ISU MODULE

LEA 213 - VICTIMOLOGY

1. Title of the Module

Chapter III. VICTIM AND VICTIMIZATION

2. Introduction
This chapter presents victims, types and classes of victims, kinds of crime victim and common victim
behaviors. It also includes the types of victimization, models of victimization, general facts gathered about
victimization, effects and consequences of victimization, trauma in victimization, stages of trauma
recovery and tips to avoid becoming a victim of crime.

3. Learning Outcome
At the end of the topic, the students are expected to:
 Explain the meaning of victims
 Discuss the different types and classes of victims, kinds of crime victim
 List down the common victim behaviors
 Enumerate and discuss the types of victimization
 Discuss the models of victimization
 List down the general facts gathered about victimization
 Discuss the effects and consequences of victimization
 Discuss the trauma in victimization
 Explain the stages of trauma recovery
 Enumerate and discuss the tips to avoid becoming a victim of crime

4. Learning Content

CHAPTER III
VICTIM AND VICTIMIZATION

Who are victims?

Victims, in general, means person who, by reason of natural disaster or man-made cause, individually or
collectively, have suffered harm, including physical or mental injury, emotional suffering, economic loss or
substantial impairment of their fundamental rights, through acts or omissions that are in violation of criminal laws
operative within Member states, including those laws prescribing criminal abuse power.
Victim, in the country, refers to a person who sustains injury or damage as a result of the commission of a
crime.
Victims of crime may be any danger, age, race, or ethnicity. Victimization may happen to an individual,
family, group, or community; and a crime itself may be to a person or property. The impact of crime on an
individual victim, their love ones, and their community depends on a variety of factors, but often crime
victimization has significant emotional, psychological, physical, financial, and social consequences.

MENDELSOHN’S TYPES OF VICTIMS

Mendelsohn interviewed victims to obtain information, his analysis led him to believe that most victims had
an unconscious aptitude for being victimized. The types of victims according to Mendelsohn are:

1. Innocent – portrayed as just being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
2. Victim with only minor guilt and was victimized due to ignorance.
3. Victim who is just as guilty as the offender and the voluntary victim. Suicide case is common to this
category.
4. The victim guiltier than the offender – this category was describe as containing persons who provoked the
criminal or actively induced their own victimization.
5. The Most-Guilty Victim “who is guilty alone” – an attacker killed by a would-be victim in the act of
defending themselves is an example of this.
6. The Imaginary Victim – a victim suffering from mental disorders, or those victims with extreme mental
abnormalities.

According to Mendelsohn, the last five types all contributed somehow to their own injury, and represented as
victim precipitation.

HANS VON HENTIG’S TAXONOMY OF MURDER VICTIMS

1. Depressive type – a victim who lacks ordinary prudence and discretion. It is an easy target, careless and
unsuspecting. They are submissive by virtue of emotional condition.
2. Greedy of gain or Acquisitive type – a victim who lacks all normal inhibitions and well-founded
suspicious. This victim is easily duped because his or her motivation for easy gain lowers his or her
natural tendency to be suspicious.
3. Wanton or Overly Sensual type – a victim where “females weaknesses play a role. This victim is
particularly vulnerable to stresses that occur at a given period of time in the life cycle, such as juvenile
victims. Further, this victim is rule by passion and thoughtlessly seeking pleasure.
4. Tormentor type – the victim of attack from the target of his or her abuse, such as with battered women.
The most primitive way of solving a personal conflict is to annihilate physically the cause of the trouble.
5. Lonesome type – this is the same with the acquisitive type of victim, by virtue of wanting companionship
or affection.
6. Heartbroken type – this victim is emotionally disturbed by virtue of heartaches and pains.

VON HENTIG’ CLASSES OF VICTIM

1. The Young – the young are weak by virtue of age and immaturity.
2. The Female – female is physically less powerful and is easily dominated by male.
3. The Old – the old is incapable of physical defense and the common object of illegal scheme.
4. The Mentally Defective – mentally defective person is unable to think clearly.
5. The Immigrant – Immigrant is unsure of the rules of conduct in the surrounding society.
6. The Minorities – racial prejudice may lead to victimization or unequal treatment by the agency of justice.

