International Review of Victimology

Gender-based violence (GBV), including intimate partner violence and sexual assault, continues to be a pervasive public health issue globally and in South Africa. One-stop centre (OSC) models have emerged internationally as integrated approaches to service delivery, designed to reduce secondary victimisation and improve access to coordinated medical, legal and psychosocial support for survivors. South Africa’s Thuthuzela Care Centres (TCCs) reflect a local adaptation of this model. However, implementation across provinces is uneven, and minimum service standards are not consistently applied. This systematic review aimed to assess the evidence from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) on OSC models for GBV response to inform the refinement of minimum standards within the South African TCC framework. A systematic search of five electronic databases (MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus, CENTRAL, EBSCOhost and Google Scholar) was conducted to identify peer-reviewed articles published between 2010 and 2021. The search strategy was informed by PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Narrative synthesis was conducted, using both preliminary synthesis and thematic analysis. A total of 10 studies met the inclusion criteria. Six were conducted in African countries and four in Asia. Most studies focused on the evaluation of existing OSC models (n = 5) or the implementation of OSC services (n = 4), with one study examining provider responses to GBV. Three major themes emerged from the synthesis: (1) strategies that enable optimal engagement with OSC models; (2) systemic and contextual barriers to access and implementation; and (3) the role of trust and relational agency in survivor–provider interactions. The findings demonstrate that while OSC models offer a promising framework for integrated GBV care, their effectiveness is mediated by relational, institutional and contextual factors. This review supports the need for national guidelines that incorporate survivor-centred principles, cross-sectoral collaboration and relational care practices to ensure equitable and effective service provision.

India’s adoption of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (BNSS) 2023 marks a key paradigm shift from a historically offender-focused criminal justice system to one that centers survivors’ needs. Despite progress, pre-BNSS victim support under the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and Indian Penal Code (IPC) has struggled to adequately address victims’ psychological, legal, and practical needs. This study reviews victim support evolution in India and evaluates the Paramarsh model—an advanced pilot integrating trauma-informed care, legal aid, and psychosocial support through police-embedded Victim Support Units. Using a systematic review of statutes, research, policy, and pilot data, this analysis assesses Paramarsh’s design, implementation, and potential scale-up within the BNSS framework. Pilot results show a 70% reduction in issue-resolution time and 80% victim satisfaction, demonstrating significant improvements in efficiency and survivor experience. Findings highlight the urgent need to institutionalize trauma-informed protocols, standardize police collaboration, and align legacy CrPC/IPC provisions with BNSS mandates. The paper concludes with policy recommendations for national adoption of this replicable, rights-based victim support model aligning with India’s evolving justice landscape.

This paper explores forced marriage, a form of gender-based violence affecting women and girls worldwide. It employs a comparative approach, beginning with the victim-centred focus outlined in the Istanbul Convention. The paper analyses forced marriage data and legislative frameworks in Germany, Spain, Finland, and Ireland. It concludes that more empirical research is needed for effective prevention and recommends a shift from criminal to civil and family law, as the current approach overly narrows the concept of forced marriage. Enhanced institutional attention across all four countries is also crucial for ensuring victims’ access to justice.

This study explores claimants’ experiences with redress procedures addressing historical institutional abuse by Catholic clergy in the Netherlands, examining three areas: complaint and compensation procedures, civil court cases, and mediation. Based on interviews with 18 claimants, findings indicate significant procedural flaws, especially within the Reporting Centre which was frequently described as rigid and impersonal, offering little room for narrative expression or emotional responsiveness. In contrast, the Commission for Help, Recognition, and Reparation (Committee HEG) combined clearer procedural structure with more empathetic engagement, while Triptych mediation strengthened participants’ sense of agency through co-created dialogue and relational repair. The Temporary Regulation provided standardised financial compensation but lacked space for personalised acknowledgement or historical nuance, particularly in cases involving gendered forms of harm. Procedures such as the Reporting Centre and civil litigation intensified distress for many survivors due to their adversarial tone and narrow evidentiary focus. Mechanisms like Committee HEG, Triptych mediation, and institutional mediation were generally seen as less harmful, as they allowed for more participatory formats, emotionally attuned interactions, and visible gestures of recognition. The study contributes to debates on institutional abuse and redress by identifying how concrete design features – such as control over process, the handling of evidence, and modes of acknowledgement – shaped victim-survivors’ perceptions of fairness and recognition, thereby revealing the practical workings of procedural and restorative justice. A more systemic approach is essential, one that centres victim-survivors’ voices, addresses broader institutional harms, and ensures that justice processes respond meaningfully to victim-survivors’ lived realities.

