Crime Victims, An Introduction To Victimology

CSI, The First Forty-eight, Date Line, Law and Order and Criminal Justice are just a few examples of shows on the T.V. networks today that roll out a visual of the term victimology. According to Box 1.1 in the class text, Crime Victims, An Introduction to Victimology, by Andrew Aarmen, March 2012, victimology is the work done by law enforcement teams as they gather as much detailed information pertaining to a victim’s life while they were alive as they possibly can in order to help them identify the perpetrator of the crime, take them to court, and hopefully obtain a guilty verdict and appropriate sentencing.

The first part of Box 1.1 like the shows in each of their episodes breaks down all the individual actions that make up the whole of victimology. Creating a timeline from the last known place the victim was seen and the last person seen or known to be with the victim is crucial to identify to be able to start at that point and proceed to present where they are now standing. Photographers are called in to memorialize the scene such as the victim, their positioning and the position of items around them. They take pictures of possible blood spatter and its patterns on walls, floors and baseboards. Pictures are taken of bullet holes and other disorder found in the home or area they are in. Others are trying to find and collect the possible weapon or weapons used. If a weapon or manner of death are not readily identifiable the coroner will be able to aid them in this search by hopefully being able to provide further details later on.

Officers are sent out to interview possible witnesses, neighbors, family members, friends, and possible foes of the individual. This would include activities they might be known for in the neighbor...

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... is not true, as there have been at least three youths murdered during drug deals and a couple of murders of older people.

A complete victimology with all of its facets being utilized, such as forensic evidence, interviews, technological advances, photos and help from other agencies such as the FBI when needed is essential in quickly resolving a vicious crime and catching the correct person. While it takes an hour of dedicated, highly trained individuals on T.V. to complete the victimology process with the arrest of the guilty party, it is not always so in real life because of limitations in resources and people. Victimology is a continuously growing and expanding tool which continues to aid and guide law enforcement in their pursuit of criminals and justice for the dead and other crime victims as well as their families and the community they reside(d) in as well.