KINDS OF CRIME VICTIM

1. Direct or primary Crime Victim – this kind of victim directly suffers the harm or injury which is physical,
psychological, and economic losses.
2. Indirect or Secondary Crime Victim – victims who experience the harm second hand, such as intimate
partners or significant others of rape victims or children of a battered woman. This may include family
members of the primary victims. However, Karmen also included first responders and rescue workers who
race to crime scenes (such as police officers, forensic evidence technicians, paramedics, fire-fighters and the
like) as secondary victims because they are also exposed to emergencies and trauma on such a routine basis
and that they also need emotional support themselves.
3. Tertiary crime victim – victims who experience the harm vicariously, such as through media accounts, the
scared public or community due to watching news regarding crime incidents.

COMMON VICTIM BEHAVIORS

1. Survivors of sexual abuse

 a. It is common for survivors of sexual assault to initially deny they were abused.
b. Many survivors wait until well into their adulthood to share their secret. For many male victims, the
shame and secrecy are compounded by the fear that their own sexuality may have something to do with it,
or at least that others will thinks so.
c. Delayed reporting of sexual abuse is a common, normal reaction from someone who has experienced
traumatic events.
d. Survivors are often terrified that they will not believe and ashamed that they don’t know how to stop the
abuse. Victims often feel trapped between wanting the abuse to stop and being terrified of other people
learning what has been done to them. That fear can keep victims silent while the abuse is going on, and
for years after it has stopped.
e. Many victims continue to have a relationship with their abuser. Though it may be difficult for the public
to understand, it is common for survivors of sexual abuse to continue relationships with their abusers after
the abuse has stopped. Individuals react to trauma in different ways. For example, it is may still feel
affection for them even though they hate the abuse. This is especially normal when the abuser is a
member of the family or a close family friend. It is also common for some victims to maintain contact in
an attempt to regain control over their assault. Others may maintain contact in an attempt to regain a
feeling of normalcy.
f. A victim’s view of the offender’s actions changes over time. An adult understands and views sexuality
very differently than a child. The knowledge we gain with experience and time can give us the tools to
better understand an event that happened when he or she was younger. It is common for survivors to not
name their experiences as abuse until they are in adulthood.
g. It is a normal for a victim’s story top evolve throughout the investigative process. Initially a victim may
say nothing happened. It is not uncommon for victims to delay reporting sexual abuse or to deny that they
were abused when they are initially questioned. Reasons could include fear of the stigma associated with
the abuse, embarrassment and retaliation.
h. Victims may deny the abuse they’ve suffered, or misrepresent parts of their story. Many victims try to
hide what is happening to them by outright denying it when others ask (including classmates who may
make jokes, tease or bully them based on the irregular relationship they see or sense), and by making
statements with false bravado. Sometimes victims fear getting in trouble for their own “bad” or illegal
behavior (underage drinking, using drugs, lying to parents about where they are with) and will make false
statements to friends, family and even investigators about those acts.
i. It is normal for victims to freeze and be unable to physically fend off their abuser. When faced with
imminent threat or danger, most humans will freeze as oppose to fighting or fleeing. This hard-wired,
biological response is an automatic impulse that is seen in many other species. The brain instructs parts of
the body to literally “shutdown” in order to improve the odds of surviving a dangerous traumatic situation.
j. Male survivor is committed to preventing, healing, and eliminating all forms of sexual victimization of
boys and men through support, treatment research, education, advocacy and activism.

2. Domestic Violence
Victims of domestic violence live in fear, worrying about their safety and impending danger. Sometimes they
need to leave their homes in order to protect themselves and their love ones. Even though severing ties with
the abuser seems like the best solution, many victims choose to stay with the abuser for a variety reason.
Sometimes victim do not leave because they want to provide a family for their children, depend on the abuser
financially, emotionally or their religion forbids them for breaking up a marriage. Even when the victims
decide to leave, it takes them 5 attempts on average before they succeed.
Also, many victims who leave will need to start new independent lives often when limited resources
while feeling mentally and emotionally depleted by the effects of the abuse. Self-protective skills are also
necessary whether victims leave or stay to be able to prevent further injury.

TYPES OF VICTIMIZATION

 Sexual Misconduct
 Rape
 Sexual Touching
 Sexual Harassment
 Stalking
 Physical Assault/Battery
 Dating/Relationship/Domestic Violence
 Theft
 Threat of Harm

Sexual Misconduct is an umbrella term that includes any non-consensual sexual activity that is committed by
force or fear or mental or physical incapacitation, including through the use of alcohol or drugs. Sexual
misconduct can vary in its severity and consists of a range of behavior, including rape, statutory rape (sexual
contact with a person under 18 years old), sexual touching, sexual exploitation, sexual harassment, and conduct
suggestive of attempting to commit any of the aforementioned acts.

