Victimology

Victimology is the scientific study of victims of crime, including the relationship between victims and offenders and the interactions between victims and the criminal justice system.

  • Shift in Focus: Historically, criminology focused almost entirely on the criminal. Victimology shifts the focus to the victim, ensuring they are not forgotten by the legal process.

  • Key Areas of Study:

    • Victim Precipitation: Analyzing if the victim’s behavior contributed to the crime (not to blame the victim, but to understand the crime's mechanics).

    • Victim Compensation: Advocating for the state to provide financial aid to victims of violent crimes (e.g., Section 357A of the CrPC/Section 396 of the BNSS).

    • Secondary Victimization: Addressing the trauma caused to the victim by the insensitive behavior of police, lawyers, or the media during the trial.

  • Objective: To move toward Restorative Justice, where the goal is to repair the harm caused to the victim rather than just punishing the offender.


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