What Does it Mean to be a Victim?

What is a Victim? With regard to general terminology, a Victim is defined as an individual – or individuals – who suffer as a result of the actions of another entity. The suffering expressed in the definition of a ‘Victim’ can range from a multitude of varieties, which can include damage to personal property, bodily injury and harm, mental or psychological anguish, emotional trauma, debilitation, or death. The Legal Etymology of a Victim In order for an act to be classified as a crime – or criminal act – a number of factors must exist; the advent of legislation in both the forums of modernity and antiquity alike have been primarily constructed to deter any negative recourse sustained by an individual entity resulting from the actions of another individual – as a result, a majority of crimes involve both a perpetrator, as well as a Victim. What is Victimless Crime? Victimless crime is a type of crime that is classified as a result of an absence of an expressly identifiable Victim; the inability to distinguish an individual entity – in addition to the entity who has been convicted of committing the crime – who has been hurt as a result of any or all assumed Victimization associated with the crime in question can include the following criminal activities: The personal –albeit unlawful - use of drugs or controlled-substances Personal injury – including suicide – which an individual inflicts upon themselves The destruction of personal property; this includes any damaged sustained by property belonging to an individual that has been sustained as a result of the actions of that same individual