An Oral History of the Crime Victim Assistance Field Video and Audio Archive

This website contains information from the Victim Oral History Project, intended to capture the development and evolution of the crime victims’ movement. You will find video clips of interviews with more than 50 persons critical to this movement, in which they discuss their contributions to and perspectives of the field.

Crime in the United States

The Federal Bureau of Investigation compiles all the information for both the Uniform Crime Reports and National Incident-Based Reporting System. The information is then put into several annual publications, such as Crime in the United States and Hate Crime Statistics. The data for these statistics are provided by nearly 17,000 law enforcement agencies across the United States. This website provides the crime information for 2013.

Crime Prevention Tips

This website provides many tips on how to reduce your chances of becoming a crime victim. There is also a section to help you determine whether you have been a crime victim. Some of the prevention tips specifically address how to be safer when you use public transportation and on college campuses.

The American Society of Victimology

This organization advances the discipline of victimology by promoting evidence-based practices and providing leadership in research and education. The website contains information about victimology and victimologists. This organization looks at advancements in victimology through research, practice, and teaching.

“Alcohol and Crime”

This report by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, in connection with the U.S. Department of Justice, looks at the link between alcohol and crime. It includes several graphs and figures that show the link between crime, specifically violent crime, and alcohol. These statistics also show that alcohol-related crime is generally decreasing.

Bureau of Justice Statistics: Victim Characteristics

The NCVS provides information on characteristics of victims, including age, race, ethnicity, gender, marital status, and household income. For violent crimes (rape, sexual assault, assault, and robbery) the characteristics are based on the victim who experienced the crime. For property crimes (household burglary, motor vehicle theft, and property theft) the characteristics are based on the household of the respondent who provided information about these crimes. Property crimes are defined as affecting the entire household.

Crime in the United States: The Nation’s Two Crime Measures

This website is part of the FBI’s research on various crimes. This one specifically examines the differences, advantages, and disadvantages of the UCR and the NCVS. Both forms of research are important to the study of crime.

Crime Times

Crime Times is a quarterly publication of the Wacker Foundation concentrating on the links between brain dysfunction and disordered/criminal/psychopathic behavior. Instead of focusing just on sociological problems, this website looks at brain malfunctions that prevent criminals from benefiting from sociological or psychological interventions. This website addresses several topics, including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, aggression, antisocial behavior, food and chemical sensitivities, hormonal imbalances, maternal smoking or alcohol abuse, and new medical and nutritional interventions.

“Opportunity Makes the Thief: Practical Theory for Crime Prevention”

This article combines several theories that focus on the “opportunity” of crimes. This includes the routine activities approach, the rational choice perspective, and crime pattern theory. This publication argues that the root cause of crime is opportunity. This allows for prevention techniques to focus on how to lessen the opportunity for crime to occur.

Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods

The Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods is an interdisciplinary study of how families, schools, and neighborhoods affect child and adolescent development. It was designed to advance understanding of the developmental pathways of both positive and negative human social behaviors. In particular, the project examined the pathways to juvenile delinquency, adult crime, substance abuse, and violence. At the same time, the project also provided a detailed look at the environments in which these social behaviors take place by collecting substantial amounts of data about urban Chicago, including its people, institutions, and resources.

Prostitution Courts, National Drug Center Court Resource Center

Contained within the National Drug Center Court Resource Center database, this compilation of reports provides information on prostitution courts and other problem-solving programs.

“Addressing Predisposition Revictimization in Cases of Violence Against Women”

This website includes summary information on a workshop hosted by the National Institute of Justice. This workshop was conducted to examine strategies, policies, and principles in place in 2005 and to focus research on victimization in the time period of predisposition (postarrest and prior to trial and/or sentencing).

Coping with Trauma and Grief

This website is part of the National Center for Victims of Crime and includes recent information on coping with trauma and grief, particularly as they relate to victimization. It discusses issues such as how children cope with tragedies such as school shootings and losing loved ones. It provides links to resources for victims, including information about resilience.

Help for Crime Victims

The Office for Victims of Crime has collected a list of websites that lend support and encouragement to homicide survivors and covictims. There is also information about homicide and what to expect if a loved one is murdered.

National Center for PTSD

This website contains information on PTSD in relation to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The center aims to help U.S. veterans and others through research, education, and training focused on trauma and PTSD. The website also has information for providers, researchers, and the general public on PTSD and its treatment.

Oxford Bibliography on Repeat Victimization

This website provides brief descriptions and links to online resources for repeat victimization. It covers historical overviews as well as current topics germane to the field of repeat victimization. It is a great overview resource for students as they get started on research projects!

