VICTIMOLOGY
2024-2025
,VICTIMOLOGY
Introduction .....................................................................................................................................................................................5
Final competencies ......................................................................................................................................................................5
Teaching methods........................................................................................................................................................................5
Learning material and exam ........................................................................................................................................................5
Practical .......................................................................................................................................................................................5
Origin and concepts – history ..........................................................................................................................................................7
The origin .....................................................................................................................................................................................7
The evolution ...............................................................................................................................................................................9
1. From “penal victimologie” to general victimology .............................................................................................................10
2. From micro to macro victimology ......................................................................................................................................12
3. From theoretical to applied victimology ............................................................................................................................12
Concepts and definitions ...........................................................................................................................................................13
Victimological perspectives and typologies ...................................................................................................................................15
Introduction: Science and Humanism ........................................................................................................................................15
The Positivist Perspective ..........................................................................................................................................................16
The Radical Perspective .............................................................................................................................................................18
The Feminist Perspective ...........................................................................................................................................................21
1. Feminist Empiricism ...........................................................................................................................................................22
2. Feminist Standpoint ...........................................................................................................................................................23
3. Postmodern Feminism .......................................................................................................................................................23
The Critical Perspective..............................................................................................................................................................24
Hodgepodge? (= mengelmoes) ..................................................................................................................................................25
Etiological victimology and the relationship between victimization and perceptions of insecurity .............................................26
First Victimological Studies ........................................................................................................................................................26
Etiological victimology ...........................................................................................................................................................26
Schafer’s victim precipitation typology ..................................................................................................................................27
'Classical' Theories .....................................................................................................................................................................28
Lifestyle theory.......................................................................................................................................................................28
Routine activity theory ...........................................................................................................................................................29
General Opportunity Theory ..................................................................................................................................................29
Recent Theoretical Insights from Victimological Research & empirical Findings from Victimological Research (see appendices)
...................................................................................................................................................................................................30
APP 1: Common crime, victimization, and urbanity...............................................................................................................30
APP 2&3: Repeat victimization and police reporting .............................................................................................................31
1
, APP 4&5: Informal social control as protection against victimization ...................................................................................32
APP 6: Bullying victimization ..................................................................................................................................................33
APP 7: Public transport victimization .....................................................................................................................................33
Appendices ................................................................................................................................................................................34
Measurement of victimization and characteristics of victimization ..............................................................................................35
Registered crime à police statistics ..........................................................................................................................................35
Funneling proces & dark number ...........................................................................................................................................36
Selection mechanisms ............................................................................................................................................................38
Hidden crime à victimization surveys ......................................................................................................................................41
History ....................................................................................................................................................................................41
Criminological utility of victimization surveys ........................................................................................................................43
Weaknesses of victimization surveys .....................................................................................................................................43
Sources.......................................................................................................................................................................................47
Victim survey, safety monitor ........................................................................................................................................................48
The Safety Monitor ....................................................................................................................................................................48
Modules .................................................................................................................................................................................48
Sampling .................................................................................................................................................................................49
Survey method .......................................................................................................................................................................50
Various sweeps ......................................................................................................................................................................50
Results ....................................................................................................................................................................................51
Number of respondents .............................................................................................................................................................52
Weighting...................................................................................................................................................................................52
Neighborhood issues .................................................................................................................................................................53
Sense of insecurity .....................................................................................................................................................................54
Module insecurity ..................................................................................................................................................................54
Avoidance behavior ...................................................................................................................................................................56
Module victimization and reporting ......................................................................................................................................57
Reporting and filling a compliant ...............................................................................................................................................57
Willingness to report .................................................................................................................................................................58
Satisfaction with police performance ........................................................................................................................................59
In summary ................................................................................................................................................................................62
New Safety Monitor 2025? ........................................................................................................................................................62
The victim and Societal Response .................................................................................................................................................62
The victim and the social construct ...........................................................................................................................................62
Gaining a victim status ...............................................................................................................................................................63
2
