In this chapter, the origins of the victims of crime movement, its development, and the passage of important legislation, particularly that which pertains to elderly victims, are presented. An interest in the victims of crime had developed among scholars and researchers in the United States and other countries since the early 1940s. Wilson (Chronology of selected victimology events: The Praeger handbook of victimology, 2009) developed a chronology of important dates pertaining to the development of the victims of crime movement and the passage of legislation that pertained to the compensation of victims of crime. Noteworthy dates are the first usage of the term victimology in 1947, and the first country to pass victim compensation laws was New Zealand in 1963. In the United States, various states, including California, established victim compensation programs, and by 1979, there were 28 states that had enacted victim compensation legislation. The US Congress enacted the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) in 1984. It provided federal grants to the states to be used for compensating victims of crime. Various changes have been made in the Victims of Crime Act since its passage in 1984, the most recent in 2021. Referred to as the VOCA Fix law, many victims of crime who were not eligible for funding are now eligible, including victims of crimes in deferred prosecution and non-prosecution cases. The Elder Justice Act, passed the United States Congress in 2010, established the Elder Justice Coordinating Council. The function of this Council is to coordinate activities related to the prevention and intervention of elder abuse, neglect, and the exploitation of the elderly in the United States. Generally, the victims of crime legislation enacted in the United States and other countries did not specifically address the specific needs of elderly victims. However, laws have been enacted, and victimization prevention programs focusing on elderly victims have been developed. In addition, many government and privately funded educational and action programs directed toward the prevention of criminal victimization have been established in the United States, the European Union, and other countries throughout the world.