The Kirkholt Burglary Prevention Project

To read about the implementation and effects of the Kirkholt Burglary Prevention Project, which was discussed in the Focus on International Issues Box, visit this website, which takes you to the report from the Home Office about the project.

“Violent Repeat Victimization: Prospects and Challenges for Research and Practice”

Go to this website to view a transcript as well as to view the presentation “Violent Repeat Victimization: Prospects and Challenges for Research and Practice” by Dr. Janet Lauritsen, who gave it at the National Institute of Justice as part of its Research for the Real World series.

Guidelines for Victim-Sensitive Victim–Offender Mediation

Published by the Office for Victims of Crime, this is a compilation of six documents that covers issues related to restorative justice, including victim–offender mediation and family group counselling. It provides guidelines and criteria to enhance the quality of such restorative justice initiatives and to make them more victim-sensitive.

National Association of Crime Victim Compensation Boards

This website provides links to federal agencies and resources, national victim organizations, national and state criminal justice victim-related organizations, victim-related education links, state crime victim compensation boards, federal and state correctional agencies, victim service units, sex offender registries, and other resources. It is your go-to website for links related to crime victims.

National Center for Victims of Crime Resource Library

The Center disseminates information online for crime victims and people working with crime victims or in the area of policy. In its resource library, you can find information on victim impact statements, statistics regarding the extent of various kinds of victimization, and information on how to assist lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer victims, among other topics.

Restorative Justice Online

The restorative justice movement is concerned with repairing harm caused by crime. Restorative Justice Online provides information for criminal justice professionals, social service providers, students, teachers, and victims. It includes links to research as well as more general information. It also provides information for restorative justice around the world.

Global Study on Homicide

Contained within the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the Global Study on Homicide (GSH) represents an international picture focusing explicitly on homicides. In general, the website has information on criminal justice responses to homicide, drug- and firearm-related factors influencing homicide, as well as changing trends in the rate of homicide. In addition to graphics and a basic overview of homicide on an international level, a publication providing a comprehensive review of homicide is available.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving

The Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) website has a number of different publications and services available to survivors of drunk driving as well as for family members of individuals who have passed away after being victims of a drunk driver. Publications focus on the bereavement process, grief, coping, survivor guilt, and legal concerns. Also important are a variety of services offered by the organization focusing on assistance throughout the criminal justice process as well as dealing with emotional issues.

Supplementary Homicide Reports

Contained within the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Supplementary Homicide Reports (SHR) represent data on homicides victims and offenders. At the first website, you can find the variety of demographic and situational factors associated with the homicide event. The second website provides easy access to data from the Supplementary Homicide Reports.

Vital Statistics Division of the NCHS

Within the National Vital Statistics System (which is contained within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC]), data are available on factors related to causes of death and to mortality trends more generally. In addition, the statistics allow for cross country comparisons to gain a better understanding pertaining to mortality on an international level. This website lists a variety of different publications generally pertaining to mortality.

World Health Organization

The World Health Organization (WHO) website contains data similar to the CDC's but focuses more generally on an international level. Mortality information for causes of death and demographics is available for approximately 120 countries. More narrowly, the website offers an online database as well as raw data dating back to 1979 to specifically investigate mortality on an international level.

Male Survivor: Overcoming Sexual Victimization of Boys & Men

While sexual victimization is widely studied as a problem women face, this website examines and provides resources and support for men who were sexually victimized as children, adolescents, or adults. It examines common myths of sexual victimization, such as the belief that males cannot be victims and that sexual crimes committed against males are always perpetrated by homosexual males. The website also includes survivor stories and publications from researchers examining the topic of male sexual victims.

National Sexual Violence Resource Center

This is a comprehensive collection and distribution center for information, statistics, and resources related to sexual violence. It serves as a resource for coalitions, rape crisis centers, allied organizations, and others working to eliminate sexual assault. The Center does not provide direct services to sexual assault victims but, rather, supports those who do.

RAINN: Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network

RAINN is the nation’s largest antisexual assault organization. Its website provides information about local counseling centers and how to help a loved one who may be the victim of sexual abuse. The website also lists statistics, reporting, and tips on how to reduce the risk of becoming a victim of sexual assault or rape. You can also learn about volunteering for RAINN, donating money, and becoming a student activist.

The Date Safe Project

This website provides information for parents and students on how to be safe while dating. There is also information about curricula and classroom exercises on dating, hooking up, and parties. There are also sexual assault survivor stories. The Date Safe Project provides parents, educators, educational institutions, students, military installations, community organizations, state agencies, and federal government with resources, educational materials, and programming addressing consent, healthy intimacy, sexual education, sexual assault awareness, bystander intervention, and support for sexual assault survivors.

