Developmental victimology

Abstract

Although research on the age–crime curve has made significant advances in the past few decades, the understanding of victimization has not benefited to the same degree. The present study examines the age–victim curve to explore victimization trajectories, which increases understanding of risks over time through different life pathways. Using data from the Offending, Crime and Justice Survey, a national longitudinal survey in England and Wales, trajectory modeling is used to estimate different violent victimization trajectories for people aged 10 to 29 over four years of data. Analyses indicate the presence of four distinct victimization trajectories, including: rarely victimized; young adult victims; childhood victims; and chronically victimized. Further analyses indicated that young adult victims often were connected to intimate partner violence, whereas childhood victims often were victimized by other students.