Policy into practice: Victims of crime
Anne Longfield
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
The issue: Being a victim of a crime - particularly if it is serious or violent - can create feelings of fear, shock and anger and may even result in physical symptoms such as difficulty eating and sleeping.
As we already know, despite the media commonly portraying young people as perpetrators, young people between the ages of 16 and 25 are among the most frequent victims of crime. Feelings vary from person to person but some young people who have been affected by crime may blame themselves or even feel ashamed. Victim support groups can provide valuable help and support to young people dealing with the aftermath of a crime, as well as a trustworthy source of information on how to minimise the chances of becoming a victim in the future.
CASE STUDY 1
For children up to and including 16 years of age, Child Victims of Crime (www.cvoc.org.uk) works across the UK to support young victims. The charity is based in Stafford and has so far helped more than 4,000 children and their families.
Child Victims of Crime provides a range of support, which includes funding for short family breaks and high street gift vouchers. Children whose lives have been affected by crime, ranging from violence and abuse to murder, are referred to the charity by serving police officers to help lift their spirits after traumatic experiences. It also produces the educational safety leaflet Tackle Safety, aimed at five- to 16-year-olds, which is free of charge and available to all.
CASE STUDY 2
Victim Support is the national charity for anyone affected by crime and has a network of offices throughout the country run by local people, as well as a national helpline called the Supportline.
The charity helps more than 1.5 million crime victims a year and has a dedicated service for young people called Are you ok? (www.are-you-ok.org.uk). Young people can phone a local office to discuss their needs with a member of staff and arrange a further meeting with a trained volunteer for emotional support and practical help.
As part of its work, Are you ok? produces resources for schools, including individual resource packs. These raise awareness of what it is like to be a victim of crime and highlight ways in which crime can affect people.
Victim Support is now exploring peer-to-peer support, including mentoring, which is already proving to be a success.
Anne Longfield is chief executive of 4Children