These stages constitute a process which confers official victim status on someone if it is carried out to its conclusion. In the first stage, individuals experience harm, injury, or suffering caused by another person or institution. In the second stage, some of these individuals perceive such harm as undeserved, unfair, and unjust, and they therefore perceive themselves as victims. In the third stage, some of these individuals, perceiving themselves as harmed or victimized, attempt to get someone else to recognize the harm and validate the claim that they have been victimized. Finally, some of these individuals receive validation of their claim to victim status, become "official" victims, and may benefit from various types of support depending on various variables, such as status, visibility, power, and their impact. This framework represents a comprehensive and dynamic approach to the understanding of victimization. Bibliography