Forensic Victimology 2nd Edition

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Forensic Victimology 2nd Edition

• Chapter Seven Victim Situational Exposure

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Victim Situational Exposure

• Victim situational exposure is the amount of
  actual exposure or vulnerability experienced by
  the victim to harm, resulting from their
  environment and personal traits, at the time of
  victimization.
• This is distinct from lifestyle exposure, which
  refers to harmful events that exist, generally in
  a victims everyday life.

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Notable Situational Factors

• There are many situational factors commonly
  understood to increase victim exposure and
  vulnerability to various forms of harm.
• The following are examples
• Victim lifestyle exposure (refer to previous
  chapter)
• Consecutive and concurrent victims.
• Consecutive victims those who have suffered
  multiple incidents of victimization during
  different time frames.
• Concurrent victims those who have suffered two
  or more crimes during the same period of time
  sometimes during the same incident.

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Notable Situational Factors

• Continued
• Time of occurrence
• Location of occurrence
• Proximity to criminal activity
• Proximity to criminal activity, violent or
  aggressive individuals
• Number of potential victims
• Availability of weapons
• Care and supervision
• Victim state of mind/perception
• Drug and alcohol use
• Engaging in violent of aggressive behavior

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Interpreting Situational Exposure

• The purpose of classifying victim situational
  exposure is to understand the victims lifestyle
  and circumstances so that exposure may be fully
  understood.

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Interpreting Situational Exposure

• Low situational exposure victims
• Those who are exposed to little or no actual harm
  or loss immediately prior to victimization.
• Medium situational exposure victims
• Those who are somewhat exposed to the possibility
  of suffering harm or loss immediately prior to
  victimization.
• High situational exposure victims
• Those who are routinely exposed to the
  possibility of suffering harm or loss.
• Extreme situational exposure describes the state
  of being a victim.