Support Survivors of Violent Crime
The Challenge
In order to improve public safety and reform our criminal justice system we must change how we perceive and treat victims of crime. Historically, our society has failed to recognize victimization and the harmful effects of trauma. These misconceptions about victimization have helped to perpetuate the cycle of the violence. Victims are often left to suffer in isolation without any assistance on how to navigate the criminal justice system or access services.
Research shows us that trauma either through witnessing or directly experiencing violence, when left unaddressed, can have devastating long-lasting effects on individuals. For example, children exposed to violence, crime, and abuse are more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol; suffer from depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder; fail or have difficulties in school; and become delinquent and engage in criminal behavior.
Victim-centered, trauma-informed services are critical to helping victims survive, heal and thrive. Depending on the type and severity of a crime, different services may be warranted. These can include medical, counseling, safety planning, emergency shelter, criminal justice advocacy and legal services. But unfortunately, often victims do not seek or cannot access services. In 2015, the percentage of violent crime victimizations in which assistance was received from a victim service agency was 9.1 percent.
The Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime studied the state of the victim services field and released Vision 21: Transforming Victim Services Final Report, which found that services are often inaccessible or unavailable especially for certain marginalized populations including boys and young men of color, American Indian and Alaska Native victims, victims with disabilities, older victims, victims in detention settings, youth and women who are victims of human trafficking, undocumented immigrants, people with limited English proficiency, and individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer or questioning.
The Opportunity
The Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) of 1984 created the Crime Victims Fund (CVF), a repository of federal criminal penalties and fines — not taxpayer dollars. Every year funds are distributed from the CVF for a number of discretionary programs, set-asides and formula grants to states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories for victim assistance and compensation. These funds provide critical lifelines to victim assistance and compensation programs across the country.
In Fiscal Year 2015, Congress tripled the spending cap on the Crime Victims Fund from $745 million to $2.36 billion. This unprecedented increase meant that states could fund many more victim assistance organizations than ever before. It also provided a unique opportunity to communities to reach more victims in new and innovative ways, helping to break some of the barriers that exist for victims attempting to access services.
In addition, the Office for Victims of Crime in partnership with the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and the National Institute of Justice is seeking out new ways to support the largely underserved population of boys and men of color through their special demonstration initiative, Supporting Male Survivors of Crime. Twelve sites across the country are focused on following a multidisciplinary approach to identify male survivors of violence, remove the stigma of receiving services, and break the cycle of violence.
In addition to allocating funding for states and localities, the Federal Government should take steps to promote fair hiring policies and eliminate collateral consequences at the federal level.
Action Steps
Legislative
Congress has maintained an elevated cap on the CVF for the past three fiscal years (FY2015–2017). Congress should maintain current levels of CVF funding to provide expanded outreach and services to victims of crime.
Executive
DOJ’s Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) should promote and support efforts to reach underserved communities by encouraging state and territory recipients of formula funds to utilize an inclusive process for strategic planning and decision-making regarding the distribution of victim assistance funds. Funding priorities should reflect the needs of the jurisdiction’s population. It is critically important that traditionally marginalized communities be at the table to share information about how their needs can be addressed fully.
OVC should continue to advance Vision 21 efforts aimed at modernizing and expanding the victims services field. Numerous initiatives show great promise for transforming the field including:
- Supporting Male Survivors- exploring effective ways to reach an overlooked group
- The development with the Bureau of Justice Statistics of the first ever national census and survey of victim service providers
- National Institute of Justice research related to crime victim issues, including restorative justice, understanding the overlap between victim and those who victimize, learning more about the victimization experiences of at-risk groups
