Various theories of victimology exist, each with the aim of explaining why certain people become victims of crimes, and why others do not. Some people view some theories in a negative light, believing that to conjecture as to the causes of victimisation is tantamount to blaming the victim for crime, at least partly.
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Abuse in general
The lifestyle/exposure theory is a model of victimology that posits that the likelihood an individual will suffer a personal victimization depends heavily upon the concept of life style. The lifestyle theory is constructed upon several premises. The most important of the premises are:
Abuse towards women
The interpersonal model describes violence against women as a consequence of individual psychology and abnormal interpersonal relations.
The family violence model explains the phenomenon more in terms of socioeconomic and educational factors.
Finally, the gender-politics model is an attempt to schematise abuse of women as attempts by males in general to maintain their position of power over females.