Victimize

Victimize is a transitive verb meaning to cause someone to become a victim through harmful, exploitative, or deceitful actions. It can refer to a single incident or ongoing abuse and may be used for individuals, groups, or institutions. The noun forms are victimization (American spelling) and victimisation (British spelling), while the agent noun is victimizer or victimiser. Adjectives include victimized (describing someone who has been harmed) and victimizing (describing ongoing or active harm).

Etymology and variants: The term derives from victim, with the suffix -ize to form a verb. American English typically uses victimize, while British English uses victimise.

Usage and scope: Victimization covers a range of harms, including criminal acts such as fraud, assault, or trafficking; harassment, exploitation, and discrimination; and social harms like bullying or coercive manipulation. It can occur in personal relationships, workplaces, schools, or within institutions. The concept also extends to systemic or institutional processes that render individuals or groups victims, and the term revictimization describes harm that occurs again after an initial incident.

Examples: A scammer can victimize an elderly person by deceitful financial manipulation. A company may victimize workers through unsafe practices or wage theft. In schools, bullying can victimize students, affecting their safety and well-being.

Impact and study: Victimization can produce physical injury, psychological trauma, financial loss, and social or reputational damage. In criminology and sociology, victimization surveys and victimology study the prevalence, risk factors, and effects of being a victim, as well as responses by individuals, communities, and institutions.

See also: victim, victimhood, victimology, victimization surveys, revictimization.