ABSTRACT
Traditional victimology has not yet tapped the potential of radical criminology to assist in the explanation of social reactions to crime and crime victims. From the theoretical perspective of the radical framework it is possible to explore society’s preference for truly innocent victims and the limited ability of the system to avenge them (i.e., through victim assistance programs). Other avenues of analysis from this perspective include the role of the victim in furthering the interests of police and prosecution agencies, as well as the interests of the media and capitalist business enterprises. A radical victimological approach can also be used to analyze the extended victimization of the offender’s family by the criminal justice system.
