What is victimology? The science of the psychological characteristics of victims

2024 Author: Miguel Ramacey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 06:11

Have you ever wondered why some people are constantly attacked? Robbery, steal things, maybe even raped or beaten? And others are not touched and such misfortunes bypass them? How do these types of people differ on a psychological level and why do the former attract maniacs and rapists?

You can determine what victimology is from the name. Science (Logos) about victims (Viktima). A variation of it is criminological victimology, which studies the behavior of victims of criminals. What is the difference between the behavior of people who consider themselves a victim at the subconscious level? Let's take a closer look.

History

The development of victimology began before our era. In the myths of Ancient Greece there are references to Orestes. The parable tells of a father who sacrificed his daughter. As a result, he was killed by her mother, and she, in turn, was killed by her son. Such a scheme became the basis of the justice of the ancient Greeks and was considered fair for that time. Thinker Anaximander (Ancient Greece, approximately610-547 BC e.) wrote:

"And the innocent have something to repent of!"

Thus, the victim was held responsible for the offender's actions. It was proposed to evaluate their behavior and identify their own mistakes that prompted the criminal to act.

In Buddhism there is a saying: "He who does not carry evil in himself, he will not receive evil." This leads to a causal relationship between the victim and the perpetrator. Criminology will consider the same later.

With the development of culture, victimology acquires clearer postulates and beliefs. Science is developing and the views of scientists on the psychological connection between victims of violent acts and their tormentors is changing. The path of development of victimology is also changing.

Science

What is victimology? There are three main definitions of this science:

1. Auxiliary in criminology. It is studied during the course of criminal law and forensic science.
2. Independent victimology, as a science about the psychological characteristics of victims. The subject of its study is not only the victim of a criminal offender. The study includes individuals suffering from psychological pressure at home or at work.
3. Victimology defines one of the branches of criminology and does not exist as a separate science.

Victimology in Russia

The domestic science of the psychology of the victim began to develop in the 1960s. Its prerequisites were laid with the idea that it is possible to study the motivation of a criminal only withusing the portrait of the target of his attack. Given the fact that the victim is usually available, unlike the perpetrator, who must be caught. Therefore, looking at the perpetrator of the crime from the opposite side contributes to his best perception.

The founder of the science of victimology in our country was L. V. Franc. His paper on the importance of studying the psychology of the victim, published in 1966, created a buzz and received many positive responses. Frank would later publish a book in which, for the first time, Soviet society would be revealed in a victimological context. It is interesting that the author sees the victims not only as direct participants in illegal actions. This definition includes both the relatives of the victim and those who are considered to be the guilty victims. In the 21st century, the concept of what is victimology has expanded and captured the world, in addition to its criminal side. The victim began to be studied in everyday life.

The purpose of knowledge

The concept and subject of victimology is characterized by the study of the influence of the psychological state of the victim on the attacker. The properties of the victim's temperament are called victimization. It turns out that a person initially has psychological properties, a predisposition to becoming a victim of crime. For example, victims of scammers tend to trust strangers, are poorly versed in life, are often greedy or low-income, and believe in omens.

Psychology of the victim

Everyone has at least one familiar person with whom something bad constantly happens. Hispursue situations with aggression directed at him. He can get hit by a car or his wallets and phones are constantly stolen from him. The internal psychological state that creates all these troubles around him is the subject of the science of victimology.

Victim Psychology Factors

The main categories of victimology that affect the nature of the crime have been identified by scientists relatively recently:

• Murderers are attracted to people who are self-centered and not afraid to take risks. They differ in that they do not think about the consequences of their own actions. Often the future victim is familiar with his killer. She is characterized by aggressiveness, conflict, addiction to alcohol or illegal substances.
• The ideal victim of rapists is characterized by: promiscuity in acquaintances and inner immaturity as a person. Such people are infantile and have little experience in relationships with the opposite sex, they can be either too modest or, on the contrary, attract everyone's attention with outrageous antics.
• Victims of fraudsters are determined by greed and gullibility.
• The domestic aggressor keeps his victim under vigilant influence, parasitizing on her feelings. The person suffering from his actions depends financially or physically, it can be any member of the family (wife, mother, child, cohabitant, etc.). As a rule, these are impressionable people with a weak will.

Given that each case of violence is purely individual, psychologists were able to select some features inherent in the emotional state of the victim at the time of the crime.

How is the psychology of a victim different?

What is victimology in a victim-perpetrator relationship? Why does a person suddenly become a victim of a crime? What behavior leads them to this sad outcome? Victimology in the behavior of the victim highlights common features:

1. Self-esteem. A person does not love himself so much that it manifests itself even outwardly. It is easy to identify such a person in a crowd. Nondescript, shabby clothes, unkempt appearance, extinct look.
2. The desire to merge with the gray mass. The desire to be like everyone else and not stand out from the crowd is inherent in most immigrants from the Soviet Union, where mass character and herd feeling were encouraged. As a rule, such people are afraid to be special, to attract attention. The criminal feels this and can easily identify such a person in the crowd.
3. Not the ability to think and live without relying on outside opinion. This is typical of the majority, we are used to being guided by what people say. It is easy for such individuals to impose any opinion and subdue them. They are chosen by aggressors who use drugs and alcohol.
4. Fear. Typical for domestic violence. Fear of loneliness, publicity, shame and much more. Fear makes a person endure and get used to violence. The vast majority of typical victims consider fear to be normal in their lives.

