LESSON 1: ORIGIN AND CONCEPTS
OVERVIEW
History
o The origin
o The evolution
o Concepts and definitions
1. HISTORY
1.1 THE ORIGIN
Victimology
= The scientific study of the extent, nature, and causes of (criminal) victimization, its consequences for the
individuals involved, and societal responses, particularly those of the police, criminal justice system, as well
as voluntary and welfare services (VWS).
o (Criminal) victimization: Whom do we look at? Looking at victim of a crime (rape, murder) or
victim of an accident (falling down of a roof)?
Often considered a subdiscipline:
o Psychiatry, law, social work…
o However, criminologists have the greatest influence.
o An essential component of offender studies within criminology, it has thus become an integral
part of criminological sciences.
Ppt: Who’s the victim?
o has the most chance to become an victim -> lifestyle theory
o Causes of (criminal) victimization; victim of crime or victim of an accident?
o Societal responses; what the course is about
o Your lifestyle has an impact of becoming a victim
What you do in live has an impact of the changes of become a victim of violent crime
When you also commit acts of violence, the changes are going to be bigger
Leopold Szondi: and his theory genotropism (1930s).
o Theory: Reciprocal attraction of the same/similar recessive genes influencing human behavior
(instinct).
Genes determine who we are attracted to
Was the first theory that dealt with the coming together of perpetrator and victim
According to the theory, victimhood could be explained genetically (never been
, empirically proven)
o Why you would you go for a specific person to attack and no other person?
He said -that there is something in our genes attracted to some people
This is not proven, it is just a theory
It’s a theory about why some people are more likey to become victims of crime
than other, he said it’s something in the genes
Not everyone has an equal opportunity to become a victim
• Victimization is not equaly spread
Ted Bundy (1946-1989): Confirmed 36 victims (women) in the 1970s.
o Bundy = serialkiller from the US, killed 36 people
He selected his victims: watches people in the cafe who comes in, by the way how the woman her body
language was and how she walks that is the thing he based his choice on for choosing the next vitcim
o His ideal victim was someone who has already been victimized before
o Victim Selection:
A matter of opportunity.
, He claimed that he could identify a potential victim by the way she walks
down the street, the way she carries her head, her body language, etc.
Research confirms that victims exhibit certain typical body language, especially in the
way they walk
Once you have been a victim of a crime, you have a certain body language
Psychopaths are more accurate in recognizing potential victims
He could recognize the ideal next victim for him, someone who already been victimized
• Due to victimization, they will be more prone as victim and be easier to approach
Psychopaths can recognize victims much better
• More acurate
There is a selection mechanism
First mention of 'victimology'
Mendelsohn, 1947: first who talked about victimology (during the presentation of a paper)
o Wanted a discipline focusing on victims
o Considered the spiritual father of the victim movement
o Said: need to look at the rol of victims in crime (before 1947 people didn’t care about the victims, the rol of the victim
started after WWII)
He says that the victim starts the violence. And because of that he makes a distinction (onderscheidt) of
passive, active victims
Werthem (1949) also advocates for a "crime victim-centered" science.
o Focused particularly on murder.
First systematic investigation into crime victims by von Hentig (1941, 1948).
o "The Criminal and his Victim" (1948). Part 4: "The Victim's contribution to the genesis of the
crime."
Critique of the one-dimensional perspective within criminology.
V First time of studying how a victim contributes to his victimization/ crime
How does crime occur
Not based on data, it’s more reflective
More philosophical trade
o Focused on how a victim contributed to his own victimization
o "The law considers certain results and the final moves which lead to them. Here it makes a clear-
cut distinction between the one who does and the one who suffers. Looking into the genesis of
, the situation, in a considerable number of cases, we meet a victim who consents tacitly,
cooperates, conspires, or provokes. The victim is one of the causative elements" (p. 436).
It’s about the one who does (offender) and the one who consider (victim)
o Exam: who was Von Hentig?: He was the first one who systematically investigated the victims of
crimes.
Victim precipitation (VP) = theory that suggests a victim may contribute to their own victimization through their actions,
behaviors, or decisions. It is often divided into two types:
o Active Precipitation – When the victim provokes or instigates an attack, either verbally or physically.
o Passive Precipitation – When the victim unknowingly encourages an attack due to certain traits, behaviors, or social
status.
Number of theoretical studies:
o on victim types, the relationship between victim and offender, and the role victims play in certain
criminal phenomena
Number of empirical studies:
o Murder, rape, theft, assault, fraud, extortion,...
o Martin Wolfgang: "victim precipitated criminal homicide" (1957).
Studied 588 murder cases between 1948-1952 in Philadelphia
26% VP cases where the victim was the first to engage in violence and later been murdered
o In a way the victim is not natural
Sometimes it’s the fault of the victim
o Menachem Amir: "Victim precipitated forcible rape" (1967).
Active 'contribution': accepting a drink from a stranger, riding with a stranger.