Engaging in any sexual activity, clear consent must be given.

Rape - Rape is the sexual penetration (however slight) of the victim’s vagina, mouth, or rectum without consent.
Rape involves penetration with (a) the use of force/fear or the threat of force/fear; or (b) with a person who is
otherwise incapable of giving consent, including situations where the individual is under the influence of alcohol
or drugs and this condition was or should have reasonably been known to the accused.

Sexual Touching- Sexual touching, also known as sexual battery, is the act of making unwanted and sexually
offensive contact (clothed or unclothed) with an intimate body part of another person or action, which causes
immediate apprehension that sexual touch will occur. Intimate body parts include sexual organs, the anus, the
groin, breasts or buttocks of any person. Sexual touching includes situations in which the accused engages in the
contacts described with a person who is incapable of giving consent.

Sexual Exploitation- Sexual exploitation is the taking advantage of a non-consenting person or situation for
personal benefit or gratification or for the benefit of anyone other than the alleged victim; and the behavior does
not constitute rape, sexual touching or sexual harassment. Sexual exploitation includes, but is not limited to:

 Photographing or making audio or video recordings of sexual activity without consent;

 Dissemination of images or recordings without consent of the participant(s);
 Allowing others to observe sexual activity without the knowledge or consent of the partner;
 Voyeurism (peeping tom);
 Knowingly transmitting a sexually transmitted infection or HIV to another student;
 Prostituting another person;
 Giving alcohol or other drugs to another student with the intention of rending him or her incapable
of giving consent.

Sexual Harassment- Sexual Harassment is any unwelcome sexual conduct or behavior that creates an
intimidating, hostile or offensive working or educational environment. A comprehensive list of prohibited
behaviors can be found in the Tiger Lore.

Stalking- Stalking is prohibited. It is willful, malicious and repeated following of a person or harassing behaviors
against another person, putting the person in reasonable fear for his or her personal safety, or the safety of his or
her family. This includes use of notes, mail, gifts, communication technology (e.g. voicemail, text messages,
internet and social networking sites - using any electronic or telecommunication is also known as cyber-stalking) to
harass or convey a threat. This offense may also be treated as a type of sexual misconduct in certain situations.

Physical Assault/Battery - Physical assault or battery is prohibited. It is to touch or strike a person against his or
her will or to threaten violence against that person.

Dating/Relationship/Domestic Violence- Dating/Relationship/Domestic Violence is prohibited. This type of

violence may be emotional, verbal, physical and/or sexual abuse by an intimate partner, family members or parties
in a dating relationship.

Theft - Theft is the unlawful and unauthorized removal of any personal property for ones own use.
 Threat of Harm – Conveyances of threats, which result in, or may result in, harm to any person by willful and
deliberate means is prohibited.

MODELS OF VICTIMIZATION

1. VICTIM OF CRIME MODEL (Man-made cause) – this model of victimization applicable to victims
of man-made causes like homicide, rape and others. The stages are as follows:

a. Stage of Impact and Disorganization - this depicts the attitude or activity of the victim during and
immediately following the criminal event.
b. Stage of Recoil – this stage occurs during which the victim formulates psychological defenses and deals
with conflicting emotions of guilt, anger, acceptance and desire of revenge (this could last 3 to 8 months)
c. Reorganization Stage – this stage occurs during which the victim puts his/her life back to normal daily
living.

2. VICTIM OF DISATER MODEL (Natural cause)

This model of victimization is applicable to victims of natural causes like earthquake, flood, volcanic
eruption and others. The stages are as follows:

a. Pre-Impact stage – this describes the state of the victim prior to being victimized.
b. Impact stage – this stage is the phase in which victimization occurs.
c. Post-impact stage – this stage entails the degree and duration of the personal and social
disorganization following victimization.
d. Behavioral outcome – this phase describes the victim’s adjustment to the victimization experience.

