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Victimology

Victimology is a field that studies the relationship between victims and offenders, with significant contributions from figures like Margaret Fry and Benjamin Mendelsohn. The United Nations has defined 'victims' as individuals who have suffered harm due to criminal acts, regardless of the perpetrator's status. This definition encompasses direct victims, their families, and those who assist victims, highlighting the emotional suffering often experienced by victims.

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Sonil Khare
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10 views1 page

Victimology

Victimology is a field that studies the relationship between victims and offenders, with significant contributions from figures like Margaret Fry and Benjamin Mendelsohn. The United Nations has defined 'victims' as individuals who have suffered harm due to criminal acts, regardless of the perpetrator's status. This definition encompasses direct victims, their families, and those who assist victims, highlighting the emotional suffering often experienced by victims.

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Sonil Khare
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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The word Victimology is a new coinage and has gained considerable importance due to the

untiring work of Miss Margaret Fry of the John Howard Association of England, Benjamin
Mendelsohn, who in 1937 developed a scientific method for the study of the criminal act which
utilized biopsycho- social data on the criminal, on the victim and on the witnesses bystanders,
and the World Society of Victimology having been himself the victim of discrimination,
Mendelsohn became interested in the victim and in his/hers relationship with the criminal."
Schafer defines Victimology as "the study of criminal victim relationship". Drapin and Viano
define it as "that branch of criminology which primarily studies the victim of crime and everything
that is concerned with such a victim". In the words of Fattah: "While studying biological,
sociological, psychological, and criminological details about the victim -victimology brings into
focus the victim-offender relationship and role played by victim."

The 7th United Nations Congress on Prevention of Crime and Treatment of Offenders came out
with a declaration of basic principles of Justice of Victims of crime and abuse of power, which
was later adopted by the U.N. General Assembly. In the declaration, the U.N. defined the
"Victims of Crime" as follows:

1. "Victims" means persons who, individually or collectively, have suffered harm, including
physical or mental injury, emotional suffering, economic loss or substantial impairment of their
fundamental rights, through acts or omissions that are in violation of criminal laws operative
within Member States, including those laws prescribing criminal abuse of power.

2. A person may be considered a victim, under this Declaration, regardless of whether the
perpetrator is identified, apprehended, prosecuted or convicted and regardless of the familial
relationship between the perpetrator and the victim. The term "victim" also includes, where
appropriate, the immediate family or dependants of the direct victim and persons who have
suffered harm in intervening to assist victims in distress or to prevent victimization. Victims are
several time suffering emotionally the most.

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