Ideal victim
To What Extent Victims Of ISIS
Can Be Characterized As Ideal / Attractive Victims According To Nils
Christie’s Theory Of The Ideal Victim?
Aneta Spasova SilyavskaGroup II
International Crimes – Assignment IV
Nils Christie’s theory of the ideal victim
Nils Christie introduces the idea of an ideal victim, that person in one whom, “when hit by crime – most readily are given the complete and legitimate status of being a victim” 1. He continues that person or group is not necessarily most “in danger of being victimized or most often victimized”.
The theory of the ideal victim by Nils Christie refers to crime victims who easily achieve status as a legitimate victim in the eyes of the public. The concept defines itself through descriptions of how a victim is portrayed. According to the theory there are certain criteria that need to be fulfilled to gain status as an ideal victim.2 Christie states that the ideal victim does not necessarily have anything to do with a “real” victim meaning that the ideal victims are not the same as legal victims; a real crime victim is often far from the concept of the ideal victim. Ideal victims often fear being exposed to crime. It can be explained by their lack of knowledge of the outside world, and the elderly, for example, gain information through media and cannot always get the information confirmed to be true or not, which results in a misleading image of their surroundings.
In order to identify the concept of the ideal victim there are six attributes. According to Christie ideal victims are:
1. Weak in relation to the perpetrator; meaning physically weak, vulnerable and/or most likely a female.
2. Going about their normal, everyday business; provided it is legitimate.
3. Blameless because they were in a decent place, at a decent hour.
4. Unrelated to and unknown by the perpetrator.
5. Victimized by a comparatively big and “evil” perpetrator.
6. Strong and powerful enough to make a case for herself and claim status as
Can Be Characterized As Ideal / Attractive Victims According To Nils
Christie’s Theory Of The Ideal Victim?
Aneta Spasova SilyavskaGroup II
International Crimes – Assignment IV
Nils Christie’s theory of the ideal victim
Nils Christie introduces the idea of an ideal victim, that person in one whom, “when hit by crime – most readily are given the complete and legitimate status of being a victim” 1. He continues that person or group is not necessarily most “in danger of being victimized or most often victimized”.
The theory of the ideal victim by Nils Christie refers to crime victims who easily achieve status as a legitimate victim in the eyes of the public. The concept defines itself through descriptions of how a victim is portrayed. According to the theory there are certain criteria that need to be fulfilled to gain status as an ideal victim.2 Christie states that the ideal victim does not necessarily have anything to do with a “real” victim meaning that the ideal victims are not the same as legal victims; a real crime victim is often far from the concept of the ideal victim. Ideal victims often fear being exposed to crime. It can be explained by their lack of knowledge of the outside world, and the elderly, for example, gain information through media and cannot always get the information confirmed to be true or not, which results in a misleading image of their surroundings.
In order to identify the concept of the ideal victim there are six attributes. According to Christie ideal victims are:
1. Weak in relation to the perpetrator; meaning physically weak, vulnerable and/or most likely a female.
2. Going about their normal, everyday business; provided it is legitimate.
3. Blameless because they were in a decent place, at a decent hour.
4. Unrelated to and unknown by the perpetrator.
5. Victimized by a comparatively big and “evil” perpetrator.
6. Strong and powerful enough to make a case for herself and claim status as
Bibliography: Christie, N. (1986) The Ideal Victim in Fattah, E. From Crime Policy to Victim Policy, New York: St. Martin’s Press An example of an ideal victim would be Christie`s description of an old lady on her way home after visiting her sick sister, being attacked and robbed by a stranger in mid-day, who then uses the money to buy alcohol and drugs. http://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/isis#ixzz3GEk2hu7vJacoby, J. (September 22, 2014) Theology and History Play Into the Use of an Old Horror in Warfare, The Boston Globe Van Dijk, J.(1997) Introducing Victimology: Introduction for the Ninth Symposium of the World Society of Victimology, 25-29 August, Amsterdam