General facts gathered about victimization

 Victimization is more likely at night (6:00pm to 6:00a.m). Personal Larceny (Theft) is more common during
the day, with more serious crime occurring at night.
 Crime occurs more in open public areas, although rapes and simple assaults tend to occur in homes.
 Crime is most frequent in central city areas.
 Western urban areas have the highest crime rates, while the northeast rural areas have the lowest.
 The National Crime Survey indicates that 25% of U.S. households have at least one individual who has
victimized in some way during the past year.
 Personal theft is very common. About 99% of Americans will be the victim of personal theft at some time in
their lives, and 87% will be a theft victim three or more times.
 Men are twice as likely a woman to be victims of robbery and assault . The violent victimization rate for
females has been fairly stable, but there has been a 20% increase for males in the last 15 years.
 Victim risk diminishes rapidly after age 25. Contrary to popular belief, grandparents are safe than their
grandchildren.
 Unmarried/never married people are more likely to be victims than the married or widowed.
 The poor are more likely to be victims of crime. They are far more likely to be victims of violent crime, while
the middle class are more likely to be victims of property crime
 African Americans are victimized at the highest rates. Crime tends to be intra-racial (criminals and victims of
the same race) rather than interracial (criminal and victim of different races). About 75% of crime is intra-
racial.
 Strangers commit about 60% of violent crimes. However, females are more likely to know their assailants.
 In some studies, over half of offender report being under the influence of alcohol and/or other drugs when
they committed the offense resulting in incarceration.
 The characteristics of those most likely to be victimized might be summarized as: young, black, urban, poor
and male.

EFFECTS AND CONSEQUENCES OF VICTIMIZATION

A. Physical Consequences
The physical consequences of victimization are often visible and range in seriousness from bruises and
scrapes, to broken bones, to fatal injuries. Other, less foreseeable injuries, such as the threat of sexually
transmitted diseases, can be also the result of a victimization incident. Forensic evidence, collection can detect
physical injury and other useful evidence to support the claim of a crime. For example, a specially trained
medical nurse can perform sexual assault forensic examination and document vaginal-anal and oral injury
from an alleged rape victim.

Research studies:
Physical impact victims of some crime types are at greater risk of being affected physically by the
crime. Victims of violent crime may be left with a chronic physical condition or even a disability.

A recent Office for National Statistics (ONS) report found that victims sustained physical injury in
52% of violent incidents. The most common type of injury, accounting for 33% of cases, was minor bruising
or black eyes, followed by cuts (14%), severe bruising (14%) and scratches (14%). More serious injuries such
as broken bones, broken nose, concussion or loss of consciousness accounted for a lower proportion of
injuries (4%, 2% and 2%, respectively). Other injuries included facial or head injuries with no bruising (1%),
and broken or lost teeth (3%). Those who were physically injured reported that the crime had a longer impact
on their lives compared with other victims of violent crime. A quarter (25%) of partner abuse victims reported
that they sustained some sort of physical injury. The most common types of injuries were minor bruising or
black eyes (17%) and scratches (12%).

B. Psychological/Emotional and Mental Consequences

Emotional, psychological and mental consequences of victimization may be less externally obvious but are
just as serious as physical injury. Stress, depression, anxiety, and other mental disorders are but a few that
crime victims experience. There are distinct mental stages that follow a victimization incident: at first, victims
feel shock begins to subside, victims experience a range of emotions as they begin to readapt to their lives;
finally, but with consequences that victimization carries, victims attempt to reconcile and find a balance to
allow them to pick up with their lives and routines where they left off. Persistent mental consequences such as
acute stress disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and substance dependency, can occur.

