Victim Services

by

Karen S. Knox

Introduction

According to the National Crime Victimization Survey, there were an estimated 20 million violent crime and property victimizations of US residents aged 12 and older in 2009; rates of all types of violent and property crimes have declined since 2000, with the violent crime rate declining 39 percent and the overall victimization rate for violent crime declining from 19.3 to 17.1 per 1,000 persons. Crime victims, their families, and friends receive services in the aftermath of the traumatic incident from social workers, counselors, psychologists, and other helping professionals across a range of settings, such as law enforcement, the court systems, corrections, and probation/parole. As frontline responders on the scene, police-based victim services have unique opportunities to intervene at a critical time for intervention: immediately after the offense and during the investigation: Generally, brief, time-limited crisis intervention services and referrals for continued therapy and other services are provided by victim services programs based in law enforcement. Victim assistance services at the court level are provided during the hearings and focus primarily on case notification and advocacy, witness testimony, and crisis intervention. During the court processes, survivors, family members, and significant others may experience re-traumatization as a result of the court proceedings that bring up memories, emotional reactions, and psychological disturbance. Victim witness advocates assess and refer clients for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and grief and loss issues that indicate the need for continuing long-term therapy. Restorative justice programs are found at the corrections and probation/parole levels and provide services for crime survivors and family members that include release and parole notification, victim impact panels, victim-offender mediation, and restitution programs.

Introductory Works

Victim services began in the early 1900s with the establishment of women’s bureaus within police departments, where the focus was primarily on working with children, youth, and women (see Roberts 1997). During the 1970s, the battered women’s and rape crisis movements invigorated the victim rights movement, and subsequent legislation (see Victims of Crime Act 1984) and funding resulted in an increase of programs and services. By 1999 there were over 10,000 victim and witness programs in every state (see Roberts and Fisher 1997). Professional literature about crime victims, victimology, and crisis intervention also increased during the 1990s. Research on victim services programs and their effectiveness contributed to the knowledge base and development of best practices (see Roberts 1990, McShane 1997, and Wainrib and Bloch 1998). Current statistics on the rates of violent crime and trends over the past ten years are presented in Truman and Rand 2010.

• McShane, Marilyn, ed. 1997. Victims of crime and the victimization process. New York: Garland.

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  This volume presents chapters on the effects of victim impact statements, radical victimology, the history of victim assistance in the United States, victim-offender mediation, and restorative justice.

• Roberts, Albert R. 1990. Helping crime victims: Research, policy and practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.

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  This pioneering work presents the results and recommendations of the author’s national survey of victim services and victim assistance programs. Models for crisis intervention, recovery services, and restitution programs for crime victims are provided.

• Roberts, A. R. 1997. The history and role of social work in law enforcement. In Social work in juvenile and criminal justice settings. Edited by A. R. Roberts, 105–115. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas.

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  The author’s second edition discusses the increase in victim services and victim assistance programs since the mid-1980s. The third section focuses on police-based social work and police–social work collaboration.

• Roberts, A. R., and P. Fisher. 1997. Service roles in victim/witness assistance programs. In Policy and practice in the justice system. Edited by A. McNeece and A. R. Roberts, 127–142. Chicago: Nelson-Hall.

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  This chapter provides a history and overview of victim services in the criminal justice systems. Types of programs, services, and roles of professionals across settings are discussed.

• Truman, J. L., and M. R. Rand. 2010. National crime victimization survey: Criminal victimization, 2009. Washington, DC: Bureau of Justice Statistics.

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  Provides data from the survey of 2009 on rates of violent crime and characteristics of victims of crime. Longitudinal trends and patterns for the past decade are described.

• Wainrib, B. R., and E. Bloch. 1998. Crisis intervention and trauma response: Theory and practice. New York: Springer.

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  The authors present their General Crisis Response model with short-term, problem-oriented interventions and real-life case examples. They stress the importance of focusing on client strengths and awareness of individual and cultural differences.