Classification of Coping with Victimization: Rediscovering the Victims of Crime

• In Event: Poster Session

Abstract

"A victim cannot be taken for granted" (Quinney, 1972). By saying so, Quinney led the argument that the definition of being a victim is in part constructed by the victim himself and not solely by the social construction of the law or social norms. Most studies to date define victims and victimization with a large emphasize on the actual event of the victimization. The goal of this study is to reexamine this definition through the lens of the victim's perception and coping with and after the event.
The current study offers a new victimization classification that divides violent crime victims into four groups on a continuum: from those whose sense of victimhood is strong to those who not only feel they are not victims, but are also classified as heroes. The resulting continuum is as follows:
Chronic victim  Renewed victim  Survivor – Non-victim  Survivor-hero
The new victimization classification provides us with a deeper understanding of the coping strategies of different victims with different victimhood experiences. Findings demonstrate that the self-identification with the victimization definition is primarily related to the coping strategies taken by the victims, which are derived from their socio-demographic as well as psychological characteristics.

Author

• Irit Ein-Tal, Yezreel Valley College