Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.54070/hljk.32.1.1
ROFILE OF VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE IN THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA
Marko Mrakovčić
; Sveučilište u Rijeci Pravni fakultet
Petra Šprem
orcid.org/0000-0003-4396-6887
; Sveučilište u Zagrebu Pravni fakultet
Reana Bezić
Supplements: Profil žrtava nasilja u Republici Hrvatskoj 31-1-1.pdf
Abstract
One of the basic characteristics of mainstream research on violence is that it is highly
fragmentary, mostly focusing on certain subtypes of violence or relying on normative categorisation
and judicial statistics. The reason for this is that there is no generally accepted
definition of violence. As a result, the concept of violence is bypassed as a subject of criminological
research. On the other hand, the layered nature of the phenomenon of violence suggests
a certain dynamism and diversity in its aetiology and phenomenology, which is why its
subtypes are often investigated empirically. Just like criminological research into violence as a
phenomenon, victimological research is also often fragmentary and has so far failed to profile
the common characteristics of victims of violence. This paper analyses empirical data from
the first multidisciplinary and holistic research on violence in the Republic of Croatia, with a
focus on victims. The research was conducted through a detailed analysis of court files in the
Republic of Croatia that were legally finalised between 2017 and 2021. The work is based on
the initial assumption that victims of violence share a certain number of common characteristics,
regardless of the subtype of violence. In this sense, the paper addresses the scientific and
professional gap and answers the question of whether victims of violence in the Republic of
Croatia have certain common characteristics (such as gender, age, work status, level of education,
the context of the social environment in which the violence took place (public/private),
the nature of the relationship between the victim and the perpetrator, the types of injuries the
victims suffered) or whether their characteristics differ so much that it is necessary to observe
them separately, that is, according to the type of violence experienced. The results show that
women, younger people, people with lower education and lower socioeconomic status are more
often exposed to the risk of violence than others. It is also shown that the victim’s gender, age,
work status, and level of education influence to a certain extent the social context and consequences
of the violence they experienced.
Keywords
violence, victims, victimogenic factors, violence research, Croatian Violence Monitor
Hrčak ID:
337640
URI
Publication date:
7.11.2025.
Visits: 275 *