Introduction to Theoretical Victimology
This content discusses the concept and implications of victimology, exploring the various meanings of the term "victim" and how it is used in different contexts. It delves into the importance of theory in victimology and the dynamics of victim status and agency. The presentation aims to shed light on the complexities surrounding victims and their portrayal in society.
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Presentation Transcript
Introduction to Theoretical Victimology Bhanu Prakash Nunna Doctoral Research Scholar OP Jindal Global University India Lecture 2 3rdInternational Conference and Course on Victimology 27-29 November 2018 Surabaya, Indonesia
Todays presentation This lecture has the purpose of convincing you: Theory in victimology is necessary. 2 2/19/2025 3rd International Course and Conference on Victimology, Surabaya, Indonesia
What is a victim in victimology? Victimology Victima (Lat.) : the victim Logos (Greek) theory, body of knowledge Many other words Victim has several meanings o Something that is sacrificed for a higher purpose o Something that is damaged In Victimology, we do not look at the sacrifice. We look only at the damaged. 3 2/19/2025 3rd International Course and Conference on Victimology, Surabaya, Indonesia
The word victim is used in many contexts Know your question know the context of the term I am a victim of racism. I am a victim of discrimination. I am a victim of religious intolerance. I am a victim of cancer. Trump claims that the poor white Americans are victims of Obama s politics. 4 2/19/2025 3rd International Course and Conference on Victimology, Surabaya, Indonesia
Using the concept victim Sarcastic tone for non-victim claiming to be a victim . Why do we do that? The victim status gives a strong position! They are uncontestable You loose respectability and status if you attack them, if you cast doubt on them! The Victim Status creates respectability It creates attention It liberates from contradictions 5 2/19/2025 3rd International Course and Conference on Victimology, Surabaya, Indonesia
The victim does not act (does not have agency) The victim merely suffers The victim does not have any responsibility The victim is innocent per definitionem. Is this not the dream of all power-holders, to portrait themselves as victims? OF COURSE THIS DOES NOT PERTAIN TO Real VICTIMS of Crime 6 2/19/2025 3rd International Course and Conference on Victimology, Surabaya, Indonesia
The word victim is highjacked What happens here is the setting the scene of the victim status Claiming to be a victim` The humiliating stigma is transformed into a license This license becomes a Magna Charta that permits to say and to do with impunity what is allowed to no one else 7 2/19/2025 3rd International Course and Conference on Victimology, Surabaya, Indonesia
The many connotations of the word victim. Victims or survivors Feminist groups do not like to speak of victims They see in the word a negative labelling Victim is week Victim is unable Victim is incompetent Immediately there comes up the association of the big, bad, offender who is the dangerous foreigner. (Christie: The Ideal Victim) 8 2/19/2025 3rd International Course and Conference on Victimology, Surabaya, Indonesia
Are we all victims? General Victimology Special Victimology Victims of crime, human rights violations and abuse of power 9 2/19/2025 3rd International Course and Conference on Victimology, Surabaya, Indonesia
Theoretical perspectives Traditional Theoretical Perspectives in Victimology Theory Hindelang, Gottfredson & Garofalo (1978) Author Lifestyle-Exposure Theory Routine Activity Theory Cohen & Felson (1979) The Opportunity Model The Differential Risk Model of Criminal Victimization Extended Low Self-Control Theory Cohen, Kleugel & Land (1981) Fattah (1991) Schreck (1999) Extended Control Balance Theory Piquero & Hickman (2003) 10 2/19/2025 3rd International Course and Conference on Victimology, Surabaya, Indonesia
Theoretical perspectives The traditional victimology theories are more criminological in their essence. They talk about crime and why crime happened This does not belong to Victimology 11 2/19/2025 3rd International Course and Conference on Victimology, Surabaya, Indonesia
Definition of Victimization: A Dynamic View Victimizations are Invasions into the Self of the victim In this definition, we see a certain model of a person There is a self, which can be invaded Invasion means a certain penetration there is something around the self There is a kernel 12 2/19/2025 3rd International Course and Conference on Victimology, Surabaya, Indonesia
The Self and the layers Imagine an onion Here is the outer peel Brown and tough Remove it: you come to more tender parts Parts which never have seen the sun Parts which are softer The deeper you go, the softer is the material The softer, the more sensitive to intrusions The less sensitive, the easier it is to intrude The less protected, them more pain is produced by intrusions In the center of the onion, there is the real Self 13 2/19/2025 3rd International Course and Conference on Victimology, Surabaya, Indonesia
Onion Model James (2015) 14 2/19/2025 3rd International Course and Conference on Victimology, Surabaya, Indonesia
The Self and the layers Victimizations are Invasions into the Self of the Victim According to their severity Severity is represented by the deepness of the invasion in this model Victimizations on the surface are light and easy 15 2/19/2025 3rd International Course and Conference on Victimology, Surabaya, Indonesia
