Revisiting the Ideal Victim ― Developments in Critical Victimology

In a seminal 1986 paper, criminologist Nils Christie laid out the notion of an ideal crime victim, ie, the type of victim most likely to draw widespread public sympathy and support. Christie’s theories are challenged and redrawn in this edited collection of vibrant and provocative essays that respond to and update the concept from a range of thematic positions. Each chapter celebrates and commemorates his work by analyzing, evaluating, and critiquing the current nature and impact of victim identity, experience, policy, and practice. The collection expands the focus and remit of victim studies, addressing key themes around race, gender, faith, ability, and age, while encompassing new and diverse issues. Examples include sex workers as victims of hate crimes, victims’ experiences of online fraud, and recognizing historic child sexual abuse victims in Ireland. With contributions from an array of academics this book evaluates the contemporary relevance and applicability of Christie’s “ideal victim” and creates an important platform for thinking differently about victimhood in the twenty-first century.

Marian Duggan is lecturer in criminology at the University of Kent’s School of Social Policy, Sociology, and Social Research.