LINGUISTIC VICTIMOLOGY

Abstract

The article is devoted to linguistic victimology—an innovative interdisciplinary field integrating criminology, victimology, linguistics, forensic psychology, and criminal procedure. It defines the subject matter of linguistic victimology as the study of linguistic means that construct the social image of the victim of a criminal offence, affect the victim’s legal status and psychological condition, and determine the modalities for safeguarding his or her rights within criminal proceedings. The article elucidates key dimensions of the nexus between language, the legal qualification and appraisal of events, and societal responses to criminal wrongdoing, including analysis of communicative strategies employed by law-enforcement authorities, judges, defence counsel, experts, and the media. Particular attention is paid to secondary victimisation arising from improper linguistic treatment of the victim(s), depersonalisation, or biased formulations in judicial and media discourse.Separately analysed are linguistic markers of traumatic experience (fragmentariness, pauses, self-deprecation, avoidance), which require sensitive interpretation and may constitute the subject of forensic-linguistic examination when assessing the credibility of testimony and the impact of fear or coercion. Emphasis is placed on the quality of language in legislative and procedural instruments: clarity, neutrality, and terminological consistency are prerequisites for non-discriminatory communication with victims and for preventing stigmatisation. The article proposes institutionalising linguistic audit (authoritative glossaries, ethical-language standards, mandatory expert review of draft instruments) and highlights new risks of digital victimisation, where artificial intelligence functions as a linguistic trigger for harmful behaviour, necessitating legal and expert responses. The conclusion underscores the pivotal role of linguistic victimology in humanising criminal procedure, improving the quality of evidentiary communication, and developing ethical standards for interaction with victims within the justice system.