Shapland, Joanna: Victimology

Interest in victims of crime - victimology - has always spanned both the scholarly and practical realms. This volume combines a collection of essays covering the diversity of approaches towards victimology, from the conceptual to the practical, including evaluation and scrutiny of the basis on which we do justice. The volume is divided into four sections; the first part discusses the nature of victimisation and concepts of the nature of victimhood; the second part looks at the effects of victimisation and some of the ways in which victim support and assistance have developed, and the views of victims on these. The third part considers the role that victims play in criminal justice and their reactions to those roles. Finally, the book looks at responses to victimisation - including attempts to provide acknowledgement, reparation and compensation - within the framework of criminal justice. Much of the research literature on victimology has previously stemmed from Europe and North America, and has been influenced by an Anglo-American common law legal system and views of criminal justice whereas this collection incorporates different legal systems' perspectives, particularly those of mainland Europe. This book will serve as an important predicate to wider research in victimology and further development of this dynamic field.