Criminal Justice professionals, regardless of their specific role, will always come in contact with victims of crime. This course provides an introductory examination of criminal victimization in the United States via an overview of current theory, research, and trends within the context of specific victimization types. In addition, this course examines specific crime types, the role of victims in the criminal process, problems of adjustment to victimization, the complexities of victim-offender relationships, violence and victimization, issues of victim compensation, restorative justice, victim’s rights, and future directions for Victimology as a field of study.