Editorial Introduction to the Special Issue

• DOI: 10.1177/0734016818780992
• Date: 01 September 2018
• Published date: 01 September 2018
• Subject Matter: Guest Editorial

Guest Editorial

Editorial Introduction to the

Special Issue: Victimization

and the Life Course

Jillian J. Turanovic

1

Victimization hasn’t always been a topic of great discussion among criminologists. Although

discourse on crime and criminality can be traced back several centuries (Jeffrey, 1959), despite a

few exceptions (e.g., Mendelsohn, 1956; Schaefer, 1968; von Hentig, 1948; Wolfgang, 1958),

scholarship on victimization did not really take off until the late 1970s. Sparked in part by the

Crime Victims’ Rights Movement, the release of large-scale victimization data (i.e., the National

Crime Survey), and new theoretical developments—namely, lifestyle (Hindelang, Gottfredson, &

Garofalo, 1978) and routine activity (Cohen & Felson, 1979) theories—scholars realized that a lot

could be gained from studying crime from the vantage point of the victim. And even though the

victimization literature is still young by most criminological standards, the past few decades have

seen tremendous growth in victimization scholarship—particularly in the areas of street violence,

child maltreatment, intimate partner abuse, and adolescent victimization.

Subsequently, this research has taught us a lot. For exa mple, we know that victimization is

unevenly distributed among the population, where victimization rates tend to be highest in structu-

rally disadvantaged communities and among people of color. We also know that overall victimiza-

tion rates are highest among young males (although rates of sexual assault and intimate partner

violence are highest among females) and that individuals’ risks of victimization peak during ado-

lescence and decline into adulthood. And we know that victimization often results in many negative

behavioral, health, and social consequences over the life span, especially when it happens during

childhood. Various criminological perspectives have also been modified to account for victimization

and explain some of these patterns, including self-control (Schreck, 1999), general strain (Agnew,

2002), subcultural (Stewart, Schreck, & Simons, 2006), and social disorganization theories (Roun-

tree, Land, & Miethe, 1994).

Yet, despite all that we have learned, there is still a lot that we do not know. Theoretical

advancements have slowed in recent years, and fundamental questions still remain about the causes

and consequences of victimization in society, and how to best intervene and support victims of

crime. For instance, what (if anything) are the causes of victimization? Why do some victims suffer

worse consequences than others? Why is victimization concentrated across time and space? What

can the state do (if anything) to prevent victimization? Can similar interventions work for victims of

different crimes, ages, and backgrounds? Admittedly, there are no easy answers to these questions.

1

College of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA

Corresponding Author:

Jillian J. Turanovic, College of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Florida State University, Eppes Hall, 112 S. Copeland Street,

Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA.

Email: jturanovic@fsu.edu

Criminal Justice Review

2018, Vol. 43(3) 285-288

ª2018 Georgia State University

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DOI: 10.1177/0734016818780992

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