WHEREAS PREVIOUSLY (BEFORE 1970) VICTIMOLOGY WAS CONCERNED WITH VICTIMS OF SPECIFIC CRIMES, CURRENT VICTIMOLOGY FOCUSES ON AFFIRMATIVE ACTION FOR CRIME VICTIMS. MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS IN THE APPLIED (AS OPPOSED TO THE THEORETICAL) FIELD ARE INTENDED TO ALLEVIATE THE PLIGHT OF THE VICTIM BY PROVIDING THE ASSISTANCE THE VICTIM NEEDS TO OVERCOME THE INJURIOUS EFFECTS OF VICTIMIZATION. ATTEMPTS TO UNDERSTAND THE VICTIM'S ACTUAL ROLE IN PROVOKING OR FACILITATING THE CRIME, AS WELL AS EFFORTS TO DEVELOP AN EXPLANATORY MODEL OF CRIME INCORPORATING THE ATTITUDE AND BEHAVIOR OF BOTH THE OFFENDER AND THE VICTIM HAVE SUFFERED A SETBACK AS A RESULT OF SEVERE CRITICISM OF THE CONCEPT OF VICTIM-PRECIPITATION. NEVERTHELESS, THE ORIGINAL CONCEPT IS SOUND. THE USE OF EXPLANATORY CONCEPTS SUCH AS VICTIM-PRECIPITATED, VICTIM-FACILITATED, VICTIM-INITIATED, OR VICTIM-INDUCED TO DESCRIBE THE VICTIM'S ROLE IN THE CAUSATIVE PROCESS SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED AS AN ATTEMPT TO BLAME THE VICTIM FOR THE CRIME. ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THEORETICAL DEVELOPMENTS IN VICTIMOLOGY HAS BEEN THE EXTENSION OF THE INTERPERSONAL PERSPECTIVE FROM A TYPOLOGY OF RELATIONSHIPS TO THE RECIPROCAL ATTITUDES OF THE VICTIM AND OFFENDER AND TO THEIR PERCEPTIONS OF ONE ANOTHER. RESEARCH IN THIS AREA WILL HAVE IMPORTANT PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS IN THE FIELDS OF PREVENTION, CRIMINAL REHABILITATION, AND VICTIM EDUCATION AND TREATMENT. STUDIES ARE REVIEWED ON THE OFFENDER'S ATTITUDE TOWARD THE VICTIM; THE DESENSITIZATION PROCESS; OFFENDERS' STEREOTYPES OF PROBABLE VICTIMS; OFFENDERS' PERCEPTIONS OF DESERVING VICTIMS; THE CULPABLE VICTIM; THE CULTURALLY LEGITIMATE VICTIM; PROXIMITY AND DISTANCE, CLOSENESS AND REMOTENESS; THE VICTIM'S ATTITUDE TOWARD THE OFFENDER; THE STOCKHOLM SYNDROME; AND THE HIJACKEE SYNDROME. THE QUESTION OF VICTIM COMPENSATION IS CONSIDERED, AS WELL AS WHETHER THE VICTIM OF A CRIME HAS AN IMPACT ON THE OUTCOME OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROCESS. TRADITIONAL CRIME PREVENTION FOCUSES ON THE OFFENDER BUT THE MORE MODERN APPROACH EMPHASIZES TEMPTATION AND OPPORTUNITY SITUATIONS CREATED BY POTENTIAL VICTIMS; IT SEEKS TO REDUCE OPPORTUNITY THROUGH PREVENTIVE MEASURES BY POTENTIAL VICTIMS OR POLICE. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (PRG)