V. What Do Victims Need?

Depending upon the type of victimization, reactions or needs may vary. In non-violent crimes such as property loss, the extent of trauma may be less significant; typically the victim will regain control and progress through the stages of recovery in a shorter amount of time. However, the way others react to the victim will still have an impact. With violent crimes the trauma is usually much more severe and victims need access to a broad range of short and long-term resources that offer the necessary legal, economic, and emotional support.

Emotional reactions to crime vary from person to person; however, there are a variety of responses that are common among victims and survivors: shock and numbness, denial and disbelief, anger and rage, guilt, loss of control/sense of powerlessness, recovery. According to the APD Victim Services Crisis Team Training Manual, three different phases typically define the victim experience: impact, recoil, and reorganization (APD 2002).

The impact phase is usually accompanied by symptoms of shock, euphoria over survival and disorganization. Immediately following a violent experience, the victim is in crisis because the incident is beyond the normal range of experience.

The psychological trauma of victimization and its impact on the mental health of the victim is influenced by:

Severity of incident
Meaning of incident for the victim
Coping mechanisms of the victim
Previous positive and negative experiences with crisis
Stability of mental health prior to crime
Availability of support system
Degree of punishment assigned to the perpetrator

During the impact phase, the victim may suffer intense physical pain, uncontrollable crying or hysteria, total numbness or preoccupation with the crime. Crisis intervention at this point recognizes the victim’s emotional and physical problems and helps the individual cope. Each person who comes in contact with a victim will have an affect based on the statements they make, the questions they ask, the obvious reactions and nonverbal messages they convey. The victim’s emotional turmoil must be addressed in a sensitive and supportive way in order to help the victim sift through the confusion and regain a sense of control over his/her life.

In the recoil phase the victim tries to adapt to the situation and must deal with feelings of fear, anger, denial, alienation, self-blame and helplessness. The victim begins to realize that their life has been drastically altered. Ensuing problems become apparent, and the victim looks for help. Victims may be impacted by their experience in one or all of the following areas of their lives:

Physical: In addition to obvious physical injuries, a victim may suffer nightmares; changes in sleep patterns; extreme fatigue; impotence; extreme weight changes; chemical dependency or an exaggerated startle response. Often, the emotional stress creates physical problems.

Psychological/Emotional: Violent crime violates the sanctity and security of a victim’s life and inner self. Victims suffer a loss in their sense of purpose for life; they must face feelings of loneliness, depression, sadness, fear, self-pity and helplessness. Some victims desire to flee their emotional trauma by not acknowledging the impact, withdrawing from others, or attempting suicide. The confusion and chaos in the victim’s life may be overwhelming; for some, the desire for revenge becomes a destructive force. At times, victims may have trouble concentrating. They may be preoccupied with the crime and its results, often due to flash backs. The victim may appear to make irrational decisions or suffer from memory loss. The victim may question the social order in an attempt to comprehend what has happened.

Social: A major consequence of victimization may be to withdraw from or blame family members and loved ones. Reduced parenting skills, divorce, isolation from family networks, increased risk of family violence, and chemical dependency are potential results of victimization that impact family and social outcomes. Often, a victim is pressured by friends and family to get on with his/her life and is rejected when he or she cannot comply with others’ expectations. Some victims are suffocated by over-protectiveness of family members. After suffering a violent crime, victims may alter their work habits.

Financial: The financial impact on victims is tremendous. Expenses are incurred for medical treatment and hospitals, funerals, relocation, mental health services, cooperation with the investigation, and/or prosecution costs. Victims may suffer loss of income or even lose their jobs while recovering from physical and emotional injuries. There may be hidden expenses due to changes in lifestyle for the victim, such as: a college scholarship given up because of an inability to concentrate on studies; moving expenses to get away from painful memories of the crime or for safety reasons; or a home or car repossessed because of non-payment. An elderly victim or victim with a disability may become dependent on public benefits and have choices regarding quality of life and care altered by lack of resources.

Spiritual: Victims may suffer a loss of faith – feelings of guilt and anger interfere with previously held beliefs and value systems. Some victims experience an increase in faith.

According to a study conducted by the Crime Victims’ Institute of the Texas Office of the Attorney General (1999), service providers responded to a survey that asked them to rank the financial, physical, psychological, spiritual, and social impact of crime on victims. Each group of providers (i.e., law enforcement agencies, prosecutors’ offices, community supervision departments, and family violence and sexual assault programs) ranked the impact areas similarly – reporting that victims are most affected psychologically and financially and least affected spiritually (ranking from greatest to least impact: psychological, financial, physical, social, spiritual). Crime victims who responded to a survey for the same study ranked the impact of crime on various areas of their lives in the same order as the providers. Victims of all races and ethnic groups identified being most affected psychologically by crime and least affected spiritually.

The final phase is reorganization. Victims begin to move beyond the victimization, to restructure their lives and to accept some irrevocable changes. Victims will build new relationships, find new purpose in life, may change careers and may “begin all over again.” As time passes, the physical and emotional health of the victim will stabilize; however, setbacks should be expected – especially around the anniversary of the crime or when something triggers a recollection of it.

An ideal system of support for victims addresses different phases of recovery, blends legislatively mandated and community-based services, considers the needs of victims at the center of each system, and considers the needs of victims who report as well as the needs of victims who do not report.

Crisis management services focus directly on the medical and safety needs of the victim. Crisis counseling, emergency medical services, law enforcement response, emergency shelter, child protection, and basic needs assistance are all examples of services that might be utilized during the crisis phase. Services that help stabilize the victim immediately following periods of crisis include counseling and support groups, financial and basic needs assistance, as well as advocacy and support. Transitional resources and services related to victims’ long-term needs might include counseling, legal services, housing, child care and children’s services. Community development refers to the increase and coordination of services for victims as well as planning, public awareness and prevention efforts.

The victim experience cannot be measured within a specific time frame. Each victim recovers at his or her own pace. For some victims, encounters with the criminal justice system result in secondary victimization. For others, counseling and other supportive services can expedite recovery. For victims of crime, moving from the initial period of crisis to long-term stability and recovery can be a complex process.

The legal, economic and emotional needs of each individual may shift and change as she/he proceeds through periods of crisis and transition, toward recovery.

Focus Group Results:

Service Provider Inventory of Top Needs and Barriers

Victim Services Providers identified the top needs of the clients that they serve. The services most frequently mentioned were:

Mental health treatment and counseling
Legal services to assist with civil cases that arise from victimization
Financial assistance
Shelter/Safe House

Service Providers also identified the top barriers that prevent victims from getting what they need. The barriers most often identified were:

Insufficient funding and resources for agencies and services
Victim lack of information about services and resources
Financial situation of victim
Language
Transportation

The process is not likely to occur in a discrete, linear sequence – victims may be forced to call upon law enforcement, legal services agencies and victim services programs on a number of occasions and for many different reasons. The following section examines the current system of support for victims in Travis County.