Abstract

Diverse perspectives exist on the point of interest and area of the field of Victimology. While a few trust that Victimology need to feature as an independent area of enquiry, others view it as a subfield of Criminology. A second issue concerns the breadth of victimology and its related issues to be covered in the field of Victimology. Some scholars believe that Victimology should limit itself to the study of victim-offender interaction only. Others argue that the needs of victims, functioning of the corporations and institutions which respond to these needs, and the emerging roles and responsibility for crime victims within the Criminal Justice System are important areas of inquiry in the field of Victimology. A third issue is the breadth of the definition of the term ‘victim’. One approach is to limit the concept of victims to traditional crimes such as murder, rape, robbery, burglary etc. However, it has additionally been proposed to encompass a broader definition of the concept by covering groups such as prisoners, immigrants, subjects of medical experimentation, and persons charged with crime but not proved guilty.

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