Victimization at Schools and on College and University Campuses: Historical Developments and Applications of the Opportunity Framework

Victimization at educational institutions has been the focus of researchers, policy makers, and activists for decades. From their collective efforts, two distinct bodies of knowledge have developed, one at the K-12 level and the other at the collegiate level. In this chapter, we discuss the major historical events in the social construction of K-12 and campus crime and victimization. We also provide a review of research on K-12 and campus victimization that has applied the opportunity framework. Ultimately, we illustrate that the social construction of victimization at the K-12 and campus levels has emerged through largely separate social processes and that these distinct pathways are reflected in the differences in the application of the opportunity framework within each context.