The Sexual Victimization of College Women

One of the most at-risk groups for sexual victimization is college women, and this report—put together by Bonnie Fisher, Francis Cullen, and Michael Turner—discusses findings from the NCWSV. They also discuss stalking, since that is a crime seen frequently on college campuses. This is a comprehensive report on the sexual victimization of college women and provides a wide range of information on the topic.

University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown: Sexual Victimization

This website is part of the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown’s counseling center and provides information about the types of rape, the definition of rape, and how consent is defined. It also discusses the steps a person should take if he or she is raped and some of the side effects of rape, including posttraumatic stress disorder. The website also links to other articles by the college’s center: two on date rape drugs, including the use of alcohol as a drug that leads to incapacitated rapes, and another on sexual assault prevention.

Menweb

Men can also be the victims of intimate partner violence. One Internet resource for men is Menweb, which provides information for men who have experienced intimate partner violence. It also includes links to news items and research that highlight intimate partner violence perpetrated by women against men. Men’s stories of victimization are also presented.

Office on Violence Against Women

Housed in the U.S. Department of Justice, the Office on Violence Against Women administers both financial and technical assistance to help communities develop programs, policies, and practices with the goal of ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. On its website, you can find information on these types of violence against women, information about grant opportunities and funded projects, and help for persons who have been victimized. It also provides up-to-date information about federal legislation and policies directed at violence against women.

“Teen Dating Violence”

Recently, research on intimate partner violence has uncovered that teens are at risk of experiencing violence within their dating relationships. For information on teen dating violence, including what it is, facts about teen dating violence, why it occurs, and its consequences, visit the Centers for Disease Control webpage on teen dating violence. Also, included are links to various resources for more information on and assistance with teen dating violence.

WomensLaw.org

This website is a resource for persons who are experiencing or who have experienced intimate partner violence. It includes links and information about state and federal laws addressing intimate partner violence as well as how victims can better navigate the criminal justice system. People can find information on how to apply for protective orders, how to prepare for court, and how to find assistance safely in their communities.

Child Welfare Information Gateway

This website provides a great deal of information about child maltreatment. It includes data, statistics, and laws on child maltreatment, along with information on how child maltreatment can be prevented. It also has links to resources in Spanish.

National MCH Center for Child Death Review

This is a resource center for state and local death review teams that investigate child deaths. Links for each state’s child mortality data are provided so that you can see the most common causes of death, including those attributable to child maltreatment.

National Center on Elder Abuse

This website provides background information about elder maltreatment, including definitions and statistics. Nursing home abuse, a type of elder maltreatment, is discussed. Links to information about how to report elder maltreatment and about Adult Protective Services are also provided.

National Committee for the Prevention of Elder Abuse

This website provides information about the different types of elder maltreatment, including sexual violence, domestic violence, and financial exploitation. Links to publications and current news items related to elder maltreatment are also included.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

This website offers full definitions of the developmental diseases as well as their symptoms, all of which could make a person a more suitable target for victimization. The site provides some safety and health tips for parents and caregivers of people who have developmental disorders. Most helpful are the emergency preparedness and response topics listed on the website.

“Promising Practices in Serving Crime Victims With Disabilities”

This page on the Office for Victims of Crime website outlines patterns and responses of victimization. Resources are listed for caregivers or the victims themselves to prevent victimization. There are statistics for how often this type of victimization occurs as well as recommendations for coordinating with law enforcement to stop victimization of persons with disabilities.

State of the USA

This website provides a report about prison inmate victimization, with statistics from the Bureau of Justice Statistics. The charts on the website provide an in-depth breakdown of what types of prison victimization occur based on what incidents are actually reported. This page also offers data on variations and circumstances surrounding prison inmates’ victimization. Prison facilities are ranked based on inmates’ reports of victimization.

“Violence and Mental Illness: The Facts”

This webpage is a very specific information source on the common stigmas and stereotypes associated with people who have mental health issues as they pertain to violence. This page does well explaining why certain discriminations exist and why people typically have a hard time being caregivers for them. Believing that persons with mental illness are always the suspects in violent situations does not help prevent their victimization.

“Fact Sheet: Workplace Shootings”

The Bureau of Labor Statistics website provides a workplace shootings fact sheet listing statistics on the year’s fatalities, injuries, and illnesses. Charts separate the shootings by workplace industry. The links on the page offer information to victims of workplace violence about how to receive compensation and benefits for their losses.

“Harassment-Free Hallways”

This article discusses ways in which sexual harassment can be prevented in schools. It provides information for students, parents, and school personnel. It also includes a brief survey that you can take to learn whether you have been a victim of sexual harassment.

Olweus Bullying Prevention Program

This website is a helpful tool for understanding the types of bullying that exist as more technology develops. There is a host of information for teachers, parents, and students who may be affected by some form of school victimization, and headlining news videos about bullying that has occurred in various states. This is a website with the facts and harsh realities about school victimization but also with tips and testimonials that could prevent it in the future.

