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Home » Consumer Information » Crime

Victimology

Victimology is the scientific study of people who have been victims of a crime and the lasting effects they must deal with afterwards. There are several factors involved in this phenomenon, such as whether or not the victim knew the perpetrator (and if so, how well), if the victim was injured physically, where the crime took place (in the victim's home, a favorite store or a random location) and any monetary loss that was incurred as a result of the crime.

Post-Crime Effects

Being the victim of a crime may affect people in different manners. Everyone reacts in their own way to a stressful or dangerous situation, but those who study victimology look for common threads to help understand what crime victims go through and how they deal with the situation on a long term basis. A few factors are considered for these studies:

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

People who are put through a traumatic experience such as being victimized often go through a period of high anxiety and difficulty following the stressful event. There are many symptoms of this disorder.

Victims will often replay the entire event in their minds over and over. This causes them to mentally relive the crime on an ongoing basis and feel as if they were still in that moment. People who suffer from these repeated memories often have a very difficult time returning to normal life and regular daily activities.

A victim may also lose all interest in what is happening during the present and feel like they do not have a future. They can go through a period of feeling completely numb inside and unattached from the real world. This can cause people to basically enclose themselves in an emotional cocoon and shut friends and family out entirely.

Following a dangerous situation, some people will become very angry or paranoid, and feel like they may be in danger again at any moment. They may find it difficult to sleep because they are constantly in fear and on the lookout. A person who is experiencing these feelings will have a hard time focusing on anything else, and might consider everyone around them to be a danger.

Another result of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder can be poor health due to stress, anxiety of the lack of a proper diet which often accompanies these feelings. Anyone who is suffering from this disorder should seek help immediately.

Injuries

A very common result of being the victim of a crime is a physical injury. Many victims are left seriously hurt and in need of immediate medical attention. Some estimates indicated that up to one third of all crime victims are injured in some way.

Monetary Loss

One of the primary ways in which people are victimized is by loss of property or money. Muggers, thieves and other criminals are responsible for the loss of many millions of dollars every year. Crime victims will often have to spend even more money after the fact to seek the treatment that they may require should they suffer from Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, injuries or other afflictions as a result of the crime.

The Stockholm Syndrome

In some cases, crime victims begin to relate and even sympathize with the people who are victimizing them. The name, The Stockholm Syndrome, comes from a famous bank robbery that took place in Stockholm in 1973. Four hostages were taken by the bank robbers, and when they were rescued, they wanted to stay with their captors. Each hostage refused to testify and they even attempted to raise money for the robbers to get them the best legal defense possible. Those who suffer from The Stockholm Syndrome have usually spent several days as a hostage, during which time they did everything possible to appease their captors and began to see them as absolute authority figures and even friends or loved ones.

Victimologists will continue to study the effects that crime have on the people who suffer through them. The goal is always to get a better understanding in order to help the victims return to their normal lives.