OVERVIEW
History
o The origin
o The evolution
o Concepts and definitions
1. HISTORY
1.1 THE ORIGIN
Victimology
= The scientific study of the extent, nature, and causes of (criminal) victimization, its consequences for the
individuals involved, and societal responses, particularly those of the police, criminal justice system, as well
as voluntary and welfare services (VWS).
o (Criminal) victimization: Whom do we look at? Looking at victim of a crime (rape, murder) or
victim of an accident (falling down of a roof)?
Often considered a subdiscipline:
o Psychiatry, law, social work…
o However, criminologists have the greatest influence.
o An essential component of offender studies within criminology, it has thus become an integral
part of criminological sciences.
Ppt: Who’s the victim?
o has the most chance to become an victim -> lifestyle theory
o Causes of (criminal) victimization; victim of crime or victim of an accident?
o Societal responses; what the course is about
o Your lifestyle has an impact of becoming a victim
What you do in live has an impact of the changes of become a victim of violent crime
When you also commit acts of violence, the changes are going to be bigger
Leopold Szondi: and his theory genotropism (1930s).
o Theory: Reciprocal attraction of the same/similar recessive genes influencing human behavior
(instinct).
Genes determine who we are attracted to
Was the first theory that dealt with the coming together of perpetrator and victim
According to the theory, victimhood could be explained genetically (never been
, empirically proven)
o Why you would you go for a specific person to attack and no other person?
He said -that there is something in our genes attracted to some people
This is not proven, it is just a theory
It’s a theory about why some people are more likey to become victims of crime
than other, he said it’s something in the genes
Not everyone has an equal opportunity to become a victim
• Victimization is not equaly spread
Ted Bundy (1946-1989): Confirmed 36 victims (women) in the 1970s.
o Bundy = serialkiller from the US, killed 36 people
He selected his victims: watches people in the cafe who comes in, by the way how the woman her body
language was and how she walks that is the thing he based his choice on for choosing the next vitcim
o His ideal victim was someone who has already been victimized before
o Victim Selection:
A matter of opportunity.
, He claimed that he could identify a potential victim by the way she walks
down the street, the way she carries her head, her body language, etc.
Research confirms that victims exhibit certain typical body language, especially in the
way they walk
Once you have been a victim of a crime, you have a certain body language
Psychopaths are more accurate in recognizing potential victims
He could recognize the ideal next victim for him, someone who already been victimized
• Due to victimization, they will be more prone as victim and be easier to approach
Psychopaths can recognize victims much better
• More acurate
There is a selection mechanism
First mention of 'victimology'
Mendelsohn, 1947: first who talked about victimology (during the presentation of a paper)
o Wanted a discipline focusing on victims
o Considered the spiritual father of the victim movement
o Said: need to look at the rol of victims in crime (before 1947 people didn’t care about the victims, the rol of the victim
started after WWII)
He says that the victim starts the violence. And because of that he makes a distinction (onderscheidt) of
passive, active victims
Werthem (1949) also advocates for a "crime victim-centered" science.
o Focused particularly on murder.
First systematic investigation into crime victims by von Hentig (1941, 1948).
o "The Criminal and his Victim" (1948). Part 4: "The Victim's contribution to the genesis of the
crime."
Critique of the one-dimensional perspective within criminology.
V First time of studying how a victim contributes to his victimization/ crime
How does crime occur
Not based on data, it’s more reflective
More philosophical trade
o Focused on how a victim contributed to his own victimization
o "The law considers certain results and the final moves which lead to them. Here it makes a clear-
cut distinction between the one who does and the one who suffers. Looking into the genesis of
, the situation, in a considerable number of cases, we meet a victim who consents tacitly,
cooperates, conspires, or provokes. The victim is one of the causative elements" (p. 436).
It’s about the one who does (offender) and the one who consider (victim)
o Exam: who was Von Hentig?: He was the first one who systematically investigated the victims of
crimes.
Victim precipitation (VP) = theory that suggests a victim may contribute to their own victimization through their actions,
behaviors, or decisions. It is often divided into two types:
o Active Precipitation – When the victim provokes or instigates an attack, either verbally or physically.
o Passive Precipitation – When the victim unknowingly encourages an attack due to certain traits, behaviors, or social
status.
Number of theoretical studies:
o on victim types, the relationship between victim and offender, and the role victims play in certain
criminal phenomena
Number of empirical studies:
o Murder, rape, theft, assault, fraud, extortion,...
o Martin Wolfgang: "victim precipitated criminal homicide" (1957).
Studied 588 murder cases between 1948-1952 in Philadelphia
26% VP cases where the victim was the first to engage in violence and later been murdered
o In a way the victim is not natural
Sometimes it’s the fault of the victim
o Menachem Amir: "Victim precipitated forcible rape" (1967).
Active 'contribution': accepting a drink from a stranger, riding with a stranger.
