Whether we are aware of it or not, all of us at one time or another have been a victim of a crime. Perhaps the most graphic reminder for anyone who experienced the horrible events surrounding the criminal activities that took place on September 11, 2001. Many human lives were lost. Some came as a direct result of the impact of aircrafts on buildings and landscapes in three states. Others were killed or injured in the rescue and recovery efforts that began immediately, and extended, in some cases, for years. Yet others were family and friends who were close to the direct victims, and clearly impacted by their loss. Finally, the changes in how the country reacted in response to these crimes, including policy and procedural changes enacted for travelers at airports, border inspections, and other homeland security-related changes, have undeniably affected and remain in place over twenty years later. Many people believe that the prevalent fear in the United States is being the victim of a sexual assault. While there is, by no means, any shortage of these assault crimes, the more common fear identified by victimologists is that people fear a violation of their personal safety through different categories of theft, including identity theft, home and vehicle burglary, etc. (Saad, 2023).

There are four basic questions to be answered in this field of victim study. They are:

• Who is a victim-how can a victim be identified or known;
• What is the nature and extent of their victimization;
• What caused the victimization to occur; and
• How may the victim be best assisted, by first responders, courts, and society

The common denominator among the individuals, groups and populations being discussed in this chapter is, they have all been victimized in some way. Of critical importance is to realize that a triad of impacts of crime on victims may be experienced–physically, emotionally, or economically, and sometimes in tandem. For example, if a person is sexually assaulted, the victim of a robbery, or murdered, that person and others will be affected in various ways that are consistent with the triad of impacts. If family members residing in an apartment experience a home invasion, the entire group experiences victim trauma at some levels. Finally, if an environmental spill takes place in a community, impersonal entities-business, schools, and government as examples-can experience immediate and ongoing victimization that may extend for many years. Of importance to note in these examples is, victimization can occur on two levels. First, a direct victimization or primary victimization will occur, where the initial (and usually the most immediate effect) of crime victimization happens. Indirect victimization (or secondary) exposure to crime victimization expands the effects of suffering beyond those immediately affected, to include family and close friends of the victim. There can even be large groups considered indirect victims, such as those found when crimes are perpetrated against business, government, industries or the environment. Such large groups may be harmed for years, and in some cases, generations of descendants may continue to be victimized (as in the case of an environmental crime).