288 van der Velde and Letschert briefly explore how the victim-label has developed over the past decades within the discipline of victimology, to illustrate the dynamic character of social constructs and labels, and their interconnectedness with overall society. Within victimology, a discourse of pathos for victims has emerged only recently. In the 1940s, pioneer victimologists including von Hentig, Mendelsohn, Wolfgang and Nagel, focused on studying the extent to which victims of crime provoked their own victimisation.8 Today, the original precipitation paradigm is considered rather victim-unfriendly, as it engaged in victim-blaming instead of studying the impact and consequences of victimisation per se. Following Van Dijk, contemporary victimology did not become a separate scientific field until 1970s, when the rapid emergence of social movements spread recognition and sympathy for the victim’s cause.9 Especially the Feminist Movement was successful in demanding recognition for victims in the criminal justice system. Besides claiming rights and acknowledgement, the civil society groups also drew attention to the ‘discovery’ of new victims, including victims of marital rape and domestic violence. The revolutionary development of the victimlabel in the second half of the 20th century reflects that who is recognised as a victim depends on the sociopolitical context. The label is therefore a social construct rather than a rigid reality, subject to the dialectics and developments of the society at large with respect to a common understanding of deservingness. Recently, victimologists have started to study aspects relating to large-scale victimisation caused by gross human rights violations or international crimes.10 This trend towards recognition of collective victimisation should encourage victimologists to engage in mapping the scale and nature of victimisation suffered by stateless communities. An important research question in this regard is what the effect of victimisation is on both individuals and society at large and how to develop adequate legal and psycho-social remedies.11 The outcomes of such research may further influence relevant policy-making and voice the needs and concerns of the stateless in their unique contexts. 8 9 10 11 J. Goodley, Victims and Victimology: Research Policy and Practice (Pearsons Education 2005). J.J.M. Van Dijk, ‘Introducing Victimology’ in J.J.M. Van Dijk, R.G.H. Van Kraam, J. Wemmers, Caring for Crime Victims: Selected Proceedings of the Ninth International Symposium on Victimology, Amsterdam, August 25-29, 1997 (Criminal Justice Press 1999) 1-12. See for instance: R. Letschert, R. Haveman, A. De Brouwer, A. Pemberton, Victimological Approaches to International Crimes: Africa (Intersentia, 2011). See for an overview of existing literature in this field: Ibid. tilburg law review 19 (2014) 285-293