victimization

American  

[vik-tuh-muh-zey-shuhn] / ˌvɪk tə məˈzeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act of making someone into a victim by harming or killing them.

   Mentally ill people who wander these streets are particularly vulnerable to victimization by criminal predators.

2. the act or fact of blaming others for the hardships one encounters in life.

   That school of thought says that victimization is an attitude: you may have no control over what happens to you, but you can control what you do with it.

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Etymology

Origin of victimization

First recorded in 1840–50; victimiz(e) ( def. ) + -ation ( def. )

Related Words

• deception