Define a victim.

Define a victim.

• A. A person who reports the crime.
• B. A person who provides information about the crime.
• C. A person who suffers injury as a result of a crime.
• D. A person who is suspected of the crime but not yet charged.

Answer: (C)

A victim is the person who suffers harm as a direct result of a crime. This harm can take many forms—physical injury, financial loss, property damage, or emotional/psychological distress—but the key idea is that the harm comes from the criminal act itself. The other roles described—someone who reports the crime, someone who provides information, or someone suspected of the crime—are not about having been harmed by the crime, so they don’t define who a victim is. The option that says the person suffers injury as a result of the crime best captures the essence of being a victim in law enforcement terms.

A victim is the person who suffers harm as a direct result of a crime. This harm can take many forms—physical injury, financial loss, property damage, or emotional/psychological distress—but the key idea is that the harm comes from the criminal act itself. The other roles described—someone who reports the crime, someone who provides information, or someone suspected of the crime—are not about having been harmed by the crime, so they don’t define who a victim is. The option that says the person suffers injury as a result of the crime best captures the essence of being a victim in law enforcement terms.