Victimology.

It is the scientific study of victimization, including the relationships between victims and offenders,
the interaction between victims and the criminal justice system – that is, the police and courts, and correction
officials – and the connections between victims and other societal groups and institutions, such as the media,
businesses, and social movements. From this definition, victimology encompasses the study of:
 Victimization
 Victim-offender relationships
 Victim-criminal justice system relationships
 Victims and the media
 Victims and the costs of crime
 Victims and social movements

2. Theories in Victimology. Over the years, ideas about victim precipitation have come to be perceived as a
negative thing, “victim blaming” it is called. Research into ways in which victims “contribute” to their own
victimization is considered by victims and victim advocates as both unacceptable and destructive. Yet a few
enduring models and near theories exist, such as the following:

 Luckenbill’s (1977) Situated Transaction Model. This one is commonly found in the sociology of
deviance, the idea is that at the interpersonal level, crime and victimization is a contest of character.
The stages go like insult, clarification, retaliation, counter retaliation, presence of weapon, onlookers.
 Benjamin & Master’s Threefold Model. This one is found in a variety of criminological studies, from
prison riots to strain theories. The idea is that conditions that support crime can be classified into three
general categories; 1. Precipitating factors – time, space, being in the wrong place at the wrong time, 2.
Attracting factors – choices, options, lifestyles (the sociological expression “lifestyle” refers to daily
routine activities as well as special events one engages in on a predictable basis), 3. Predisposing
factors – all the sociodemographic characteristics of victims, being male, being young, being poor, being
a minority, living in squalor, being single, being unemployed.
 Cohen & Felson’s (1979) Routine Activities Activity. This one is quite popular among victimologists
today who are anxious to test the theory. Briefly, it says that crime occurs whenever three conditions
come together 1. Suitable targets – and well always have suitable targets as long as we have poverty,
2. Motivated offenders - and well always have motivated offenders since victimology, unlike
deterministic criminology, assumes anyone will try to get away with something if they can, and 3.
Absence of guardians – the problem is that there’s few defensible spaces and in the absence of private
security, the government can’t do the job alone.

3. Crime Victim. A victims refers to a person who has suffered direct, or threatened, physical, emotional or
pecuniary harm as a result of the commission of a crime; or in the case of a victim being an institutional entity,
any of the same harms by an individual or authorized representative of another entity. Group harms are
normally covered under civil and constitutional law, with “hate crime” being an emerging criminal law
development, although criminal law tends to treat all cases as individualized.

 Besides “primary crime victims”, there are also “secondary crime victims” who experience the
harm second hand, such as intimate partners or significant others of rape victims or children of a
battered woman. It may also make sense to talk about “tertiary crime victims” who experience the
harm vicariously, such as media accounts or from watching television. Victim defenses have recently
emerged in cases of parricide and homicide of batterers by abused spouses. Advocates for battered
women were among the first to recognize the issue, and promote the “battered woman syndrome” to
defend women who killed or seriously injured a spouse or partner after enduring years of physical,
emotional and sexual abuse.
 Attorney’s have also drawn upon theories of post-traumatic stress disorder to defend their client’s
behavior. From time to time, media attention to these defenses becomes intense, and certain “high
profile” cases tend to influence public opinion, and spread confusion over who is the “victim” and who
is the “victimize”.

*Who is a Crime Victim. Refers to any person, group, or entity who has suffered injury or loss due to illegal
activity (man-made) such as physical, psychological and economic. The experience of victimization results in an
increasing fear of the victim of the crime and the spread of fear in the community.

*Consequences of Crime
  Emotional distress as a result of crime is a recurring theme for all victims of crime. The most common
problem affecting three quarters of victims was psychological problems including fear, anxiety,
nervousness, self-blame, anger, shame and difficulty sleeping. These problems often result in the
development of chronic PTSD.

