Victims
What factors can contribute to victims’ fear of
crime?
The worst has already happened
Victims are fearful for a good reason – the worst has
already happened. That said, there is still a great deal of
variation in how people cope with their experiences and the
lasting impact it has on them.
Personal circumstances
The nature of the crime, the identity of the perpetrator
and the personal circumstances of the victim will also have
a big impact on how they respond to victimisation. The more
serious and traumatic the crime, the more long-lasting and
profound the effects. Similarly, if a victim lives or works
in close proximity to an offender or where the initial crime
occurred, they will naturally feel more fearful of a repeat
attack, particularly if they have reported the crime to the
police but the offender is still in the community.
Other factors, such as an individual’s domestic
circumstances, age, gender, location, finances, and
personality also have a part to play in determining their
vulnerability post-crime.
Lack of adequate support
Crime may leave victims physically injured, emotionally
and psychologically traumatised. Victims can need
high-quality medical care, swift access to services such as
trauma counselling and help with financial issues. When this
support isn’t forthcoming or isn’t of a high enough
quality, it will impact on a victim’s feeling of
vulnerability.
Similarly, victims who can rely on strong support from
their friends, families and communities will feel less
vulnerable than victims who live alone, for example, or don’t
have many family or social attachments.
Personal experience of the CJS
Victims who see an offender brought to justice are much
more likely to be able to move on and put their fears behind
them. Unfortunately, figures from the BCS show that less
than a fifth of all reported crimes are brought to justice.
Also, many victims are dissatisfied by the level of service
they are given throughout their dealings with the CJS and
have little confidence that the current system will meet
their needs.
Witness intimidation, poor case preparation and court
delays, not keeping victims informed of progress – all of
these things contribute to a sense that there is little
point in reporting a crime if ultimately it’s not going to
lead to justice being done. Little surprise, then, that
research from the Home Office shows that less than half of
all crime is reported.
The Government recently published a Victims and Witnesses
Strategy which explores many of the issues mentioned in the
sections above, and describes the measures currently being
undertaken to address them. To read a full copy of the
strategy, go to: www.cjsonline.org/home.html
Repeat victimisation
Often, the individuals most at risk from repeat
victimisation are those who are also the most vulnerable and
intimidated. The fear of being disbelieved, or being
believed but left unprotected by the authorities can lead
many of them to the conclusion that it’s better not to
risk rocking the boat by reporting crime. Unfortunately, by
not taking action they are left in an even more vulnerable
and precarious position. This scenario is particularly
common for victims of domestic violence, which has the
highest rate of repeat victimisation of any crime, yet only
12% of domestic violence victims report it to the police.
What can be done to help victims
mange and reduce their fear?
Case studies
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