Victimology Concepts and Theories

Vulnerability in Victimology

• Biological vs. Social Vulnerability: Refers to innate traits versus societal conditions that can affect victimization risk.
• Target Gratifiability: Victims possessing valuable goods that entice offenders.
• Target Antagonism: Personal traits, like being part of a minority, that may provoke offenders.

Key Concepts in Victimology

• Precipitation: Actions that might provoke offender behavior.
  • Active Precipitation: Deliberate provocation, like initiating a fight.
  • Passive Precipitation: Unintentional traits that may antagonize offenders.
• Facilitation: Victims unintentionally create opportunities for crime through negligence.
• Impunity: Some individuals, such as sex workers, face challenges in reporting crimes, increasing their vulnerability.

Lifestyle/Exposure Model of Victimization

• Victimization rates are correlated with demographics: age, gender, and marital status.
• Younger, male, and single individuals are more likely to be victimized.
• Family Income Influence: Affects lifestyle choices, living conditions, and social interactions impacting victimization risk.
• Preconditions for Victimization: Involves the presence of both offender and victim, timing, and location. The offender must perceive the victim as a suitable target.

Opportunity Model of Victimization

• Five Factors for Victimization:
  • Exposure: Visibility and accessibility increase the chance of encounter with offenders.
  • Proximity: The physical closeness of potential victims to potential offenders affects victimization risk.
  • Guardianship: Presence of protective individuals or objects can deter crime.
  • Target Attractiveness: Desirability of the victim or their property influences offender motivation.
  • Properties of Offences: Specific characteristics of crimes can limit offender actions.

High-Risk Activities

• Certain occupations, such as police officers and medical professionals, more frequently expose individuals to victimization.
• Engaging in activities like sex work can lead to dangerous environments.

Defensive and Avoidance Behavior

• Individuals’ attitudes towards risks contribute to their victimization likelihood.
• Risk-takers face higher victimization rates compared to those who are risk-averse.

Structural and Cultural Proneness

• Powerlessness and deprivation correlate with increased victimization frequencies.

Extended Low Self-Control Theory

• Low self-control leads to higher likelihood of immediate gratification-seeking behaviors without considering long-term consequences.
• Elements influencing self-control:
  • Future Orientation: Ability to delay gratification correlates with self-control.
  • Empathy: Low empathy diminishes social connections, increasing victimization risk.
  • Frustration Tolerance: Lower tolerance increases vulnerability due to potential anger responses.

Theoretical Developments

• Socio-Structural Perspective:
  • Considers how economic and power structures lead to victimization.
• Socio-Cultural Perspective (Feminist view):
  • Reflects historical treatment of women, depicting victimization as rooted in male dominance.
• Physical Milieu Perspective:
  • Associates victimization with residence in high-crime or impoverished areas.

Interactionist and Social Exchange Perspectives

• Socio-Interactionist Perspective: Focuses on interactions leading to victimization; includes active and passive precipitation concepts.
• Social Exchange Perspective: Highlights imbalance in interactions, e.g., elderly dependence leading to potential exploitation.

Learned Helplessness Theory

• Describes passive behaviors in uncontrollable situations, promoting feelings of helplessness that can result in depression and anxiety.