The Emerald Order

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August 22, 2025

Forensic Friday: Victimology

Victimology is the study of victims in the context of crime. Investigators, psychologists, and victim advocates use it to understand who the victim was, what risks surrounded them, and how those factors influenced the crime itself. It is not about blame, it's about building context.

Who Uses It and Why

Forensic psychologists, detectives, criminologists, and even prosecutors rely on victimology. By piecing together a victim’s background (routines, habits, vulnerabilities) they can build a clearer picture of motive, opportunity, and offender behavior. Courts also use victimology to frame a narrative for juries and sentencing.

When and Where It Matters

Victimology comes into play right from the start of an investigation. For example, in missing-person cases, investigators analyze the victim’s daily routines and risk level- did they often hitchhike, live alone, or work late nights? Those details can immediately narrow down whether foul play is likely.

In homicide cases, victimology can explain why one person was targeted over another, helping to rule out random violence. In court, it provides context for juries, clarifying not only what happened, but why this particular victim may have been chosen.

Strengths and Limitations

The strength of victimology lies in dignity, it ensures victims are treated as individuals, not statistics. It also helps investigators see patterns of targeting, especially in serial crimes.

The limitation is bias: if investigators bring stereotypes about class, gender, or behavior, victimology can veer dangerously into victim-blaming. That tension has created real controversies in past cases.

Case Where Victimology Worked:

The Backpacker Murders (Australia)

In the 1990s, seven young backpackers vanished while traveling through New South Wales. Their remains were eventually found in Belanglo State Forest. At first, the disappearances looked random: different nationalities, different backgrounds, scattered timelines. But victimology pulled the threads together.

Each was a backpacker traveling alone or in pairs, often hitchhiking along the Hume Highway. They were transient, far from home, and less likely to be reported missing immediately, making them high-risk targets.

By mapping these shared traits, investigators recognized a pattern that pointed to a single offender who preyed on vulnerable travelers. That shift in focus helped police zero in on Ivan Milat, a local with ties to the area and a history of violence. Without victimology spotlighting the common vulnerabilities of the victims, the crimes might have looked like isolated tragedies instead of a serial pattern.

Courtroom Use of Victimology

In the trial of Larry Nassar, the former USA Gymnastics doctor convicted of sexually abusing athletes, prosecutors leaned heavily on victimology. They presented not just the assaults themselves, but the patterns of vulnerability that made the young gymnasts targets: their ages, dependence on authority figures, and the culture of silence within competitive sports.

By showing how these vulnerabilities were exploited, the prosecution framed Nassar’s actions as systematic predation rather than isolated misconduct. That narrative, drawn straight from victimology, strengthened the case and influenced the severity of his sentencing (he received 175 years).

Case Where Victimology Misfired:

Rape Trials and the “Legitimate Victim” Problem

Victimology isn’t always noble, it has a history of being twisted into something darker. In sexual assault cases, particularly through the 1970s and 1980s, courts and investigators often focused on the victim’s lifestyle rather than the offender’s actions.

Women who drank, went out at night, or had prior sexual partners were painted as “less credible” or “responsible for their own victimization.” This warped interpretation of victimology shifted attention away from the crime and toward the victim’s choices, fueling stereotypes about what a “legitimate” victim looked like.

The result was devastating: countless survivors saw their cases dismissed or discredited, not because of weak evidence against the offender, but because of moral judgments about their lives. That misuse of victimology became a cornerstone critique of the field, forcing later reforms in how experts testify and how evidence is weighed in court.

Impact on Forensic Science

Victimology changed investigative work by putting victims at the center of the story. It influenced interviewing techniques, crime prevention, sentencing, and even public policy. But its impact depends on balance, used responsibly, it reveals motive and opportunity; used carelessly, it risks turning empathy into suspicion.

Here’s how victimology has reached beyond just casework and seeped into practice, policy, and even prevention:

Interviewing Techniques: Early police interviews often treated victims as unreliable or even adversarial. With victimology research highlighting how trauma affects memory, investigators shifted toward trauma-informed interviewing: asking open-ended questions, avoiding leading or accusatory phrasing, and allowing victims time to recall details without pressure. This improved both accuracy and dignity.
Crime Prevention: Victimology studies patterns of victimization; who is most at risk, in what environments, and why. That data feeds into prevention programs like campus safety initiatives, domestic violence hotlines, and community awareness campaigns. Instead of just focusing on catching offenders, agencies began using victim data to reduce opportunities for victimization in the first place.
Sentencing: Victim impact statements, now routine in many jurisdictions, grew from victimology’s push to center the lived experiences of those harmed. Courts consider not only the crime itself but also the ripple effect on the victim’s family, mental health, and community. This can result in harsher sentencing for offenders whose crimes demonstrate a pattern of targeting vulnerable victims.
Public Policy: Victimology influenced the passage of laws like the Victims of Crime Act (1984) in the U.S., which established funding for victim services. It also shaped policies around domestic violence shelters, rape shield laws (limiting irrelevant questioning about a victim’s sexual history), and the establishment of victim compensation funds. These reforms were grounded in research showing systemic neglect of victims’ needs.

What’s Your Read? Comment below

Do you know of a case where the victim’s background was used well, or unfairly twisted against them?
If you were on a jury, how much weight would you give to a victim’s lifestyle or habits being presented in court?
Do you think focusing too much on the victim risks excusing the offender, or does it sharpen the picture of guilt?
Which cases stick in your mind because the victim’s life, not just their death, changed how the investigation unfolded?
What can we truly learn about an offender by studying the life of their victim?
When does analyzing victim behavior cross the line into unfair judgment?
Should victimology be more regulated in court to prevent misuse?