Victimology the Depressed: According to the Maurer

Victimology

The Depressed: According to the Maurer School of Law Protective Order Project (2012), "Children who witness the abuse of their mothers are at in increased risk for emotional and behavioral disturbances, such as withdrawal, low self-esteem," and other disturbances to the individual's self-perception vs. perception of the outside world. An example of how an indirect depressed victim might react would be for a child to stop going out with friends. A direct depressed victim might stop doing her favorite hobbies like swimming or playing music.

The Acquisitive: The acquisitive type seeks personal gain from the situation, albeit in dysfunctional ways. An indirect victim of abuse might, for example, internalize the violent behaviors of the father because he can see that his mother is submissive after the parents have a big fight. Knowing that the yelling and occasional hitting has worked in his father's favor, the child then starts bullying fellow children at school (Bogan, 2011). As the child acquires a degree of fear-based status, he has acquired what he wants: a degree of control and self-importance. A direct victim of abuse might be acquisitive in different ways. For example, a victim of sexual abuse might realize that her sexual power over men is so great that she can use it to get anything she wants. Therefore, she becomes promiscuous or uses sex for money.

The Wanton: This type of victim uses drugs and alcohol in response to the abuse, whether the abuse is indirect or direct. The wanton type might be similar for indirect and direct victims, and the use of the substance might even invite further problems. For example, an indirect victim of abuse might start drinking heavily to numb feelings. As a result, the person gets raped or mugged. A direct victim of abuse might do the same, as both types rely on the drug to initiate behavior they might not otherwise do without the drug (Bogan, 2011).

The Lonesome and Heartbroken: This victim type can be an easy target for scams, because they will do or buy anything to alleviate their pain. They can easily be taken advantage of. For example, an indirect victim of abuse might give money to a fake charity after being called by a solicitor. A direct victim of abuse might take a homeless drug addict under her roof and is later surprised to find that all her jewelry and cash are missing.

The Tormentor: The tormentor is a victim who becomes a tormentor later, as if it were the final straw. For example, some children end up killing their parents after years of abuse. The abuse can be either direct (direct sexual or physical abuse of the child) or indirect (watching the father beat the mother). A tormentor might not even kill the parent, but do something passive-aggressive, such as set up his father for a crime or fail to rescue his father when he could have.