THE ESSENTIAL GOAL OF VICTIMOLOGY IS FEWER VICTIMS IN ALL SECTORS OF SOCIETY. RESEARCH INTO VICTIMOLOGY, TO REFLECT VITAL INTERESTS OF SOCIETY, SHOULD ENCOMPASS PROGRESS MADE IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, EDUCATION, LEGISLATION, AND ADMINISTRATION. A DISTINCTION IS MADE BETWEEN THE TWO CONCEPTS OF VICTIM AND PATIENT BY USING THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA: (1) THE NATURE OF THE DETERMINANT THAT CAUSES SUFFERING, (2) THE SOCIAL CHARACTER OF SUFFERING, (3) THE NATURE OF THE SOCIAL FACTOR, AND (4) THE ORIGIN OF THE INFERIORITY COMPLEX. EVERY VICTIM IS NOT PREDISPOSED TO BE A VICTIM, AND ONLY BY STUDYING CONDITIONS OF SPECIFIC ENVIRONMENTS IS IT POSSIBLE TO DETERMINE WHETHER AN ENDOGENOUS IMPULSE OR THE RESULT OF AN EXOGENOUS CONSTRAINT EXISTS. IF PERSONS HAVE BECOME VICTIMS, THEY SHOULD BE TREATED FROM MEDICAL AND VICTIMOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES. STUDIES SHOW THAT PERSONS CAN BE VICTIMS OF A CRIMINAL, OF THEMSELVES, OF ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR, OF TECHNOLOGY, OR OF UNCONTROLLED ENERGIES OF THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT. IN ORDER TO COMBAT VICTIMOLOGY MORE EFFECTIVELY, IT IS NECESSARY TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION ITS ENTIRE SPECTRUM (I.E., THE NUMBER OF VICTIMS, THE SEVERITY OF CONSEQUENCES, AND THE DIVERSITY OF FACTORS THAT TEND TO CREATE VICTIMS). LIKE MEDICINE, VICTIMOLOGY SHOULD BASE ITS PRACTICAL ACTIVITY ON A NETWORK OF ORGANIZATIONAL ELEMENTS, EACH WITH ITS DISTINCT FUNCTION. A PROGRAM FOR DEALING WITH VICTIMOLOGY IS OUTLINED, AND METHODS FOR PROMOTING THE PROGRAM ARE DESCRIBED. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (DEP)