Victimology

Catalog description

Victimology is the study of victims, those who have been directly or indirectly impacted or injured physically, psychologically and/or financially through the commission of a criminal act or acts. In addition to introducing Victimology as a sub-discipline of Criminology, examining its evolution and emerging trends as a social science, this course will explore the following key questions: a) who are victims and how is victimization defined; b) what theories and typologies have been suggested to explain victimization likelihood and the victim-criminal relationship; c) how can we measure and document the extent of victimization; d) what are the consequences and impacts of victimization; e) where does the victim interact within the criminal justice and other systems (e.g., healthcare, media, the defense) and how does the system respond to victims in terms of how victims are treated and what programs and service have been created to assist them; f) what legislative, policy and/or regulatory measures have been generated related to victimization; g) what are some special populations that are impacted by criminal harm, and h) why is it important to focus on and study Victimology. Lastly, Victimology will attempt to find ways to hear the victim voice in order to gain an understanding of the victim perspective. Pre-requisite(s): SOC 101 and SOC 119 .