This study based on the French national victimization survey examines the characteristics of various types of victimization: thefts, burglaries, assaults, domestic violence, and consumer-related frauds. One series of variables examined circumstances surrounding the event, notably victim-offender relationship; the agencies or persons to which the victim turned after the incident; and subsequent safety measures taken by the victims. Another series of questions examined victims' attitudes toward crime, and other questions addressed the social characteristics of victims. The dynamic clusters method was used for the typological analysis. The analysis found that within each category of victimization, specific types can be found. These are defined by the nature of the incidents, the reactions, the behavior, and the social and ideological positions of the victims; however, the variables which distinguish victimizations are not necessarily the same for different types of offenses. Findings suggest that policymaking that targets victims must take into account the varying characteristics of victimization and victim responses to it. 11 references