*Models of Victimization

 Victim of Crime Model (Man made cause). This model of victimization is applicable to victims of man-
made causes like homicide, rape and others. This stages are Stage of Impact and Disorganization this
depicts the attitude of activity of the victim during and immediately following the criminal event, Stage of
Recoil in which this stage occurs during which the victim formulates psychological defenses and deals
with conflicting emotions of guilt, anger, acceptance and desire of revenge and Reorganization stage
which occurs during which the victims puts his/her life back to normal daily living.
 Victim of Disaster Model (Natural Cause). This model of victimization is applicable to victims of
natural causes like earthquake, flood, volcanic eruption and others. The stages are Pre-impact Stage in
which describes the state of the victim prior to being victimized, Impact Stage which victimization
occurs, Post impact Stage entails the degree and duration of the personal and social disorganization
following victimization and Behavioral Outcome Stage which describes the victim’s adjustment to the
victimization experience.

*Kinds of Crime Victim. It involves Direct or Primary Crime Victim, in this kind of victim directly suffers the
harm or injury which is physical, psychological, and economic losses. Indirect or Secondary Crime Victim,
who experience the harm second hand, such as intimate partners or significant others of rape victims or children
of a battered woman and Tertiary Crime Victim who experience the harm vicariously, such as through media
accounts, the scared public or community due to watching news regarding crime incidents.

*Victim Assistance

 Victims should receive the necessary material, medical, psychological and social assistance through
governmental, voluntary, community based and indigenous means.
 Victims should be informed of the availability of health and social services and other relevant assistance
and be readily afforded access to them.
 Police, justice, health, social service and other personnel concerned should receive training to sensitize
them to the needs of victims, and guidelines to ensure proper and prompt aid.
 In providing services and assistance to victims, attention should be given to those who have special
needs because of the nature of the harm inflicted or because of factors.

*Mendelsohn’s Types of Victim. Believe that most victims had an “unconscious aptitude for being
victimized”. According to Mendelsohn innocent, victim with only minor guilt, victim who is just as guilty as the
offender, the victim guiltier than the offender, the most guilty victims and imaginary victim are the types of
victim.

*Von Hentig’s Taxonomy of Murder Victims.

 Depressive type – a victim who lacks ordinary prudence and discretion.

 Greedy of gain or acquisitive type – a victim who lacks all normal inhibitions and well founded
suspicions.
 Wanton or Overly Sensual Type – a victim where “females foibles play a role. This victim is particularly
vulnerable to stresses that occur at a given period of time in the life cycle, such as juvenile victims.
 Tormentor Type – the victim of attack from the target of his or her abuse, such as with battered women.
 Lonesome Type – this is the same with the acquisitive type of vitim, by virtue of wanting companionship
or affection.
 Heartbroken Type – this victim is emotionally disturbed by virtue of heartaches and pains.

*Von Hentig’s Classes of Victim.

 The young – is weak by virtue of age and immaturity.

 The Female – is physically less powerful and is easily dominated by male.
 The Old – is incapable of physical defense and common object of illegal scheme.
 The Mentally Defective – is unable to think clearly.
  The Immigrant – is unsure of the rules of conduct in the surrounding society.
 The Minorities – racial prejudice may lead to victimization or unequal treatment by the agency of justice.

4. Crime Prevention and Protection Principles. This can be broadly defined as anything that reduces the level of
crime and/or the perceived fear of crime.
*Frameworks of crime prevention

 It is focused on making the environment safe from crime;

 It may reduce the potential from crime in high-risk situations; and
 Halt the possibility of future crime.
(these three areas of action safe environment, high risk potential, and future crime have been conceptualized as
primary, secondary and tertiary prevention.)

*Frameworks of Crime Protection

 It is focused on ensuring victims, their rights to assistance and attention to their needs; and
 It particularly emphasizes the prevention of re-victimization.

5. Stages of Crime Prevention

 Primary prevention can be done I any context or location, whether a residence, workplace, school,
neighborhood, community, or society.

