ABSTRACT
Victimology is broadly defined as the scientific study of victims, but this is a simplistic interpretation of a field that also focuses on issues related to victims, harm, labelling, victim's rights, the criminal justice system, war, trauma, data analysis, inequality, activism, policing and much more. This chapter begins by exploring the history of victimology. It then discusses who can be considered a victim, issues around victim blaming and how we can measure victimisation. The chapter then explores fear of crime, the victim within the criminal justice system in Ireland before concluding with a discussion on feminism and victims of sexual assault in Ireland.