This study examines how victims of serious human rights violations in Türkiye experience and perceive reparations awarded by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). While the ECtHR typically awards financial compensation for non-pecuniary damages, it also has the authority to recommend investigative and remedial measures as part of just satisfaction. Drawing on expectancy-disconfirmation theory and victimological approaches to reparative justice, the study explores how a select group of survivors, both recipients and non-recipients of ECtHR judgments, assess the extent to which these measures meet their expectations and justice needs. Findings show that ECtHR acknowledgment holds deep significance for survivors, especially where national recognition is lacking. Symbolic forms of reparation, such as acknowledgment, truth-telling, and accountability, are consistently viewed as more meaningful than monetary compensation. Participants across both groups prioritized ending ongoing harm and ensuring non-repetition. Legal recognition alone did not strongly shape perceptions of justice, and some participants reported added distress when reparative processes were delayed or obstructed. By highlighting the mismatch between the ECtHR’s current remedial framework and the more expansive, collective, and recognition-oriented expectations of victims, this study calls for a more victim-centered and contextually responsive approach to reparation in cases of widespread or systemic harm.

The escalating menace of online romance scams (ORS), exploiting human vulnerabilities and trust through social engineering, necessitates robust preventive strategies. This study pioneers the development of victim script, utilizing Crime Script Analysis to map the decision-making process of victims and highlight potential intervention points for preventing scams. Drawing from a prior comprehensive data set of verified victim testimonials, the research articulates a detailed victim script encompassing the entire trajectory of ORS—from initial encounters on digital platforms to the culmination of financial exploitation. By examining the correspondence between offender tactics and victim responses, this study identifies critical stages where interventions could effectively thwart scammers’ strategies. The findings advocate for enhanced awareness programs, rigorous platform security measures, and the empowerment of potential victims through educational outreach, aiming to curtail the financial and emotional damage inflicted by ORS.

Victimization in the digital space is becoming increasingly common. Hiding your true identity behind a computer screen has become a way to manipulate and target vulnerable people searching for friends or companionship on the Internet. The current study sought to understand the negative consequences experienced by victims of catfishing (i.e., the creation of a partially fake or completely fake profile using a social media platform or dating site to deceive another person), building on the narrow literature focusing on those who have been victimized by someone misrepresenting themselves online. Self-report survey data are used to identify and analyze the consequences experienced by catfish victims. Findings suggest those who have been victims of catfishing experience similar negative consequences experienced by victims of other forms of crime, both online and offline. Implications for policy and future research are discussed.

This study examines the evolution of slasher films from the 1960s to the present, focusing on their portrayal of violence, brutality, and the sexualization of female victims in relation to shifting societal attitudes toward victimization. By conducting a data-driven content analysis of violence and sexualization trends through the decades, the research fills a gap in the literature on the intersection of cinema, victimology, and culture. The findings reveal that films from the 2000s and 2010s exhibit the highest levels of brutality, while 1980s slasher films are marked by the most explicit sexualization of female victims. These trends are analyzed through the lens of victimology, demonstrating how depictions of female victimization reflect and reinforce societal attitudes toward crime, serial killing, rape culture, and gender dynamics. The study highlights the reciprocal relationship between slasher films and cultural movements, illustrating how filmmakers both shape and are shaped by public perceptions of victimhood. Ultimately, the research argues that slasher films serve as a cultural mirror, revealing shifting views on gender, power, and crime, and offering insights into broader societal concerns about the victimization of women and changing notions of justice and empowerment.

This study examines fear of crime among residents of Macao using data from the 2022 Macao Victimisation Survey. Fear of crime is conceptualised as a multidimensional construct encompassing affective, cognitive and behavioural components. Analyses are based on regression models incorporating vulnerability, victimisation and situational factors. The study also assesses whether situational variables moderate the relationship between victimisation and fear of crime. Findings reveal both consistencies and deviations from prior research. Contrary to established studies, age and gender do not significantly influence fear of crime. However, the victimisation model remains robust, indicating that victimisation experiences are significantly associated with heightened fear. Community disorder and perceived crime rates are found to affect specific dimensions of fear of crime. Notably, situational variables do not exhibit statistically significant moderating effects on the relationship between victimisation and fear of crime. By offering contextual insights from Macao, an East Asian city with distinct socioeconomic and structural dynamics, this study contributes to the broader criminological discourse on fear of crime and highlights the need for a locally grounded theoretical framework.