Victimology

Victimology is a discipline from a family of penal sciences, focused on a victim of crime as well as victimization aspects. This discipline shows us a problem of crime and criminality in a wider perspective, comprising also a role of victim in a crime genesis, which – sometimes – isn’t only passive and may be also provoking. Thanks to victimology, a criminal act is presented in the full light as a kind of necessary offender – victim relation and interaction. Victimology also deals with so-called ‘victimless crime’ concept. If a crime generate victim or victims – such persons (or their relatives and loved ones) suffer consequences of crime. They have concrete needs and expectations (including financial indemnity for damages). They look for help and justice in the context of functioning of criminal justice administration. Legal systems in many countries (including Poland) contain instruments letting victims to promote effectively their interests in criminal proceedings.

1. Victimology – genesis and meaning of the notion. Victimology and other penal sciences. Basic concepts in victimology.

2. Victim of crime and his/her role in a genesis of a crime phenomenon. Problems of victimization. ‘Victimless crime’ issue.

3. Relation and interaction between offender and his/her victim. Identification of victimization processes. Methods and remedies of victimological prophylaxis and prevention.

4. Double victimization and serial victimization.

5. A person injured by a criminal act and its perpetrator – selected issues of substantive and procedural criminal law (a notion of an injured, compensation instruments, victim rights in criminal proceedings).

6. A victim and the criminal justice system. Forms of participation, needs and expectations of victims on the succeeding stages of criminal proceedings (from the moment of initiation of a preparatory proceedings to the final points of court sentencing acts and execution of sentenced penalties and other penal remedies). Victim’s influence upon a criminal justice act and influence of criminal justice system upon a victim. Retributive justice versus restorative justice.

7. Assistance to victims (compensation and activities of state and self-government institutions as well as non-governmental organizations)

E. Bieńkowska, Wiktymologia, Wyd. Wolters Kluwer, Warszawa 2018.

Sh. Giora Shoham, P. Knepper, M. Kett (eds.), International Handbook of Victimology, CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group, Boca Raton – London – New York 2010.

B. Hołyst, Wiktymologia, wyd. 4, Wyd. LexisNexis, Warszawa 2011.

S. Walklate (ed.), Handbook on Victims and Victimology, Willan Publishing 2007.

J. L. Schwartz, M. Virga, S. B. Yeldell, The Victimology Handbook, Kendall Hunt Publishing Company 2019.

Assessment methods:

- test (W1, W2, W3, W4, U1, U2, U3,U4, K1, K3, K4, K5, K6)

Assessment criteria:

Test (composed of 12 one-choice questions and 3 opened questions)

fail- 0 – 9 pts (<50 %)

satisfactory- 10 – 12 pts (<67 %)

satisfactory plus- 13 pts (<72 %)

good – 14 – 15 pts (<83 %)

good plus- 16 pts (<89%)

very good- 17 - 18 pts (< =100%)