The Four Theories of Victimization
Updated on August 22, 2014
According to Jennifer Truman of the U.S. Department of Justice, "During 2010, U.S. residents age 12 and older experienced an estimated 18.7 million violent and property crime victimizations (2011). While this rate is down from previous years, this number is disturbing.
The noun "victimization" in this report has two meanings, "an act that exploits or victimizes someone" and "adversity resulting from being made a victim" (Victimization, N.d). Despite these two descriptions of the same word, both illustrate the problem of victimization, especially in number as high as the U.S experiences each year. As a method of countering the problem of crime, and of dealing with the numerous victims left in their wake, criminologists turn to the study of victims and their relationship to the criminal act. While caring and understanding the pain and anguish of the victim and their circle of social influence is of essential, as is providing treatment and counseling; criminologists now view the role of the victim in the criminal process as imperative to understanding the crime itself. Studying and researching victimology helps in gaining a better understanding of both the victim, as well as the criminal, and how the crime may have been precipitated.