victimization
Being singled out
Victimization is the act of singling someone out for cruel or unjust treatment.
The word emphasizes the target's innocence and the perpetrator's wrongdoing: She documented years of victimization by her supervisor.
In criminology, victimization refers to becoming the target of crime: The survey measured rates of violent victimization.
Secondary victimization occurs when institutions compound harm—as when authorities doubt or blame those reporting abuse.
Aggressive, unwanted targeting
- bullyingAggressive repeated intimidation
- assaultViolent offensive act
- domestic violenceAbuse between household members
- molestationCriminal unwanted sexual contact
battery · torture · cruelty · mistreatment · maltreatment · brutality · beating · harm
Manipulation causing self-doubt
- coercive controlOngoing pattern of domination
- psychological abuseSystematic emotional harm
- mind gamesPsychological manipulation tactics
- groomingSelf-care for appearance
deception · brainwashing · emotional abuse · isolation · blame-shifting · love-bombing · triangulation · invalidation
Preformed unfavorable opinion
- racismPrejudice based on ethnicity
- sexismGender-based prejudice
- ageismPrejudice targeting older people
- classismPrejudice by economic rank
bigotry · bias · stereotyping · marginalization · exclusion · scapegoating · targeted · profiling
Illegal transport for profit
- sweatshopExploitative manufacturing workplace
- underpaidGiven inadequate wages
- overworkedLaboring beyond healthy limits
- bonded laborWork forced by debt
indentured · peonage · child labor · profiteering · extortion · slumlord · predatory lending · wage theft
State of being unprotected
- helplessnessLacking ability to cope
- powerlessnessInability to affect outcomes
- susceptibilityLiability to influence
- at-riskSubject to potential harm
endangered · unprotected · exposure · precariousness · dependency · frailty · targeting · prey
Unjust exercise of power
- persecutionSystematic mistreatment of groups
- colonialismDomination through foreign settlement
- genocideSystematic annihilation of a people
- ethnic cleansingSystematic removal of populations
displacement · dispossession · subjugation · tyranny · repression · suppression · political prisoners · refugees
harassment
Aggressive, unwanted targeting
- bullyingAggressive repeated intimidation
- assaultViolent offensive act
- domestic violenceAbuse between household members
molestation · battery · torture · cruelty · mistreatment · maltreatment · brutality · beating · harm · suffering
gaslighting
Manipulation causing self-doubt
- coercive controlOngoing pattern of domination
- psychological abuseSystematic emotional harm
- mind gamesPsychological manipulation tactics
grooming · deception · brainwashing · emotional abuse · isolation · blame-shifting · love-bombing · triangulation · invalidation · power imbalance
prejudice
Preformed unfavorable opinion
- racismPrejudice based on ethnicity
- sexismGender-based prejudice
- ageismPrejudice targeting older people
classism · bigotry · bias · stereotyping · marginalization · exclusion · scapegoating · targeted · profiling · hate crime
trafficking
Illegal transport for profit
- sweatshopExploitative manufacturing workplace
- underpaidGiven inadequate wages
- overworkedLaboring beyond healthy limits
bonded labor · indentured · peonage · child labor · profiteering · extortion · slumlord · predatory lending · wage theft · coerced
defenselessness
State of being unprotected
- helplessnessLacking ability to cope
- powerlessnessInability to affect outcomes
- susceptibilityLiability to influence
at-risk · endangered · unprotected · exposure · precariousness · dependency · frailty · targeting · prey · easy target
oppression
Unjust exercise of power
- persecutionSystematic mistreatment of groups
- colonialismDomination through foreign settlement
- genocideSystematic annihilation of a people
ethnic cleansing · displacement · dispossession · subjugation · tyranny · repression · suppression · political prisoners · refugees · asylum
- injusticeinjustice, inequality, discrimination, bias, prejudice
- intimidationthreats, threatening, menacing, intimidate, bullying
- abusemistreatment, domestic abuse, elder abuse, maltreatment, cruelty
- crime datacrime trends, arrest rate, incarceration rate, violent crime rate, property crime
- crueltycruelty, brutality, inhumanity, viciousness, ruthlessness
- traumaabuse, abandonment, abandonment trauma, acute stress, amnesia
victimizationperpetration
Committing an offense
aggression · predation · bullying · persecution · exploitation
victimizationprotection
Guarding against harm
support · advocacy · nurturing · favoritism · care
victimizationempowerment
Gaining authority or confidence
liberation · emancipation · self-determination · agency · autonomy