1. Chapter 1: Introduction to Victimology

2. What is Victimology? Benjamin Mendelsohn coined the term in 1947
Definition: “Scientific study of crime victims”
Considered a subfield of Criminology

3. History of Victimology
Before Victims’ Rights Movement
Prior to and during Middle Ages
Victims are the focus of the justice system
Code of Hammurabi
Focus on restoration of equity between victim and offender
Industrial Revolution
State is the focus of the justice system
1940s
Attention returned to victim
Didn’t include making them a part of the justice system
Research focused on victim contribution to the criminal incident

4. Role of the Victim in Crime
Victim blaming main focus of victimological research
Victim precipitation – continuum of responsibility for victims
Victim facilitation – unconscious or irresponsible action that led to victimization
Victim provocation – incited someone to commit a criminal offense against him or her

5. Early Victimology Theorists
Hans von Hentig
Looked at characteristics of victims that put them at risk
Criminal-victim dyad
13 categories of risk
Benjamin Mendelsohn
“Father of victimology”
Explored victim-offender relationships
Classification system based on victim culpability

6. Early Victimology Theorists
Stephen Schafer
Victim typology based on culpability – included social characteristics and behaviors
Marvin Wolfgang
Empirically investigated victim precipitation for the first time in 1957
Discovered that 26% of homicides were precipitated
Found common characteristics in precipitated homicides
Subintentional homicide
Menachem Amir
Victim precipitation in rape cases
Concluded that 20% of cases were precipitated
Controversial study

7. Victims’ Rights Movement
1960s – focus on how criminal justice system dealt with victims
1966 – President’s Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice
1st government sponsored victimization survey
National Crime Survey – became National Crime Victimization Survey
Shed light on how much crime went unreported (Dark Figure of Crime)
Identified why people were reluctant to report to law enforcement

8. Victims’ Rights Movement
Other social movements contributed to creation of Victims’ Rights Movement
Women’s Movement
Brought attention to violence against women
Also brought attention to effects of victimization on children
Revictimization by CJ system highlighted
Civil Rights Movement
Brought attention to mistreatment of minorities by CJ system as both offenders and victims

9. Contributions of Victims’ Rights Movement
1965 – California – first victim compensation program
1972 – 3 victim assistance programs developed across the U.S.
1974 – first prototypes of Victim/Witness Assistance programs
Funded by Federal Law Enforcement Assistance Administration

10. Development of Victim Organizations
Not all victims were provided advocacy services
Secondary victims – people affected by the victimization of a loved one
Some organizations to address secondary victims (ex. Parents of Murdered Children)
National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA)
Developed in 1975 to consolidate purposes of victims’ rights movement

11. Legislation and Policy
1979/1980 – Wisconsin was the first state to pass Victims’ Bill of Rights
1980 – NOVA policy platform
1980 – Presidential Task Force on Victims of Crime
4 main initiatives
Federal legislation for state victim compensation and local assistance programs
Recommendations for those that work with victims
Creation of task force on family violence
Recommended Victims’ Rights Amendment

12. Legislation and Policy
1984 – Victims of Crime Act (VOCA)
Established Crime Victims Funds
Established Office for Victims of Crime
1994 – Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act
Included Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)
1998 – New Directions from the Field
Investigated where we were at with recommendations from Presidential Task Force
1990s – State efforts to afford victims rights
2004 – Justice for All Act

13. Victimology Today What do we study today? The Crime Victim
The Causes of Victimization
The Costs of Victimization
The Crime Victim and the Criminal Justice System
The Crime Victim and Social Services
Prevention