Victim Assistance and the Criminal Justice System: the Victim’s Perspective

Abstract

The reactions of victims to the criminal justice system and to society’s attempts to assist them cannot be understood without, first, considering the effects of crime on the victim. These effects are not confined to the immediate consequences of the offense – physical injury, shock, loss of property, time off work or financial losses. They can intrude into most of the areas of the victim’s life – producing a change in his relationships with members of his family, neighbors, friends or work colleagues. There are also the costs involved in being a victim in the criminal justice system.