To victimize means to single someone out for cruel, unfair, or harmful treatment. When bullies victimize a classmate, they repeatedly target that one person with mean comments, exclusion, or threats. When a thief victimizes someone, they choose that person to rob or deceive.

The word captures something important: victimization involves deliberate choice. When someone is victimized, another person deliberately chose to harm them, rather than the harm happening by accident or chance. A store owner might be victimized by shoplifters. A trusting person might be victimized by a scam artist who takes advantage of their good nature.

You'll often see this word in news stories about crime or injustice. When we say a group has been victimized, we mean they've been specifically targeted for mistreatment because of who they are.

The related noun is victim, which means the person who was harmed. Someone who victimizes others might be called a victimizer, though we more commonly use words like bully, criminal, or abuser depending on what they did. Understanding victimization helps us recognize patterns of unfairness and work to prevent them.