*Theories of Primary Crime Prevention

a. Social Disorganization Theory states that residential mobility and racial heterogeneity led people to have little
interest in improving their neighborhood and more of an interest in moving out, leaving behind an area where
crime could easily occur.

b. defensible space theory like its counterpart in the field of private security called crime prevention through
environmental design, tends to focus on preventing easy access and exit by potential criminals as well as the
elimination of their hiding places and where they can geographically select a target.

c. Routine Activity theory posits a high rate of potential victims becoming actual victims whenever three things
occur in space and time together the absence of capable guardians, an abundance of motivated offenders and
suitable targets.

d. Broken Window Theory argues that signs of decay, disorder and incivilities, such as abandoned buildings,
broken street lights, and graffiti all invite potential criminals to an area.

1. Secondary Prevention involves a focus upon specific problems, places and times worhoith the twin goals of
reducing situation specific opportunities for crime and increasing the risks of committing crime or Situational
Crime Prevention which involves:
 Problem oriented policing where the problem drives a team solution;
 Hot spots analysis which targets certain areas for saturation or directed patrol;
 Surveillance and target hardening which increase the risk and effort for committing crime;
 Property identification;
 Security lighting;
 Intrusion alarms;
 Neighborhood watch;
 Citizen patrols;
 Protection personnel; and
 Efforts on the part of victims to change their lifestyle.

2. Tertiary Prevention is a term taken from the field of medicine to describe the procedures to be taken after a
disease or threat is manifest. Such procedures typically serve a deterrence or minimization of harm purpose and
are almost always characterized by being reactive, or after the fact. Example would include personal injury or
property insurance as well as self-protective measures engaged in by those who have been victimized
previously.

6. Criminal Justice System Response to Victim. About 40 to 50 years ago, research examined that victim
approached the issue from the perspective of “shared responsibility”, wherein crime victims were part
“responsible” for their victimization. Moreover, in the research there is a host of individual, situational, and
community level factors that increases risk of criminal victimization. Individual can be described in terms of
socio-demographic characteristics or the S.A.U.C.E.R. (sex-male or female, age-young, middle aged or elderly,
urban or rural, class, ethnicity or religion).

7. Victims and the Criminal Justice System. Victims of crime deserve rights and services in the CJS that begin
from reporting crime to the police, and continues through the entire CJS and correction process. The CJS can
minimize and avoid inflicting “secondary victimization” that has often characterized much of the plight of victims
of crime.

CJS Agencies Roles and Responsibilities

 Law Enforcement- as “first responders” to most crimes, police departments serve a critical and primary
role in providing immediate intervention and assistance to victims of crime. Police based services
provide essential assistance to victims of crime and essential services should include but not limited to:
 Orientation to the law enforcement and investigatory process.
 Provision of or referral and accompaniment to crisis intervention and psychological first aid.
 Accompaniment to emergency medical services in cases involving injury.
 Contacting a victim service professional to provide on site assistance and support, upon request of the
victim.
 Providing information to crime victims about their constitutional and statutory rights, and the availability
of crime compensation.
 Personally contacting the victim by telephone or in person 24-to-48 hours following the initial response
to see if assistance has been sought and/or received.
 Immediate referrals to community agencies that offer emergency services to victims, as well as
information about financial assistance, should be provided to all victims.

*Prosecution. If the law enforcement has investigated crimes and suspects have been arrested, the cases are
referred to prosecutors. These are usually handled through either an initial court appearance or some processes
leading to charging and arraignment. At this point, information regarding the investigation and facts of the
crimes are presented by the law enforcers to the court with the assistance of prosecutors. And they are bound
over for trial on the charges.

*Court. Assuming a case goes beyond the plea negotiation stage, during the trial, the defendant continues to
receive basic protections granted by the Constitution, state constitutions and various case law holdings. Judges
are empowered to sentence convicted criminals.

*Correction. In the Philippines, if the accused is sentenced 3 years and above to a term of imprisonment, the
Bureau of Corrections assumes responsibility for convict’s supervision. The offender’s file that contains details
of the crime, court case and sentence, victim impact statement, recommendations for treatment and services.

*Community. It is where a person (prisoner) after service of his or her sentence is related into. Community is a
place where a well-developed person after having been reformed in the prison starts a new life.