Tertiary Victimisation
Definition
The diffuse harm a crime causes to a wider community or to society, including reduced trust in public safety, fear of crime, and strain on collective institutions, distinct from the harm suffered by the direct victim.
Related terms
- Institutional Betrayal
- Harm that occurs when an institution a person depends on for safety, such as a police force, a court, a school or...
- Primary Victimisation
- The direct physical, financial or psychological harm caused to a person by the criminal act itself.
- Re-Victimisation
- A new and separate offence committed against a person who has already been a crime victim, as opposed to harm generated by...
- Secondary Victimisation
- Additional harm caused to a victim through the process of reporting and investigation, such as disbelief, insensitive questioning, or retraumatisation. Fear of...
- Vicarious Trauma
- Psychological harm absorbed by people who are repeatedly exposed to another person's traumatic experience at close range, such as first responders, investigators,...