Data for the analysis came from interviews with 42 youths who reported involvement in criminal activities. Of the 42, 12 had been involved only in episodic, minor crimes, and 30 had been involved in serious juvenile crime. Each respondents' interview transcript was analyzed for every account of an actual crime, a planned crime, or an illegal event. Answers to questions about hypothetical situations that involved honesty or trust (or avoidance of crime) were also reviewed. The findings show that victims were not defined in the abstract, but in relation to different kinds of criminal events. Youths also shared some of their understandings about the role of the victim in a criminal event. Several themes emerged from the analysis of the transcripts: the careless person is an appropriate victim of theft; an individual who offends the juvenile or who victimizes others is also an appropriate victim; family members, friends, and individuals who are "innocent" or who are particularly vulnerable are inappropriate victims; and crimes are legitimated if there is no perceived individual victim. 9 references