, The ‘ideal’ victim ....................................................................................................................................................................63
The ‘cult’ of ‘true’ victimhood ................................................................................................................................................65
Conclusion ..............................................................................................................................................................................65
Societal reactions to victims ......................................................................................................................................................65
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................................................................67
The consequences of Victimization/victimhood............................................................................................................................67
Introduction ...............................................................................................................................................................................67
Consequences of victimhood .....................................................................................................................................................67
the psychological impact........................................................................................................................................................67
the emotional impact .............................................................................................................................................................69
the behavioral impact ............................................................................................................................................................70
the physical impact ................................................................................................................................................................70
the financial impact................................................................................................................................................................70
Factors influencing the severity of the consequences ...............................................................................................................71
Diversity among victims .............................................................................................................................................................72
Guest lecture VSOA (don’t study for the exam).........................................................................................................................74
Restorative Justice (herstelrecht) ..................................................................................................................................................74
The societal context ...................................................................................................................................................................74
Responses to the New Social Defense ...................................................................................................................................74
Abolitionism – Louk Hulsman.................................................................................................................................................75
Restorative justice ..................................................................................................................................................................75
Reintegrative shaming – John Braithwaite.............................................................................................................................75
The concept ...............................................................................................................................................................................76
Programs ....................................................................................................................................................................................77
Limitations, challenges, and unanswered questions .................................................................................................................79
Guest lecture Annemie Van Camp .............................................................................................................................................79
Hate speech, hate crimes and verbal violence ..............................................................................................................................80
Verbal violence ..........................................................................................................................................................................80
Hate Speech ...............................................................................................................................................................................80
Hate Crimes ...............................................................................................................................................................................83
Victim and Criminal Justice ............................................................................................................................................................85
Victims in the Criminal Justice System .......................................................................................................................................85
1. Detection and prosecution.................................................................................................................................................86
2. Sentencing ..........................................................................................................................................................................86
3. Execution of the Sentence .................................................................................................................................................87
3
2024-2025
,VICTIMOLOGY
Introduction .....................................................................................................................................................................................5
Final competencies ......................................................................................................................................................................5
Teaching methods........................................................................................................................................................................5
Learning material and exam ........................................................................................................................................................5
Practical .......................................................................................................................................................................................5
Origin and concepts – history ..........................................................................................................................................................7
The origin .....................................................................................................................................................................................7
The evolution ...............................................................................................................................................................................9
1. From “penal victimologie” to general victimology .............................................................................................................10
2. From micro to macro victimology ......................................................................................................................................12
3. From theoretical to applied victimology ............................................................................................................................12
Concepts and definitions ...........................................................................................................................................................13
Victimological perspectives and typologies ...................................................................................................................................15
Introduction: Science and Humanism ........................................................................................................................................15
The Positivist Perspective ..........................................................................................................................................................16
The Radical Perspective .............................................................................................................................................................18
The Feminist Perspective ...........................................................................................................................................................21
1. Feminist Empiricism ...........................................................................................................................................................22
2. Feminist Standpoint ...........................................................................................................................................................23
3. Postmodern Feminism .......................................................................................................................................................23
The Critical Perspective..............................................................................................................................................................24
Hodgepodge? (= mengelmoes) ..................................................................................................................................................25
Etiological victimology and the relationship between victimization and perceptions of insecurity .............................................26
First Victimological Studies ........................................................................................................................................................26
Etiological victimology ...........................................................................................................................................................26
Schafer’s victim precipitation typology ..................................................................................................................................27
'Classical' Theories .....................................................................................................................................................................28
Lifestyle theory.......................................................................................................................................................................28
Routine activity theory ...........................................................................................................................................................29
General Opportunity Theory ..................................................................................................................................................29
Recent Theoretical Insights from Victimological Research & empirical Findings from Victimological Research (see appendices)
...................................................................................................................................................................................................30
APP 1: Common crime, victimization, and urbanity...............................................................................................................30
APP 2&3: Repeat victimization and police reporting .............................................................................................................31
1
, APP 4&5: Informal social control as protection against victimization ...................................................................................32
