Module 6 Impact of Crime on Victims

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Module 6Impact of Crime on Victims
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Learning Objectives

• Identify primary and secondary victims of crime.
• Recognize factors that influence a victims
  ability to cope.
• Identify symptoms of trauma that victims may have
  in the immediate, short-term, and long-term
  periods following victimization.
• Discuss possible physical, psychological/
  emotional, financial, and spiritual effects of
  crime on victims.

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Who Is Affected by Crime?
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Activity
Impact of Crime
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Overview of Crime
Source Bureau of Justice Statistics.
Note The serious violent crimes included are
rape, robbery, aggravated assault and homicide.
Serious violent crime levels declined since 1993.
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Overview of Crime
Rape Rates
Adjusted victimization rate per 1,000 persons age
12 and over
Source Bureau of Justice Statistics.
Note Includes both attempted and completed
rapes.
Rape rates have been stable in recent years.
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Overview of Crime
Robbery Rates
Adjusted victimization rate per 1,000 persons age
12 and over
Source Bureau of Justice Statistics.
Robbery rates declined after 1994.
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Overview of Crime
Assault Rates
Adjusted victimization rate per 1,000 persons age
12 and over
Source Bureau of Justice Statistics.
Assault rates declined since 1994.
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Overview of Crime
Homicide Rates
Homicide rates have declined to levels last seen
in the early 1970s.
Source FBI, Uniform Crime Reports, 1950-2005
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Activity
Who Is the Victim?
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Factors That Influence a Victims Ability To
Cope with the Impact of Crime

• Prior victimization increases trauma.
• History of mental health problems.
• Degree of threat to life and physical injury.

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Factors That Influence a Victims Ability To
Cope with the Impact of Crime

• Violent crime victims often have a more difficult
  time coping than property crime victims.
• Lack of or poor social support systems.
• Degree of exposure to the justice system.

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Immediate, Short-Term, and Long-Term Reactions
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Activity
Victim Impact Listen and Learn Video
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Emotional and Psychological Trauma

• Unexpected
• Victim was unprepared.
• Could not be prevented.

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What Causes Emotional and Psychological Trauma?

• Trauma changes the structure and function of the
  brain.

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Immediate and Short-TermTrauma Reactions

• Occurs during or immediately after the crime
  until about 3 months post-crime.
• Most crime victims achieve considerable recovery
  sometime between 1 and 3 months after the crime.

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Immediate and Short-Term Trauma Reactions
Flight or fight responses

• Shock.
• This cant be happening to me.
• Emotional problems.
• Physiological anxiety.
• Cognitive symptoms of anxiety.

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Trauma Reactions 2 or 3 Months After the Crime

• Fear, anxiety, and generalized distress.
• Preoccupation with the crime.
• Concern about safety from attack.
• Concern that other people will not believe them.
• Negative changes in their belief systems.
• Worrying about when the next attack will occur.

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Long-Term Trauma Reactions

• Most victims of crimeespecially those who
  receive services and informationare able to cope
  with the trauma of victimization.
• Initial and short-term trauma reactions can turn
  into long-term trauma reactions if trauma is not
  identified or addressed with mental health
  assistance.

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Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
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PTSD Symptoms

• Persistent re-experiencing of the event.
• Persistent avoidance of things associated with
  traumatic event.
• Reduced ability to be close to other people and
  experience or sustain loving feelings.
• Persistent symptoms of increased arousal (e.g.,
  sleep difficulties, outbursts of anger).

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Crime-Related PTSD

• Rates of PTSD are higher among victims of violent
  crime than among victims of other types of
  traumatic events.
• Victims with physical injuries and who believed
  they might have been killed/seriously injured
  during the crime are more likely to suffer from
  PTSD than other victims.

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Crime-Related PTSD

• Rates of PTSD are higher among victims who report
  crimes to the justice system than among
  non-reporting victims.
• Many crime victims with PTSD do not spontaneously
  recover without treatment.

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Physical, Psychological/ Emotional, Financial,
and Spiritual Impact of Crime
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Activity
Possible Victim Reactions
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Cautions

• Every victim is unique.
• Never make assumptions concerning how a victim
  will react.
• A persons reaction to his or her victimization
  will be influenced by a variety of factors.

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Review of Module Learning Objectives

• Identify primary and secondary victims of crime.
• Recognize factors that influence a victims
  ability to cope.
• Identify symptoms of trauma that victims may have
  in the immediate, short-term, and long-term
  periods following victimization.
• Discuss possible physical, psychological/
  emotional, financial, and spiritual effects of
  crime on victims.