Intensity 1st grade Intensity 1st degree Loss of non valuable cheap mass products Different: items that are emotionally loaded The case of theft of an inherited ring 16 2/19/2025 3rd International Course and Conference on Victimology, Surabaya, Indonesia
Intensity 2nd grade The case of burglary Feeling of invasion of privacy Feeling of shattered security Feeling of loss of property Reactions: Anger Fear, Panic attacks Sleeplessness headache 17 2/19/2025 3rd International Course and Conference on Victimology, Surabaya, Indonesia
Invasions: Intensity 3rd grade Imagine Street Robbery First you do not believe what happens This is a joke! Then: panic, anger, nervousness Rage that nobody comes and helps Loss of ability to evaluate social situations properly Loss of ability to self-evaluate behaviour Loss of physical integrity Loss of property Sadness that nothing is like it was before Insecurity! 18 2/19/2025 3rd International Course and Conference on Victimology, Surabaya, Indonesia
Intensity 4th grade Sexual victimization In human interactions, everyone sends and receives signals of sexual content This happens all the time But: that does not correspond to our self image we believe that is only so o in moments where we want this to happen o In moments where we are aware of this Sex offenders grab us exactly at this spot of our self definition 19 2/19/2025 3rd International Course and Conference on Victimology, Surabaya, Indonesia
Intensity 4thgrade (contd) Sexual Victimization Destruction (change) of identity You lived protected in yourself o Now you feel open to the grabbing invasions of everybody o You feel unprotected o You feel insecure and often close to panic You thought you could determine yourself what happens with you (self determination) o Now you feel that you are powerless o You have no autonomy 20 2/19/2025 3rd International Course and Conference on Victimology, Surabaya, Indonesia
Intensity 4thgrade (contd) You felt you were a person with its own dignity and worth Now you feel invaded with dirty shoes and muddy hands There is a good chance that your perception of self (self esteem) is damaged 21 2/19/2025 3rd International Course and Conference on Victimology, Surabaya, Indonesia
Importance of emotional damage Can you live with such a feeling about you and your life? No - but why not? Life-preserving fictions are destroyed These fictions are like a shield around you Now you are forced to live without the protection of these believes This is completely unknown to you 22 2/19/2025 3rd International Course and Conference on Victimology, Surabaya, Indonesia
Intensity 5th grade Severe physical damages lasting physical damages life threatening events damage with high probability of psycho-traumatic consequences o risk of psycho-traumatic damages o quick-tests o very important for early intervention o e.g F. W. Winkel , G. Fischer 23 2/19/2025 3rd International Course and Conference on Victimology, Surabaya, Indonesia
Invasions into the Self This statement about victimization leads necessarily to a more dynamic perspective. The field of reactions is a central part of victimology. Look at reactions, and several most important dimensions of victimology open themselves for inspection: 24 2/19/2025 3rd International Course and Conference on Victimology, Surabaya, Indonesia
Positioning We stand in the beginning of the field of Reactions remember: Victimology deals with victims with victimizations with reactions Now, I have to give you a system (drawers) that helps you to analyze reactions 25 2/19/2025 3rd International Course and Conference on Victimology, Surabaya, Indonesia
What kind of reactions? formal - informal Who reacts? victims? social environment? institutions? wider society? 26 2/19/2025 3rd International Course and Conference on Victimology, Surabaya, Indonesia
System of Reactions (1) HOW (informal or formal) WHO (victims and others) 1. the informal reactions emotional and behavioral reactions to the invasion by the victim then you look at crises reactions and crisis theory you look at shattered assumptions about life in an orderly, manageable world by the immediate social environment then you look at secondary victimization just world theory by the collective (wider) social environment fear of crime structural victimization 27 2/19/2025 3rd International Course and Conference on Victimology, Surabaya, Indonesia
System of Reactions (2) 2. Formal reactions written down therefore not immediately emotional and behavioral like the informal reactions these reactions need a formal material base (laws) and they need a social organization in form of e.g. criminal justice system, compensation system, center piece here is criminal justice reaction famous topic: the victim in the criminal justice system 28 2/19/2025 3rd International Course and Conference on Victimology, Surabaya, Indonesia
System of Reactions (2) for some victimologists the center of the field, especially for those with legal or criminological background but not alone social services medical services victim assistance services compensation schemes restitution programs 29 2/19/2025 3rd International Course and Conference on Victimology, Surabaya, Indonesia
Terima Kasih!! Bhanu Prakash Nunna Email: bpnunna@jgu.edu.in 30 2/19/2025 3rd International Course and Conference on Victimology, Surabaya, Indonesia
