CRIM 101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Victimology, Victim Blaming, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Document Summary
Victims have to be willing to report the crime/press charges and be prepared to testify in court about the experience. Victimologists: study the victim experience and larger victimization trends. Victimology focus on the study of victims. Criminology focus on the study of criminals. Victims represented by a crown counsel at trial. Criminals represented by their own private attorney. Victim: a person harmed, injured or killed as a result of a crime, accident, or other event or action. A person"s status as a victim is tied to the idea of culpability. Culpability: deserving of blame; guilty of wrongdoing. Primary victims = actual victim, suffers direct harm/injury as a result of the event. Secondary victims = witnesses/bystanders did not suffer direct harm/injury, but may be transmatized. Actual victim : a person who is the direct target of victimization; Direct victims: a person who is present at the time of victimization and experiences harm.