Research studies:
Existing evidence on the main effects of crime and victims’ needs emotional and psychological
impact. Research has found a widespread emotional effect on victims of different crime types.
A recent ONS report on violent crime found that 81% of victims of violence reported being
emotionally affected by the incident, including 17% who were affected very much.
Whitty and Buchanan found that victims of romance fraud were negatively affected by the scam,
experiencing a wide range of emotional responses such as embarrassment, shame, worry, stress. Denial, fear,
shock, anger and self-blame. Some of the victims reported lower confidence and a reduced sense of self-
worth.
Cullina and colleagues found that the most common emotional responses to identity theft included
frustration or annoyance (79%), rage or anger (62%), fear regarding personal financial security (66%), and a
sense of powerlessness or helplessness (54%). The long-term emotional responses (two months or more) to
identity theft included 19% of victims feeling captive and a sense of grieving, and 8% feeling suicidal. The
emotional effect on victims of identify theft is still present 26 weeks after victimization.
Handbag snatching can produce not only financial but also an emotional, long-term effects on victims.
As well as losing photographs of loved ones that are often carried in a purse, victims’ sense of security may be
 impaired; they tend to distrust and feel suspicious towards other people, and develop a fear of walking in
public and even in familiar environments.
Wirtz and Harrell reported that victims of burglary showed symptoms of anxiety and fear six months
after the incident. What’s more, the intensity of their fear six months after the crime was no different than that
experienced by victims of serious crime such as robbery or assault. Research into the emotional effect of
burglary found that 73% of burglary victims reported considerable fear of revictimization, 70% were very
distressed following the burglary and 40% were afraid to be alone in their property for some weeks following
the incident. Burglary victims also reported long-term worry.
Research suggests that victims of sexual violence experience more acute and chronic physical health
problems than non-victims; they are at higher risk for abdominal and pelvic pain, gastrointestinal and
gynecologic disorders, headaches and physical symptoms associated with anxiety, panic or PTSD. Sexual
assault also affects victim’s sexual health risk-taking behaviors and places some at greater risk of contracting
HIV.

C. Financial consequences
The monetary costs of victimization to the victim are at times easy to calculate and at other times impossible
to measure. Medical expenses, property losses, lost wages and legal costs are financial consequences that
victims and their families must bear. Losses to the victim that are not as easy to estimate a dollar value for, but
are nevertheless salient, are pain and suffering, and fear, among others. There are also financial consequences
of victimization that society, must bear, it includes:

1. Victim services
2. Witness assistance programs,
3. Cost to the criminal justice system, and
4. Negative public opinion

Research studies:
Research found out that older victims feel distressed about losing their children’s inheritance and
being unable to financially support themselves. For some victims, the financial loss was so severe that they
became bankrupt, were made homeless, had to sell their home or business, had to postpone retirement or
return to work after retiring, or had to move in with other family members. Others found that victims of fraud
experienced credit problems, were unable to buy food, had lost all their superannuation, had to pay off loans
ever months or even years, had lost their life savings due to paying for lawyers and civil proceedings against
the perpetrator, and had to downsize.

TRAUMA IN VICTIMIZATION

A. Primary Injuries - include physical trauma, intense stress reactions, and emotional trauma.

1. Physical Trauma
Crime victims may experience physical trauma-serious injury or shock to the body, as from a major
accident. Victims may have cuts, bruises, fractured arms or legs, or internal injuries.

2. Intense stress reactions

Victims breathing, blood pressure, and heart rate may increase, and their muscles may tighten. They
may feel exhausted but unable to sleep, and they may have headaches, increased or decreased
appetites, or digestive problems.

3. Emotional trauma
Victims may experience emotional trauma-emotional wounds or shocks that may have long-lasting
effects. Emotional trauma may take many different forms:
 a. Shock or numbness- victims may feel “frozen” and cut off from their own emotions. Some
victims say they feel as if they feel as if they are “watching a movie” rather than having their own
experiences. Victims may not be able to make decisions or conduct their lives as they did before
the crime.
b. Denial, disbelief, and anger – victims may experience “denial”, an unconscious defense against
painful or unbearable memories and feelings about the crime or they may experience disbelief,
telling themselves, “this just could not have happened to me!” they may feel intense anger and a
desire to get even with the offender.
c. Acute Stress Disorder – some crime victims may experience trouble sleeping, flashbacks,
extreme tension or anxiety, outburst of anger, memory problems, trouble concentrating, and other
symptoms of distress for days or weeks following a trauma. A person may be diagnosed as having
acute stress disorder (ASD) if these or other mental disorders continue for a minimum of two
days to up to four weeks within a month of the trauma. If these symptoms persist after a
month, the diagnosis becomes posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Research showed that victims of identity theft and identity fraud reported that even though the
financial loss related to the fraud was substantial, the emotional trauma and stress were the most
difficult aspects of the situation to deal with.

B. SECONDARY INJURIES
When victims do not receive the support and help, they need after the crime, they may suffer
“secondary” injuries. They may be hurt by a lack of understanding from friends, family, and the
professionals they come into contact with-particularly if others seem to blame the victim for the crime
(suggesting they should have been able to prevent or avoid it). Police, prosecutors, judges, social service
providers, the media, coroners, and even clergy and mental health professionals may contribute to such
secondary injuries.

