Revisiting the non-ideal victim

Abstract

In comparison to Christie’s focus on characterising the ‘ideal victim’ and the sociology of the phenomena, this chapter instead focuses on the non-ideal victim and how this sub-group of victims is linked to individual reactions to victimisation. Christie’s discussion of the non-ideal victim goes only so far as ‘witches and workers’ – those victims who are made so due to either their ill health or ignorance of their victimisation, who do not have sufficient strength/power to claim legitimate victim status. Christie does not however consider the individual who does not want to be associated with the victim label, and will in fact go to great lengths to avoid victim status, including not reporting crimes to the police or further engaging with criminal justice. Avoiding victimisation, or at least avoiding the victim identity and label, is thereby potentially an effective means of protecting one’s foundational belief systems and maintaining personal wellbeing.