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Victimology

Jamiah Riddick

Walden University

FPSY – 8203; Victimology

Nov 1st, 2021

Dr. Gaskew

There are various programs accessible to victim witnesses which may assist with the protection, guidance as well as advocacy of the special population. However, one of the main services is the Victim Witness Assistance Program. The program is accessible in all 50 states and it is mainly meant for victims as well as witnesses of federal crimes that require support through the judicial process. The initiative provides witnesses and victims with details, services as well as support during a prosecution to assist them to handle the issue that they might be going through due to the offence, assist them to comprehend the criminal justice process and be informed on the case status as it moves in the system (The United States Department of Justice, 2018). The program can as well aid in providing safe havens for havens for witnesses that may be in danger or those that have been removed from their home due to the crime which was committed.

Beyond this program, there are services offered by non-profit firms, government initiatives, as well as several law enforcement programs. The services offered by these programs may be identical to the larger assistance program but will be offered by volunteers or on a limited scale. It is in these programs that a victim can be provided with an advocate that may walk within every step of the judicial process (Department of Homeland Security, n.d.). In case the victim is a child or otherwise incapacitated or do not have the ability to speak for themselves, the advocate will mostly represent the best interests of the victims in the court system.

The advocates may as well assist the people to get financial services, housing help as well as other needs with the help of social service programs. These forms of programs are essential mainly in cases of domestic violence. In these cases, mostly the victim is displaced from there and may have insufficient funds or the capability to become independent without assistance to help them separate themselves from the situation fully. These are the sections of the program which may work with the enforcement, social services, and court systems of counselling agencies to provide the victims with a group of services.

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