Types and forms of victimization: conceptual theoretical updates, analyzes and interpretations

Victimization as a process of transformation of a person into a victim, represents one of the objects of study of victimology. It is a reverse phenomenon of criminalization as the transformation of a person into a criminal. Just as the criminalization of a person occurs through different methods, victimization also involves certain variations. The types and forms of victimization have been elucidated in the field of victimological science since the time of the scholars who carried out pioneering research in this discipline. Their knowledge is essential for victim therapy, for the organization of the victimological service itself, for a fair approach to the victim in the criminal process, etc. And yet, it is important to return to them with some updates, because social relations have evolved significantly, the aggressors diversifying and essentially changing their mode of operation. We live in a digital age where it often happens that people are victimized without direct contact with the aggressor, even without knowing him. Online victimization today takes a variety of forms, some quite brutal, causing some people to commit suicide acts and other self-harm. Online, people often become victims of various types of scammers, but they are also threatened, blackmailed, harassed, defamed etc. Against the background of the new realities, there is a need to reconsider the phenomenon of victimization and to propose new typologies and classifications. This is actually the purpose of this research. We will also note that until now, the forms and types of victimization have been rather rudimentarily scientifically substantiated, many aspects have been omitted, including certain cultural variations that condition the phenomenon of victimization which have not been taken into consideration.