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Working with Victims of Crime: A Manual Applying Research to Clinical Practice

Preface

How can I help this crime victim get on with her life? What do I say to the parents of the missing child? What do I do with the explosions of anger? Does it really help if I just listen? When does it get better? These are a few of the questions I hear regularly from people who are dealing with victims of serious crime. They are good questions that come from a place of caring as well as frustration and confusion. This manual provides a place to explore some of the answers to these basic questions.

It must be over a decade now since I began my research into crime victimization. In one of the first articles that I uncovered, I read that most counselors found victims of serious crime difficult to work with and because of this they were often avoided by seasoned counselors. I took it personally. I couldn't believe that we who had experienced a violent crime were in some ways being rejected by a group whom we believed had the ability to help us. I shouldn't have been surprised. Even the ancient, well-known story of the Good Samaritan in the Bible is about a crime victim being passed over, neglected, avoided and ignored.

Over time, I've come to understand what that psychologist author meant about the difficulty of dealing with crime victims. They are a clientele who are often characterized by uncontrollable anger, disorganization, unpredictability, and extreme traumatization. To work with crime victims requires an immense amount of patience, courage and a deep sense of "knowing" and understanding the experience of crime victimization. It can be extremely demanding. It is no wonder dedicated front-line service providers are often tired and burned out.

But in spite of the hardships, there are many service providers who have survived in this field and remain important support for many crime victims. They share a few characteristics. While they remain warm and supportive, they don't promise to do anything they can't deliver. They are knowledgeable about the trauma of crime and respect the devastation it creates. They remain loyal to the victims but change their roles as the victims heal and change themselves. They are in there for the long haul. Humble in their ability, but faithful in their effort. They are also always looking for new material that will help them add to their knowledge.

This manual I am sure will become part of their valuable collection. It provides a comprehensive framework for the research that is now surfacing in the field. By beginning with the needs of the service provider for self-care, this work shows itself to be sensitive to the human need of the crime victim as well. Well outlined and organized, it gives a good overview of the psychological change that happens in crime victims. It also outlines the common coping strategies of victims, negative and positive, and ends with suggestions. The comprehensive bibliography grounds the work on a solid research basis.

Service providers who are looking to sharpen their tools to do their work more effectively will find this manual helpful in honing their skills.

Wilma Derksen is Director of Victims' Voice, a national program sponsored by the Mennonite Central Committee Canada that assists people impacted by homicide and other serious crimes. Wilma is in an inspirational speaker, teacher and writer. She has shared openly and honestly at conferences, schools, workshops and through her writing about the agony of losing a loved one to homicide and the journey toward healing. Wilma has developed resources to support victims, their family and friends, service providers and criminal justice system practitioners with the aftermath of violent crime including writing two books, Have You Seen Candace? - A Mother's True Story of Coping with the Murder of her Daughter and Confronting the Horror: The Aftermath of Violence.

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