Keele Research Repository

The victim of crime has become the focus of increasing concern in recent years, particularly in the context of the impact crime has on its victims. This article takes a novel approach within this debate contending that the conceptualization of victimization remains underdeveloped with respect to the experience of crime for victims. In particular, this article explores elements of threat to or loss of property and physical safety that impinge on personal and communal well-being. Further, we draw together perspectives on `well-being' that focus on the boundaries of body, home and personal space as key constituents of a sense of both identity and safety. We argue for a richer conceptualization of victimization developing existing approaches with discussions of fear, embodiment and personal/spatial `privacy'.