AN EARLY RESEARCH PRIORITY SHOULD BE THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SCALE OF VICTIMIZATION WHICH WILL PERMIT SCIENTISTS TO EXAMINE HOSTAGE VICTIMIZATION ON A CONTINUUM WITH INCIDENTS SUCH AS WIFE BEATING AND TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS. THE FORMS OF TERRORIST VICTIMIZATION VARY WIDELY; SOME POSSESS A FACE-TO-FACE COMPONENT, AS IN HIJACKING, WHEREAS OTHERS, SUCH AS IN LETTER BOMBS, HAVE NO CONFRONTATION. IN ADDITION, SOME INCIDENTS ARE OF LONG DURATION, BUT OTHERS ARE RELATIVELY BRIEF OCCURRENCES. AN ADEQUATE TYPOLOGY OF VICTIMIZATION IS THEREFORE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE THE FRAMEWORK FOR ANY SPECIFIC RESEARCH. BECAUSE TECHNIQUES APPROPRIATE TO ONE STUDY MAY NOT WORK IN ANOTHER, RESEARCH IN VICTIMIZATION MUST CONSIDER THE THREE PHASES OF PREINCIDENT, DURING INCIDENT, AND POSTINCIDENT ASPECTS. FOR INSTANCE, IN THE PREINCIDENT RESEARCH, PUBLIC ATTITUDES TOWARD TERRORISTS SHOULD BE ASSESSED. CULTURAL DIFFERENCES SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED BEFORE RESEARCH CONDUCTED WITH ONE GROUP OF SUBJECTS IS APPLIED TO OTHERS. EXAMINATION OF DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS SHOULD ALLOW THE FORMATION OF AN INDEX OF PRONENESS TO TERRORIST ACTS AND AID IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF COUNTERTERRORISM SYSTEMS. A MEDIATING VARIABLE THAT CAUSES VICTIM STRESS TO INCREASE OR DECREASE IS THE VICTIM'S SENSE OF HELPLESSNESS. THE LOCUS OF THE TERRORIST INCIDENT AND THE PERCEIVED CLOSENESS OF SUPPORTIVE AUTHORITY ALL BEAR ON THE VICTIM'S PERCEPTION OF STRESS AND HELPLESSNESS. THE EFFECTS OF TERRORISM AND THE METHODS OF RESEARCH ARE LISTED. NO REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (TWK)