Moreover, the ideal victim likes to be in this state all the time. It is very difficult to convey to a person that such a perception of reality is harmful, and sometimes dangerous.

Victim complex

Onits appearance is influenced by experiences of events that form a negative psychological perception of the world. These can be critical situations, problems in personal life, world cataclysms, catastrophes, losses and traumatic events. These are situations in which the victim reveals himself:

• Crime. Various types of crimes and attempted crimes, terrorist attacks.
• Violence. Both homemade and sexy.
• Abuse or additive behavior. Different types of addictions, submission to the influence of cults and groups.

Helplessness

A person is constantly in this state. The eternal victim is characterized by the opinion that nothing in life depends on her, she cannot solve problems on her own. The scientist-psychologist M. Seligman defined the concept of learned helplessness. The acquisition of such a state occurs at the moment of the occurrence of events on which a person is not able to independently influence. The victim believes that she is not able to correct events, that everything that happens to her is an accident or conduct. His life does not depend on him. Moreover, a person can receive such a state in his “treasury of feelings” from others. If the society in which he is surrounded has the same views, the victim easily succumbs to them. There is a negative incentive to get out of the victim state, the victim stops competing and loses initiative.

What to do?

How to get out of the state of the victim? Or is it forever? It must be understood that the exit is possible in most cases only under the supervision of a specialist. The process happenspainful, may be accompanied by inappropriate behavior and aggression. The specialist will support at a critical moment and direct emotions in the right direction. The task of the psychologist is to restore the patient's faith in his own strength, to make it clear that he is responsible for his own life on his own. Without support and an objective view of the situation from the outside, it is difficult for a person with victim syndrome to cope.

Stages of changing the consciousness of the victim

Exit from the state of the victim is divided into several stages:

1. Recognition of the problem and awareness of those moments in life that lead to unpleasant situations. This is the most difficult point, since a person who is used to feeling like a victim gets used to this state so much that it is not possible for him to behave in a radically different way. Victims of physical abuse should contact a mental he alth professional who specializes in such patients. First of all, they need to survive the tragedy, and in this case it is not realistic to do it on their own.
2. Kick the habit of complaining. For many of our fellow citizens, this condition is permanent and is considered normal. Complaints about the government, bosses, doctors, shop assistants, neighbors and relatives - all this is considered the norm of everyday life. And this is a huge mistake that affects the subconscious in a detrimental way. If grievances are stuck in the head, but the person understands that they need to be got rid of immediately, then the help of a psychologist will help to cope with the situation. The rest need to abandon the state of helplessness, takeyour life in your own hands and deal with problems, if any. And if not, do not take rudeness and rudeness personally, do not cling to the words and actions of strangers. A lot of vital energy is spent on discontent and complaints. By stopping this bad habit, you will feel a surge of strength and stop attracting situations that provoke criminals to act against you.
3. Love yourself. If a person exudes love, then the world around reflects this feeling and returns him much more in return. Attitude towards yourself should be built on respect, because you, like no one else, know that you are worthy of emotional and physical care. Love yourself even when things are going badly and the mood is at zero. Respect your choice, even if it turned out to be wrong and brought failure. Taking responsibility for one's own body and soul removes the seal of sacrifice from a person. He ceases to demand from other people what he himself is able to provide better and more fully.
4. Positive thinking. It attracts good things to life. Do not cling to troubles, learn to learn from them and continue to live on. A person filled with positive energy changes the energy space around him. Criminals, as people who are mostly destructive and feed on other people's negative emotions, are disturbed by pleasant and energetic opponents. Self-sufficient and well-disposed personalities do not catch their eye.
5. Psychologist. First of all, a specialist is needed for those who have been subjected to any type of physical violence. Secondly, those whohas deep grievances towards relatives (as a rule, these are parents). The impact of these grievances can be traced throughout life and a person may not even realize that the root of most problems is in relation to oneself.

In closing

Victims of criminals more often than others are teenagers and pensioners. It is these categories of citizens who tend to consider themselves incapable of defending themselves, and psychologically attract the criminal to themselves. To prevent the commission of crimes, victimologists have developed a number of measures aimed at increasing the level of protection for people who are potential victims of violence:

• Conducting victim-criminal game scenarios.
• Informing citizens about possible crimes and places where they can occur.
• Security (patrols, rescue services, helplines).
• Counteraction to conflict situations leading to the commission of a crime.

All these measures are carried out on an individual basis. The task of every citizen is to pay attention to children and the elderly, other weak sections of the population, and to prevent crime as far as possible.