C. COMMON INJURIES
It includes bruises, cuts, scrapes, broken bones, sexually transmitted diseases, and a wide range of internal
injuries. Also, physical reactions (such as rapid heart rate and breathing, increased blood pressure, nausea
or sleeplessness) to the emotional wounds caused by the crime.

STAGES OF TRAUMA RECOVERY

Stage 1: Silence
People who experience adverse situations, such as a traumatic event involving actual or threatened
danger, face incredible challenges. The initial stage following a traumatic event is often a time of silence for
the victim. It’s common for recently victimized people to refuse to talk about what happened. This may be
due to a number of things, including stigma, isolation, shame, guilt, confusion, or denial about the event.
A person emerging from trauma may have low self-esteem at first and may feel overwhelmed and
disconnected from the rest of the world.

Stage 2: Victimhood
Eventually, the traumatized self may start to long for change as the ongoing suffering interferes with
daily life tasks and a need to grow and recover begins to form. As this need grows, it allows the person to
begin exploring ways to move through the trauma. According to available research, there is often a tug-of-war
taking place within the individual between a need to be safe and protect emotions and a need to grow and
confront the traumatic memories.
The person may feel compelled to talk openly with everyone about what happened and the
suffering he or she experienced. Some people will likely be more willing than others to listen. For people
working their way through the stage of victimization, having someone to listen and support them as they
process the event can be critical to their ability to move forward into survivor hood. Many people find support
groups helpful during this stage and may seek counseling or other support.

Stage 3: Survivor hood

Once a person processes the traumatic event and continues transitioning away from the victim
experience, he or she often begins identifying as a survivor. During this stage, a person has had an
opportunity to talk about his or her experience and has gained some sense of clarity. He or she may
begin to identify the ways in which he/she persevered and the strengths that helped make moving forward
possible. The person hasn’t forgotten the event, but he or she a greater understanding about what the event
means and the impact it has made on his or her life.
Reaching the stage of survivor hood doesn’t happen overnight. It may take months or even
years to work through the victim stage and reach the point where one feels that the wounds are healing
and a sense of relief is possible. Also, the process of healing is not linear. Survivors take one step forward
and two steps back sometimes, and moving through it all and persevering may coincide with feeling hopeful
one day and damaged and wounded the next. People in the survivor stage tend to spend less and less time
feeling wounded as they continue learning new tools and recognizing themselves as resilient.

Stage 4: Thriving and Transcendence

Most people I’ve worked with seem content reaching the stage of survivor hood. They feel like they
are managing challenges better and have a greater awareness about themselves and their experiences.
Other people, the person hasn’t forgotten the event, but he or she has a greater understanding about what that
event means and the impact it has made on his or her life. However, have told they’re not done growing, and
some of them have even said they don’t want to be called a survivor.
This group becomes the thriving group, people who transformed their experiences into a meaningful
personal narrative and will not be defined by their adversity. They feel healed and safe, and take appropriate
risks in seeking connection with others, such as asking a new neighbor out for coffee. They don’t feel the need
to tell their stories unless it benefits someone else. “Thrivers” feel motivated to take part in the community
and may seek out volunteer opportunities or other ways to help others.

TENS TIPS TO AVOID BECOMING A VICTIM

1. Keep personal information private. Reputable businesses rarely require you to provide your SSN, bank
account numbers, or credit card numbers to verify identities. Unless you initiated the phone call and are
100% certain that the person on the other line is legitimate, be careful about giving any personal
information.

2. Protect passwords, PINs, and usernames. Never keep your PIN with your debit card. If someone steals
your debit card and your PIN is written right on the card, that person has easy access to your accounts. If
using wireless internet, invest in a firewall product to protect your computer. Do not keep passwords
saved on your computer, but in a separate, secure location. Also, remember to change your passwords on
a regular basis to protect yourself.

3. Keep your eyes on your billing statements . Review your credit card statements, bank statements, and
any other financial documents. If anything on those statements raises a red flag, call the institution and ask
about it. Particularly, if your credit card statements have unauthorized charges listed, you have the right to
dispute those charges and protect yourself against fraudulent expenditures.

