We have a question for all the budding criminologists out there. Who gets to be a victim? It might sound like a strange question, but not all victims are viewed equally. Especially when it comes to the media. Below we explore the concept of the “ideal victim” and discuss how the media can shape public perception of who is, and isn’t, most deserving of empathy.
Written by Grant Longstaff. Published 7 November 2025.
Definition of the “ideal victim”
Nils Christie, a leading criminologist, first discussed his theory of the “ideal victim” in 1986. His definition was not about who was most likely to be victimised, or who perceived themselves most likely to be a victim. Instead, Christie focused on “a person or a category of individuals who – when hit by crime – most readily are given the complete and legitimate status of being a victim.”
Characteristics of the ideal victim
Christie’s ideal victim suggests certain victims are seemingly more worthy of sympathy and support from the public than others. He also outlined five key characteristics for the ideal victim:
- The victim is weak.
- The victim is carrying out a respectable project.
- The victim is located somewhere they could not be blamed for being.
- The offender was “big” and “bad”.
- The offender was unknown to the victim.
Christie also discussed the role of the media in creating the ideal victim, highlighting how dramatic narratives in fiction, films and TV can influence the creation of an ideal victim. Think about how the media highlight stories where the victim meets one or more of the characteristics above. By prioritising crimes which elicit strong emotions that fit an established narrative the media reinforces the ideal victim stereotype.
Consider the media coverage of the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. Christie’s characteristics can be applied quite easily; an innocent child, taken from her bed by an unknown offender. The case also tapped into a universal fear for many parents, which made the perfect story for the media around the world. Madeleine McCann became the ideal victim, and her disappearance continues to generate news headlines to this day.
Marginalised and ignored victims
The ideal victim can dominate headlines and garner worldwide sympathy. But not all victims receive the same attention and coverage from the media. Below we explore some of the factors which result in victims becoming marginalised and ignored by the media.
Race
The cases of victims from ethnic minority backgrounds frequently underreported and neglected by the media. Take a report from End Violence Against Women which highlights just one area of racial bias, finding: “In cases of rape or sexual assault where the victim is murdered, Black and minoritised women receive less media attention than white women, despite being statistically more likely to be victims.”
Often cases involving victims from ethnic minority backgrounds are only given widespread media coverage through community activism.
Class
Victims from working‐class or deprived areas are sometimes portrayed as complicit in their victimisation, for example knife crime in deprived areas. Knives4Lives, a charity dedicated to combating knife crime and creating safer communities, highlight the media’s influence on knife crime perception, stating: “Media narratives sometimes oversimplify the causes of knife crime... The focus on youth and gang-related knife crime can lead to the stigmatisation of young people. This is especially true for those from ethnic minority backgrounds.”
Gender
Gender can also influence how deserving a victim may be. Cases involving sexual violence against women are sometimes framed by stereotypes. Instead of focusing on the crime and harm suffered, questions are presented around how the victim was dressed, how they behaved, or if they’d consumed alcohol etc.
By studying criminology you’ll explore some of these key ideas in more detail and realise the intricacies of how such factors shape media narratives. Often an underreported victim can fall into several of these categories at once, meaning factors such as race, gender and class all contribute to shaping the “undeserving” victim.
The “undeserving” victim
These public and media prejudices can create a hierarchy of victimisation. The most “innocent” and “deserving” become the ideal victim whilst others are viewed as “undeserving”. Those deemed “undeserving” are often perceived as contributing to their becoming a victim. Examples include drug related deaths, where the victim is blamed for their lifestyle and identity, and gang related crime pushes a narrative where victims are dangerous, radicalised males which reduces public sympathy.
Why do double standards in the media persist?
News coverage is influenced by several factors. News values, which journalists and reporters use to determine what is “newsworthy” and shape how a story is presented, are one such influence. Stories with a strong narrative and emotional response are favoured by audiences. Ideal victims fit more easily into these stories and receive more attention.
Stereotypes also shape which victims are deemed more credible and newsworthy. Sex workers, for example, have been historically maligned and overlooked by the press in favour of those deemed more “respectable”. Double standards persist because the media perpetuates stereotypes and shapes public perception of a victim.
As a criminology student you’ll explore in detail how the media can distort public opinions of crime and create the “ideal” victim. By understanding theories such as christie’s “ideal victim” you can challenge media narratives and explore what must change.
If you want to discover more about media, crime and control read our blog on Trial by Media.
