Victimology

Victimology

Victimology is the study of victimisation and is primarily concerned with the victims of crime . Essentially , it incorporates the social and psychological dynamics between the victims of crime and the perpetrators of crime . This means that it covers the influences of culture . Social groups , institutions and community networks are all considered as potential mechanisms in the study of victimology . However in the study of criminology the notion of `crime victim ' relates specifically to the type of person or situational factors that lead to an identifiable victim who suffers reciprocated abuse

(Karmen , 1992 According to routine activities theory , crime occurs whenever three core conditions are met in any given context . These conditions are `a suitable target , motivated offender and absence of guardians` (Clarke Felson , 1993 . The rationale is that individuals in a situation have a pre-defined role meaning that people are subject to set power relations According to situated transaction model , victimisation occurs at an interpersonal level that results in crime and victimisation as a contest played out between characters . The associated stages of victimisation are depicted as `insult , clarification , retaliation , counter retaliation , symbolic threat of violence and presence of onlookers` (Luckenbill , 1977 . However , according to Benjamin and Masters , the environmental , situation and also intelligence can be applied to this mechanism is evident . This incorporates the role of identity and does not necessarily see any potential act as one of victim and perpetrator nor the situation as simply being motivated by opportunity (Benjamin Masters . Furthermore , Slack highlights the role of...