Stop Cyberbullying

This website offers valuable information on how serious this technologically advanced form of bullying is and explains what the law says and does when this type of bullying is reported. This is more of a “take action” website that explains to victims and people who want to help exactly what can be done. The site also explains how cyberbullying works and why people choose to do it so readily.

“Workplace Violence”

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration webpage defines and outlines the standards, rules, and regulations for workplace/office violence. The key resource this website offers is a detailed list of references for workplace/hazard awareness. A lengthy list of PDFs provides information on preventing victimization and being more aware of routines at work that could make you a suitable target for violence.

“Auto Theft”

The Insurance Information Institute website contains statistics from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Uniform Crime Reports about the types of cars that are most likely to be stolen and in which cities/states cars are most likely to be stolen, as well as the car models least likely to be stolen and the cities/states in which cars are least likely to be stolen. The website also provides this information as it pertains to motorcycle theft. A historical background information section addresses antitheft laws as well.

“Burglary of Single-Family Houses”

The Center for Problem-Oriented Policing provides a webpage dedicated to the topic of burglary. This webguide provides information about burglary, the types of housing units that are at risk, risk factors for burglary, and the types of goods typically stolen. There is also a discussion about burglars.

Edmunds Inside Line

This website is a great source for information on theft complaints for particular popular motor vehicles. The site not only lists the newest vehicles, but it also lists the issues/complaints that buyers can expect. Recent news articles regarding motor vehicle theft, including new technologies to prevent motor vehicle theft, are also highlighted.

Fighting Back Against Identity Theft

The Federal Trade Commission’s identity theft website provides introductory information about identity theft for consumers, businesses, law enforcement, and persons in the military. It also includes ways to report identity theft victimization. Data about identity theft and ways to prevent identity theft are also discussed.

“Preventing Auto Theft”

This Geico webpage provides several tips to prevent you from becoming the next victim of auto theft. There is a breakdown of what types of auto thieves exist most commonly, as well as the various types of antitheft systems available and what those systems do.

International Crime Victims Survey (ICVS)

The International Crime Victimization Survey involves more than two decades worth of data collection efforts spanning more than 70 countries and 300,000 individuals. Aside from violent and property victimization, the ICVS also measures sexual victimization.

International Victimology Institute Tilburg (INTERVICT)

The International Victimology Institute Tilburg is one of the leading research institutions focused solely on victimological inquiry. Moreover, the institute concentrates on interdisciplinary efforts in the investigation of victimization based upon the multifaceted nature of victimology.

Mothers of Srebrenica

Maintained by The Hague, the Mothers of Srebrenica webpage provides a description about the civil suit filed on behalf of roughly 6,000 women impacted in 1995 by the Srebrenica genocide.

Victim Support Europe

Victim Support Europe focuses on the assistance of victims through the enhancement of services and victims’ rights within Europe.

World Society of Victimology (WSV)

The World Society of Victimology is one of the leaders in international victimology. The society functions as a nongovernmental organization (that provides consultations, and is associated with, the United Nations) that promotes comparative victimological research and cooperation between nations to further the assistance of victims.

“Hate Crime Statistics 2013: Victims”

The U.S. Department of Justice uses the Uniform Crime Reports to generate current statistics on the victims of hate crime (i.e., race, age, religious belief, sexual preference, etc.). The types of hate crime that occurred in 2013, as well as the statistical tables that depict those crimes, are available on this website. The types of offenders that typically commit hate crimes are also detailed.

“Hate Crimes in the United States”

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights website provides detailed information about hate crimes in the United States. You can find information about the extent of hate crimes in general, but the website also provides statistics and descriptions about hate crimes against specific groups, such as the homeless, immigrants, children, and specific religious adherents. Links to other resources are also provided.

Humantrafficking.org

This website provides information about what the government is currently doing to stop human trafficking. Several awareness campaigns are listed with detailed information about the prevention of human trafficking. Also provided are links to other countries that deal with human trafficking and information on what projects they currently use to combat this form of victimization.

“Terrorism”

The Federal Emergency Management Agency website provides general information about terrorism, explosions, threats, and homeland security. There are links to emergency contacts for victims. The section on disaster survivors would be most helpful for those who have experienced terrorism victimization. It is clear from this website that the U.S. government is involved in homeland security and ensuring the public is protected.

U.S. Department of State

This website provides detailed information about our country’s security as well as the security protocols of other countries with which the Unites States currently allies. It also includes information on counterterrorism, along with country reports on terrorism activities and responses. Go here for information about disputes, terrorism, and other international affairs that impact our security.