Protective Victimology in Light of "The Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power"

Author

Abstract

Although studying crime victims primarily emerged within the framework of a negative perspective emphasizing upon blameworthy of victims in the criminal incident, it is more than three decades that attentions have been addressed to protecting these vulnerable persons. "Protective Victimology", thus, is considered as one of the most recent approach in criminological literature, which is gradually becoming an independent discipline in the field of criminal sciences. Meanwhile, it's international aspect, which followed on the globalization movement, has made it to be at the centre of attention at the policy-making level and a significant concern of criminal policies. Following victimological researches in many countries, the United Nations made special efforts to codify the international principles and standards on victim protection. The Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power is regarded as the most eminent of such efforts and assumed as a charter containing the global standards within the framework of a protective victimology. The present article reviews the Declaration overall.