4. Order your credit report. Check your credit reports every year at a minimum to see if any unauthorized
accounts, credit cards, or loans have been opened. There are three credit-monitoring agencies that produce
a personalized credit report: Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian. The only source for a truly free credit
report authorized by Federal law is https://www.annualcreditreport.com. The law requires that these three
credit bureaus give you a free credit report every 12 months if you ask for it.

5. Invest in a shredder. How often do we receive solicitations from credit card companies, car companies,
health insurance companies, and a myriad of other businesses? It seems like a daily occurrence in my
household. Did you know those mailings often-times have your personal information in them? Criminals
can physically go into your trash, get these mailers out, fill out credit card applications in your name and
have direct access to your credit! Shredding your junk mail can be the difference between being the
Victim of a crime and not.

6. Don’t answer the door for strangers and keep your doors and windows locked . It is a changing world
we live in and that means taking precautionary steps against predators. It is a sad fact that in today’s world
it is better to be safe than sorry when dealing with people coming to your door. Unless you are expecting
someone, a package, or other service, don’t answer the door for someone you don’t know. Likewise,
burglars like to window-shop around parked cars and through unoccupied homes. A locked door or
window may be all it takes to prevent becoming the victim of a property crime. Invest in solid deadbolts
for your doors.
 7. Let people know if you are going out of town . Tell a trusted neighbor or friend to keep an eye on your
house while you are gone. Some local law enforcement agencies may also send an extra patrol around
your neighborhood if you advise them you will be out of town – check with your local police departments.
Also, call your bank if you plan to travel – it may avoid having your credit card declined at an out-of-state
business.

8. If you have a durable power of attorney, know the ins and outs ! A durable power of attorney can be a
useful tool to protect you by having someone you trust have the ability to make decisions on your behalf
and handle your finances. But make sure that the person you choose is someone trustworthy. Seek a
qualified elder law attorney, the Council on Aging, or Community Legal Services to get legal advice as to
the best plan for yourself!

9. If it’s too good to be true, it is. We all want to have financial security and garner a nest-egg for our
future. But be wary of contracts that request the full amount up-front for a great deal. Investigate and
research any company you allow into your home, whether it is a pest-control company, a contractor, or a
cleaning service. You can research companies and people by going on your county’s clerk of courts
website and looking into criminal histories or civil cases pending involving those companies. Also insist
on verifying that any company you work with is licensed and insured, and check online with the Florida
Department of Business and Professional Regulation to verify that information.

10. Know your vulnerabilities. Criminals can recognize and exploit our vulnerabilities, whether they are
mental, emotional, physical, medical, or financial. Criminals can also exploit our loneliness, fears,
and even our religious beliefs in order to get at our hard earned cash. If you’ve been the victim of a
crime, please do not hesitate to contact law enforcement – there is NO SHAME in asking for help!
We all need help at some time or another in our lives.

5. Teaching and Learning Activities

Assignment no. 3. Film Viewing (Reaction Paper)

Title: Perfect Victims-Revictimizing

Survivors of Crime

As the victimology field has developed, there has been greater recognition and understanding of crime
victims as unique individuals. Specifically, journalists and scholars alike have continued to challenge the idea
of a “perfect victim,” because factors associated with that concept are largely not grounded in reality and are
often based on inaccurate beliefs about crime. In this Media Byte, read the following news article:

Katie McDonough. “The ‘Perfect Victim’ Myth: How Attempts to Discredit Rape Survivors Stand in the Way
of Real Change.” Salon. February 3, 2015.
(www.salon.com/2015/02/03/the_perfect_victim_myth_how_attempts_to_discredit_individual_survivors_stan
d_in_the_way_of_real_change/)

After reading the above news story, answer the following questions in a brief response:

In thinking about rape and sexual assault, what actions and characteristics immediately come to your
mind when you think of “offender” and “victim”?

After writing down how you conceptualize those two terms, check out Project Unbreakable
(http://projectunbreakable.tumblr.com/). Note the survivors’ stories and whether they challenge the list created
to address question 1.
 Describe in a brief reaction paper the consequences associated with upholding the idea of a “perfect victim”
on a societal level, in terms of how crime is understood and responded to, and on an individual level for both
the offender and the survivor.

