Institutions, religions, moral admonitions, and legal procedures have all arisen in an attempt to further the goals of preventing victimization, protecting the victim, and helping the victimizer. However, victimization is sometimes fostered by these objectives. All behavior, whether it is societal or individual, is based on a conceptualization or frame of reference which appears correct to the person who possesses it. A closer look at this frame of reference and how this culture manages victimology is needed. In the past, the commitment of crime has been considered evidence that the criminal was possessed by a satanic demon, lacked religious faith, had a genetic or chemical imbalance, or had a personality or developmental-emotional deficit. These different theories have resulted in an extraordinary range of rational and irrational approaches. Future studies should focus on issues of power and powerlessness, the origins of power in human development, and the circumstances in which power issues lead to victimization. Bibliography