witness assistant positions currently in place, but also to show the need for increasing the number of these positions in the future. The commissioners are not very familiar with the role of victim advocacy as it applies to victims in the criminal justice system. Victimology will be defined as well as the history of victimology and how it developed. Finally, victim advocacy groups and organizations available to victims are discussed.

Introduction to Victimology

Introduction

 Victim rights have not always been included in the criminal justice system as they are today. Strangely, the victim was totally left out of the equation when dealing with criminals (Doerner & Lab, 2014). Fortunately, in recent years this trend has reversed and focus has been put on the plight of crime victims and integrating them into the criminal justice system (Doerner & Lab, 2014). The history of the role of the victim and the emergence of victimology will be discussed.

Victimology

Definition

        Victimology is the complete history of the victim and is the crucial part in the anatomy of a crime (Burgess & Roberts, 2009). One can learn the motive of the crime when the critical question of why a particular person was targeted for a violent crime is answered. In other words, victimology is the study of the relationship between the perpetrator and the victim; it also describes human rights violations (Boyd, n.d.). Studies and theories of victimology are used by law enforcement to determine the motive of why the offender targeted the victim in the first place.

Andrew Karmen (2010) defined victimology as “scientific study of physical, emotional, and financial harm people suffer because of illegal activities.” This definition includes the victimization that occurs for victims within the criminal justice system (Karmen, 2010). Karmen (2010) defines victimization as “an asymmetrical interpersonal relationship that is abusive, painful, destructive, parasitical, and unfair.” A victim is described as someone who has suffered some type of injury, loss, or hardship for any reason as a result of another person’s illegal act (Karmen, 2010). Included in the study of victimology is how victims are handled, the victim’s physical and mental condition, as well as the victim’s economic hardships (Karmen, 2010).  

Benjamin Mendelsohn has been credited with coining the term “victimology;” he is known as the “father” of victimology (Doerner & Lab, 2014). Mendelsohn believed that there was a strong interpersonal relationship between victims and offenders (Doerner & Lab, 2014). He also believed that focusing on criminal victimization is too narrow a perspective and, therefore; he felt a more global term, such as general victimology, was needed to express the true meaning of the field of victimization (Mendelsohn, 1982). Social-biologist Hans Von Hentig (1948) suggested that "victims themselves often contribute to their own victimization." He stated that "the mechanical outcome of a criminal action may be profit to one party, harm to another, the psychological interaction between the criminal and victim, carefully observed, will not submit to this kindergarten label" (Hentig, 1948, p. 384). According to Mendelsohn (1982:59), victimologists aim to “investigate the causes of victimization in search of effective remedies.” Smith and Weis (1976) expanded on Mendelsohn’s formulations related to general victimology. [pic 1]

...