Victims, Police Response To

Experience of Victimization

Although crime affects individuals in different ways, victims often have similar emotional responses in the hours or days immediately after a crime. Many victims experience a crisis reaction, often with shock and numbness during the initial phase, when most first responders interact with victims. Fight-or-flight responses (impulses to fight back or flee the crime scene), shock, and disorientation occur frequently. Some victims experience emotional or physical paralysis that prevents them from making rational decisions, such as seeking medical attention or reporting an incident to the police. Many victims feel helpless, vulnerable, and frightened.

The long-term impact of crime can also be profound. Although some victims recover quickly, others suffer continuing trauma. Lowered academic performance, decreased work productivity, and severe loss of confidence are not unusual. Mental illness, suicide, and drug and alcohol abuse are more common among crime victims than the general public.

Police Response

To be effective and productive in their interaction with victims, police should understand victims’ basic needs in the aftermath of crime: to feel safe, to express their emotions, and to know what to expect from the criminal justice process. Police should

• Express regret that the incident has occurred
• Stress that the crime was not the victim's fault
• Ensure that the victim's injuries are treated
• Offer to contact family members, friends, or crisis counselors
• Interview victims in a place where they feel secure
• Inquire about the victim's special concerns or needs
• Allow victims to tell their stories without interruption or judgment
• Urge victims to relate all details, even those that might not seem important
• Allow victims to air their emotions about the trauma of the crime

Setting expectations helps victims feel safe and regain their sense of control over their lives. Police officers should

• Tell victims what to expect from police on the scene
• Explain what officers will do after the initial interview
• Explain how victims can minimize their own risk, how others can help, and what to expect during the first few weeks after the crime
• Explain law enforcement procedures such as filing the report, investigating the crime, and arresting and arraigning the suspect
• Describe the types of interviews to expect, the nature of medical forensic examinations the victim may be asked to undergo, and what specific information will be available to news organizations
• Advise victims that lapses of concentration, memory losses, depression, and physical ailments are normal reactions for crime victims
• Give victims, in writing, contact information and encourage them to call police with further questions, information, or requests for help
• Provide information about what services are available for victims in the community and how to access them

Safety Planning

A key responsibility of first responders is to help victims prepare a safety plan—a comprehensive, detailed set of strategies to protect victims from further harm. Safety planning is crucial because once someone has been a crime victim, the likelihood that he or she will be victimized again increases significantly (Pease, 1998). Police can convey the important message that although the perpetrator is [Page 486]responsible for the crime, victims have the power, by taking certain steps, to reduce the likelihood that the crime will happen again. Police can help victims secure the premises, identify advocates and other support services, plan daily activities, select travel routes, enlist neighbors as supporters, and conduct a standard list of preparations that increase victim safety. Working with victims on safety plans also helps police investigate the incident and identify patterns that may help prevent future crimes.

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