HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND

VICTIMOLOGY
RANDALL LYN B. BLASCO, RCRIM.
THEORIES OF VICTIMIZATION
Victimization is the outcome of deliberate action taken
by a person or institution to exploit, oppress, or harm another, or
to destroy or illegally obtain another’s property or possessions.
The Latin word victima means “sacrificial animal,” but the term
victim has evolved to include a variety of targets, including
oneself, another individual, a household, a business, the state, or
the environment. The act committed by the offender is usually a
violation of a criminal or civil statute but does not necessarily
have to violate a law. Harm can include psychological/emotional
damage, physical or sexual injury, or economic loss.
 The noun “victimization” has two
meanings, “an act that exploits or victimizes
someone” and “adversity resulting from being
made a victim”.
 Victim Precipitation Theory

Definition
 Victim precipitation is a criminology theory that
analyzes how a victim's interaction with an
offender may contribute to the crime being
committed.
 The phrase 'victim precipitation' was first
introduced by 20th century criminologist Marvin
Wolfgang, in his article entitled Victim Precipitated
Criminal Homicide.
 1. The Victim Precipitation Theory
 The victim precipitation theory views victimology from the
standpoint that the victims themselves may actually initiate,
either passively or actively, the criminal act that ultimately
leads to injury or death.
 During passive precipitation, the victim unconsciously
exhibits behaviors or characteristics that instigate or
encourage the attack.
 Siegel (2006) lists job promotions, job status, successes, love
interests, and the like as examples of these unconscious
behaviors and characteristics.
Additionally, political activists, minority groups, those of
different sexual orientations, and other individuals
pursuing lifestyles may also find themselves as targets of
violence due to the inadvertent threat they pose to certain
individuals of power.
Essentially, the victim precipitation theory focuses on the
idea that passive precipitation of violence is a result of
power struggle.
Active precipitation, on the other hand, is the opposite of
the afore-described. Victimization under this theory
occurs through threatening or provocative actions of the
victim.
Example of Victim Precipitation
Active Precipitation
• A woman kills her husband due to a prolonged history of
regular domestic violence.
• In the midst of a heated argument, the victim physically
lashes out at the offender, causing him to shove or hit the
victim so hard that he/she falls and gravely injures
himself/herself.
• Constant derogation and humiliation of an employee, in
public, by the employer, causes the employee to lash out and
physically harm the employer.
• A drunken man engages in eve-teasing a woman, keeps
chasing her, and eventually tries to get physical with her. In
desperation, the woman reaches for any sharp object she can
find, and stabs the man.
Passive Precipitation
• The horrifying practice of lynching (hate crime) that was
carried out by Americans against people of African origins,
due to racism.
• One employee is passed over for a promotion that is offered to
his/her colleague (victim). This motivates him to physically
harm or spread rumors about the victim.
• Two men competing for the love of the same woman may
indulge in antagonistic acts towards each other.
• The act of terrorism against a select community of people.
 Lifestyle Theory
Lifestyle-exposure theory more commonly known as Lifestyle
theory was developed in 1978 by Michael Hindelang, Michael
Gottfredson, and James Garofalo when they published a book
titled: Victims of Personal Crime: An Emprical Foundation for a
Theory of Personal Victimization. Through the research for this
book it was found that in a person’s victimization they can play a
more suitable target for an offender. With the development of
this theory it opened new doors in the world of victimology by
suggesting that choices a victim makes in their every life and
dealings with others can either increase their chances at being
victimized or it can decrease their chances (Hindelang,
Gottfredson, Garofalo).
 Lifestyles are patterned, regular, recurrent
routine activities. Lifestyle can be defined as an
activity that a person would engage in on a daily
basis, including both obligatory activities, such as
work or school, and leisure activities (Lifestyle,
2011). This theory of victimization recognizes that
every person takes different paths, has different
routines, and life exposures. Lifestyle Theory
takes a unique approach by focusing and studying
the crime victim rather than just the perpetrator.
2. Lifestyle Theory
 This theory purports that individuals are targeted based on
their lifestyle choices, and that these lifestyle choices
expose them to criminal offenders and situations in which
crimes may be committed.
 Examples of lifestyle choices indicated by this theory
include going out at night alone, living in “bad” parts of
town, associating with known felons, being promiscuous,
excessive alcohol use, and doing drugs.
 The lifestyle theory cites research that victims “share
personality traits also commonly found in law violators,
namely impulsivity and low self control” (Siegel, 2006).
 Lifestyle theory in criminal justice focuses on crime victims
rather than perpetrators. For perpetrators, there is closely
related “routine activity” theory, which stresses the lack of
people and social structures that deter criminal activities. The
main issue is that crime victims often become victims
because of their own choices as to where to live, how to
socialize and other lifestyle-related variables.
Features
According to lifestyle theory, people become victims of
crime because they do not exercise intelligent or rational
choice when putting themselves in social institution. In
general, such social situations refer to the peer group,
friends, social world and environment. Criminologist Larry
Siegel holds that such things as an all-male peer group,
urban environments, weapons-carrying and excessive
partying are all tightly correlated with becoming victims of
crime.
Function
Lifestyle theory places the reality of victimization
in the choices of the person. As a result, this falls
under the category of a “rational choice” theory.
This means that crime, whether in its commission
or victimization, is based on the choices of both
groups. People put themselves in harm’s way when
they mix with the wrong people and in the wrong
situations.
Benefits
Lifestyle theory holds that if a person changes his
life choices, he will become likely to be victimized.
For example, a person can change friends, move to
rural area and stop going to bars. This, according to
this approach, will lessen the chances of the
person’s becoming a victim. Lifestyle changes, in
short, can reduce crime risk.
Effects
While stressing choice, this approach also stresses
social life. Social life, this theory implies, is itself a
set of choices. Crime is then based on victim’s who
deliberately put themselves in harm’s way by
identifying with those people or situations prone to
crime.
THANK YOU!