The Many Parallels between Criminology and Victimology
Even though it is a rapidly evolving subdiscipline, victimology parallels its parent, criminology, in many ways. Criminologists ask why certain indivi- duals become involved in lawbreaking while others do not. Their studies concentrate on the offenders’- backgrounds and motives in order to uncover the root causes of their misbehavior. Victimologists ask why some individuals, households, and entities (such as banks) are targeted while others are not. Research projects aim to discover the sources of vulnerability to criminal attack and the reasons why some victims might act carelessly, behave recklessly, or even instigate others to attack them.
Criminologists recognize that most people occa- sionally break certain laws (especially during adoles- cence) but are otherwise law-abiding; only some who engage in delinquent acts graduate to become hardcore offenders and career criminals. Victimolo- gists realize that anyone can suffer the misfortune of being at the wrong place at the wrong time but wonder why certain individuals are preyed upon over and over again.
Although the law holds offenders personally accountable for their illegal conduct, criminologists explore how social, economic, and political condi- tions “breed” or foster or generate criminal activity. Similarly, although certain victims might be accused of sharing some degree of responsibility with their offenders for the outbreak of specific incidents, vic- timologists examine personality traits, agents of socialization, and cultural imperatives that compel some people to take chances and put their lives in danger (like teenagers), while others seem to accept their fate. Just as aggressive criminal behavior can be learned, victims may have been taught to lead high- risk lifestyles or alternatively, even to play and accept their subordinate roles.
Both criminologists and victimologists place a great emphasis on following the proper ways of gathering and interpreting data as evidence. Crim- inologists and victimologists calculate statistics, compute rates, compile profiles, draw graphs, and search for patterns and trends. Criminologists col- lect and analyze information about individuals engaging in illegal behaviors, especially their typical ages and social backgrounds (such as educational attainments and income levels). Victimologists look over statistics about the sex, ages, and social backgrounds of the people who are harmed by unlawful activities.
Criminologists apply their findings to devise local, regional, and national crime-prevention strat- egies. Victimologists scrutinize the patterns and trends they detect to learn from other people’s mis- fortunes and mistakes. They then develop person- alized victimization-prevention strategies and risk reduction tactics.
Both criminologists and victimologists study how the criminal justice system actually works, in
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9781337027786, Crime Victims: An Introduction to Victimology, Ninth Edition, Karmen – © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. No distribution allowed without express authorization.
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contrast to the way the system is supposed to oper- ate according to agency regulations, official roles, federal and state legislation, court decisions, and politicians’ promises. Criminological research reveals how suspects, defendants, and convicts are really handled, while victim-centered studies exam- ine the way injured parties are actually treated by police officers, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and judges. Criminologists assess the needs of offenders for counseling, psychotherapy, additional educa- tion, job training, and drug treatment. In addition, criminologists evaluate the effectiveness of various rehabilitation programs offered behind bars or avail- able to probationers or parolees that are intended to reduce recidivism rates. Similarly, victimologists want to diagnose the emotional problems that beset people after they have been harmed by offen- ders, and to test out the usefulness of programs designed to facilitate their recovery (see Lurigio, 1990; and Roberts, 1990). Criminologists try to calculate the social and economic costs that criminal activity imposes on a community or on society as a whole. Victimologists estimate the losses and expenses that individuals and businesses incur due to acts of violence, theft, or fraud.
The Many Parallels between Criminology and Victimology
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