APP 6: Bullying victimization ..................................................................................................................................................33
APP 7: Public transport victimization .....................................................................................................................................33
Appendices ................................................................................................................................................................................34
Measurement of victimization and characteristics of victimization ..............................................................................................35
Registered crime à police statistics ..........................................................................................................................................35
Funneling proces & dark number ...........................................................................................................................................36
Selection mechanisms ............................................................................................................................................................38
Hidden crime à victimization surveys ......................................................................................................................................41
History ....................................................................................................................................................................................41
Criminological utility of victimization surveys ........................................................................................................................43
Weaknesses of victimization surveys .....................................................................................................................................43
Sources.......................................................................................................................................................................................47
Victim survey, safety monitor ........................................................................................................................................................48
The Safety Monitor ....................................................................................................................................................................48
Modules .................................................................................................................................................................................48
Sampling .................................................................................................................................................................................49
Survey method .......................................................................................................................................................................50
Various sweeps ......................................................................................................................................................................50
Results ....................................................................................................................................................................................51
Number of respondents .............................................................................................................................................................52
Weighting...................................................................................................................................................................................52
Neighborhood issues .................................................................................................................................................................53
Sense of insecurity .....................................................................................................................................................................54
Module insecurity ..................................................................................................................................................................54
Avoidance behavior ...................................................................................................................................................................56
Module victimization and reporting ......................................................................................................................................57
Reporting and filling a compliant ...............................................................................................................................................57
Willingness to report .................................................................................................................................................................58
Satisfaction with police performance ........................................................................................................................................59
In summary ................................................................................................................................................................................62
New Safety Monitor 2025? ........................................................................................................................................................62
The victim and Societal Response .................................................................................................................................................62
The victim and the social construct ...........................................................................................................................................62
Gaining a victim status ...............................................................................................................................................................63
2
, The ‘ideal’ victim ....................................................................................................................................................................63
The ‘cult’ of ‘true’ victimhood ................................................................................................................................................65
Conclusion ..............................................................................................................................................................................65
Societal reactions to victims ......................................................................................................................................................65
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................................................................67
The consequences of Victimization/victimhood............................................................................................................................67
Introduction ...............................................................................................................................................................................67
Consequences of victimhood .....................................................................................................................................................67
the psychological impact........................................................................................................................................................67
the emotional impact .............................................................................................................................................................69
the behavioral impact ............................................................................................................................................................70
the physical impact ................................................................................................................................................................70
the financial impact................................................................................................................................................................70
Factors influencing the severity of the consequences ...............................................................................................................71
Diversity among victims .............................................................................................................................................................72
Guest lecture VSOA (don’t study for the exam).........................................................................................................................74
Restorative Justice (herstelrecht) ..................................................................................................................................................74
The societal context ...................................................................................................................................................................74
Responses to the New Social Defense ...................................................................................................................................74
Abolitionism – Louk Hulsman.................................................................................................................................................75
Restorative justice ..................................................................................................................................................................75
Reintegrative shaming – John Braithwaite.............................................................................................................................75
The concept ...............................................................................................................................................................................76
Programs ....................................................................................................................................................................................77
Limitations, challenges, and unanswered questions .................................................................................................................79
Guest lecture Annemie Van Camp .............................................................................................................................................79
Hate speech, hate crimes and verbal violence ..............................................................................................................................80
Verbal violence ..........................................................................................................................................................................80
Hate Speech ...............................................................................................................................................................................80
Hate Crimes ...............................................................................................................................................................................83
Victim and Criminal Justice ............................................................................................................................................................85
Victims in the Criminal Justice System .......................................................................................................................................85
1. Detection and prosecution.................................................................................................................................................86
2. Sentencing ..........................................................................................................................................................................86
3. Execution of the Sentence .................................................................................................................................................87
3
