Victimization, African American

Brian K. Payne

African Americans have higher rates of victimization than any other race in the United States. The most basic definition of a victim is someone who has been harmed in some way; a crime victim, then, is an individual who has been victimized by a criminal. Criminologists historically have focused on criminals rather than on victims. With the recent advent of the field of victimology, more attention has been given to victims, although much of the early research focused on defining the ways in which victims had contributed to their own victimization. In the late 1960s, criminologists began to devote more attention to victims, particularly child abuse and domestic violence victims. However, it is only in recent years that criminologists have begun to devote more attention to African American victims. Fully understanding the plight of African American victims requires that consideration be given to six different areas: 1. The extent 2. ...

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