Understanding Victimology: A Brief Overview Of The Law, Theory, And The Road Back To Dignity
- IJLLR Journal
- Nov 13, 2025
- 1 min read
Payal Kumari, BBA LLB (Hons.), Lovely Professional University
Introduction
Crime leaves more than a legal footprint; it leaves people with scars, questions, and a long road back to dignity, which is why a victim-centered lens is essential in any justice system that aims to heal as well as to punish.
Victimology brings that lens into focus by asking who is harmed, how harm happens, and what helps people rebuild their lives with real support and legal remedies that do not depend only on a conviction.
What Is Victimology?
Victimology is the scientific study of victims of crime, exploring the patterns of victimisation, the relationships between victims and offenders, and the systems that provide recovery, compensation, and voice within criminal justice.
In India’s contemporary framework, the evolution from the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) to the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) reflects a growing recognition that the victim is not a bystander to criminal process but an active rights-holder entitled to protection, participation, and rehabilitation.
Scope and Significance in Criminal Justice
Victimology informs prevention strategies, trauma-aware policing, survivor-friendly procedures, and compensation schemes that function even when offenders are unknown or acquitted, aligning justice delivery with human recovery rather than case outcomes alone.
In the Indian context, courts, commissions, and legal services authorities have steadily reframed victim protection as a constitutional commitment to life and dignity, not merely a discretionary charity, which has matured policy and practice across states.