Assignment No. 4: Victim-Blaming and Portrayals in Popular Media

Research indicates that what the media laypersons consume often contributes to their beliefs about crime—
including about offenders and victims (Surett, 1998). While personal experiences with crime undoubtedly
have a greater impact on individuals, crime dramas are powerful vehicles for shaping the perceptions of those
who lack knowledge of the criminal justice system. It is in the latter case where crime victims are especially
hurt by crime dramas, particularly those who engage in victim-blaming. In this activity, students should watch
the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit episode from season 14 entitled “Funny Valentine.” During the
episode, students should pay particular attention to victim-blaming actions or statements and document
accordingly. Students should also be cognizant that victim-blaming can be very indirect and subtle, but it
carries the same intention and meaning as any other form of shaming.

1. Briefly summarize the plot of the episode.

2. What characteristics describe the victim? The perpetrator?

3. Describe instances of racism, sexism, or any other type of discrimination or prejudice seen in the episode.

4. Describe all instances of victim-blaming, including who engages in it.

5. Describe how the documented instances of victim-blaming affect the victim.

6. Describe how the documented instances of victim-blaming might affect a real victim of domestic abuse

Learning task 4: Who is Responsible for Crime?

Students should form teams, read the following widely shared (unattributed) vignette, and assign responsibility to each
individual accordingly. The group must reach a consensus in order to complete this assignment.

There is a river with a bridge over it, and a WIFE and her HUSBAND live in a house on one side. The WIFE
has a LOVER who lives on the other side of the river, and the only way to cross the river is to walk across the
bridge or ask the BOATMAN to take her. One day, the HUSBAND tells his WIFE that he is leaving on a
business trip. The WIFE pleads for him to take her because she knows if he does not, she will cheat on him.
The HUSBAND refuses; he thinks she will get in the way of business. When he is gone, the WIFE goes over
the bridge and stays with her LOVER. The night passes, and the sun is almost up when the WIFE leaves
because she has to get home before her HUSBAND. She starts to cross the bridge but sees an ASSASSIN
waiting for her on the other side. She knows if she crosses, she will die. She runs to the BOATMAN to get a
ride, but he wants fifty cents. The WIFE has no money, so he refuses to take her. The WIFE runs back to the
LOVER’s house and explains her problem, asking for fifty cents to pay the boatman. The LOVER refuses,
telling her it is her fault for getting into the situation. Dawn arrives, and in a fit of terror, she dashes across the
bridge. When she faces the ASSASSIN, he takes out a large knife and stabs her until she is dead.

Rank the following in order of who is MOST responsible for these events:

___Assassin

___Boatman
 ___Husband

___Lover

___Wife

After completing this assignment, students should provide a detailed explanation of how they assessed
responsibility in this case

Learning Task 5: Feminist Criminology—Applying Theory to Data

Read “Women Offenders” (www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/wo.pdf), composed by statisticians at the Bureau of

Justice Statistics (BJS). Answer the following questions (3–4 sentences each).

1. After reading the report, explain whether there is evidence to indicate that women’s involvement in crime
has increased.

2. Compare and contrast female offenders with male offenders in terms of incident and victim characteristics.

3. Compare and contrast female offenders with male offenders in terms of their typical demographic
backgrounds.

4. Compare and contrast female offenders with male offenders in terms of their prior involvement in the
criminal justice system—particularly during their youth.

5. Finally, using the information above, apply feminist criminology or pathways theory to these results. In
other words, explain women’s seemingly increasing involvement in criminal activity using one of those
perspectives.

6. Recommended learning materials and resources for supplementary reading.

 Read Understanding Victimology: An Active Learning Approach by using this link
https://www.routledge.com/Understanding-Victimology-An-Active-Learning-Approach/Clevenger-Navarro-
Marcum-Higgins/p/book/9781498772846

7. Flexible Teaching Learning Modality (FTLM) adopted

Online (synchronous)
//SeDi, Edmodo, google classroom, messenger, and moodle.
Remote (asynchronous)
//module, exercises

8. Assessment Task
Quiz

9. References (at least 3 references preferably copyrighted within the last 5 years, alphabetically arranged)

 Clevenger, Shelly.,et.al., 2018. Understanding Victimology. Routledge.

 Eduardo, Jesster P., 2019. Human Behavior and Victimology, St. Andrew Publishing house
 Tancangco, Danilo L. 2018 Victimology, Wiseman’s Book Trading,
 Manwong, Rommel K. 2011. Fundamentals of Criminology, Wiseman’s Book Trading,