Assignment 1: LASA # 2: PowerPoint Presentation

Victim Advocate

Stephanie Rincon

Captain W. Michael Koval

Criminal Justice Capstone

February 14, 2018

Abstract

This paper explores research articles that report on the impact of victim advocacy in the wellness of the victims at large. Given the nature of the study, the paper will be aimed at studying the significance of victim advocacy as a career in the society. The study will involve critical analysis of results that have been obtained from different journal articles.

Keywords: victim advocate, criminal justice, equality, constitution

Literature Review

There have been numerous studies conducted on the roles of victim advocates in promoting social welfare. According to McDonald (2016), a victim advocate is an individual whose main role is to support crime victims. McDonald (2016) adds that victim advocates offer emotional support, provide information to victims, and help the victims in filling out the paperwork required in court proceedings. During the colonial era, most of the prosecutions were being initiated by victims where the government played a minimal role in providing justice to the victims. Davis (2014)has stated that during this period, individualwere responsiblefor presenting their own cases to the court and requesting what they felt was the best form of judgment to the accused. With time, these crimes were viewed as crimes against the government and judgment to the accused was to be determined by the court as per the provisions of the constitution.

According to Stein (2017), the victim started being considered and was put in front of the criminal justice system. Sten 2017 adds that the government initiated programs that were aimed at providing aid to the victims in order to get over the victimization process that they underwent. These programs came ata time when the criminal justice system concentrated more on the accused individuals and delivery of proper punishmentfor their acts. Some individuals thought that it was important to engage the victims in the process of determining their case and helping them manage the aftermath of the incidences that they underwent (Sten, 2017).

According to (Sten, 2017), the federal government was in the forefront in funding the programs that were aimed at helping the victims of any injustices. Sten, (2017), adds that these programs were seen as a means through which needless trips to courts would be reduced;provide victims with higher compensation, assist victims in getting back their property, defending the victims from being intimidated by the defendants, and help the victims in overcoming emotional challenges that they may be facing as a result of the ordeal. The government saw that punishment to the defendant was not a way of showing the victimthat justice has been served and that there needed more effective strategies in helping the victim. In its quest for helping victims of crime, the federal government declared a Victim`s Rights Week in 1982 as a way of creating more focus on some of the challenges that the victims faced. In the same year, the government created the 1982 Omnibus Victim and Witness Protection act, which was signed into law during the same year. These provisions provided a coherent framework on which victim advocates would operate.

The profession of victim advocacy became more common in 1990s when the victim protection programs had gained momentum. This was due to the increase in the implementation of legislations that were aimed at protecting victims and the publicity of the need to protect the rights of victims. These programs were being referred to as victim assistance programs and their functionality differed across states. The American PsychologicalAssociation (APA)worked hard in streamlining the profession of victim advocacy and defined some of the expectations of a victim advocate. In 1984, the APA stated that effectiveness of the services related to victim advocacy and other psychological professions needed to be evaluated. This would ensure that the service providers improved on service provision and on the profession in general. According to the (National Victims Resource Directory, 2016), there is a wide range of victim services that are offered by different programs. Jerin and Moriarty (2013) state that theseprograms are found in DA`s office, correctional agencies, and law enforcement agencies and are usually funded by the federal government. Additionally, Jerin and Moriarty (2013) have added that colleges and universities need to extend their curriculumsin order to meet the increasing demand of professionals trained in victim advocacy.

Kennedy (2015) has identified that there are four types of services that are provided to the victims:

1. Victim programs offered by the law enforcement agencies

2. Victim advocacy programs whose main goal is to push the criminal justice system in prioritizing the victims over the offenders

3. Centers for women who have been abused

4. Rape crisis centers

Kennedy (2015)asserts that these programs provide crisis intervention in different manners. Even though Kennedy (2015)states that there is limited research on the impact of these services to the victims, these services appear to have positive impact to the life of the victim as compared to the victims who do not reach out for help.

According to victimsofcrime.org (2017), victim advocates provide the victims with information on their case and help them in making informed decisions on their case.victimsofcrime.org (2017),adds that advocates should not tell the victims what they should do but should rathercommit themselves to helping the victims make informed decisions for their own good. victimsofcrime.org (2017)has also stated that victim advocates should maintain high levels of confidentiality and should not expose any information about the victim to the public domain. However, a victim advocate can share information about their victim with their managers or other officers if the information can help in ongoing investigations.

Scheingold, Olson, & Pershing (2014),state that one of the most important roles of a victim advocate is to help in emotional wellbeing of the victim. Scheingold, Olson, & Pershing (2014), assert that acts of crime such as domestic abuse, sexual abuse, rape, attempted murder are some of the acts of crime that could greatly affect the emotional wellbeing of the victim. The victim advocate is expected to work with the victim in ensuring that they get back to their emotional stability. Such ordeals usually affect the victims who might enter into depression, drug abuse, or even attempt suicide. The aim of a victim advocate in such cases is to work with the victim in sharing their stories and providing emotional support. Scheingold, Olson, & Pershing (2014),assert that the provision of emotional support to the victims should be purely professional and any victim advocate found to be violating the ethical code of conduct should face disciplinary action. According toScheingold, Olson, & Pershing (2014), each program has a specific ethical code of conduct for its employees that they should follow in ensuring that their victim advocates remain professional.

Discussion

According to the literature provided, the career on victim advocacy arose as a way of ensuring that justice is administered to both the victim and the offender. Since the 1980s, the federal government worked hard in ensuring that they created an equitable justice system, which is the reason behind the introduction of programs aimed at helping the victims. According to Kennedy (2015), the victims of crime usually undergo different emotional and physical changes that may affect their entire life. The government therefore saw it as important in creating programs that were aimed at helping the victims get back on their feet and get on with their lives. A victim advocate is therefore considered to play an important role in helping the victims of crime.

The studies conducted show that there has been an increase in the demand for victim advocacy due to the increase in crime rate in the society and the effects that these criminal acts have on the victims. The increase in the demand for victim advocates therefore, implies that colleges and universities need to work together in ensuring that they create a curriculum that allows training of victim advocates. However,future studies will need to focus on correlating victim advocacy andthe wellbeing of the victims after the programs.

References

Davis,T., (2014). Victim Impact Statements: Their Effects on Court Outcomes and Victim Satisfaction.Report to the Victim Services Research Department, NY.

Jerin, K., Laura J., &Moriarty, J. (2013). Victims of Crime. Chicago, IL: Nelson-Hall Publishers.

Kennedy, L., (2015).Crime Victims in Context. Los Angeles, CA: Roxbury Publishing.

McDonald, W. F.,(2016). Towards a Bicentennial Revolution in Criminal Justice: The Return of the Victim.American Criminal Law Review13 (5): 649 -673.

Scheingold, S. A., Olson, T., & Pershing, J. (2014). Sexual violence, victim advocacy, and republican criminology: Washington State's Community Protection Act. Law and Society Review, 729-763.

Stein, J., (2017). Better Services for Crime Victims: A Prescriptive Package. Unpublished manuscript.

victimsofcrime.org, (2017).Victims of crime. Retrieved from http://victimsofcrime.org/help-for-crime-victims/get-help-bulletins-for-crime-victims/what-is-a-victim-advocate-