## Module 6: Impact of Crime on Victims {#module-6-impact-of-crime-on-victims .NVAA-Heading-2 .unnumbered}

### Time Required {#time-required .NVAA-Heading-3}

2 hours

### Purpose {#purpose .NVAA-Heading-3}

The trauma of victimization can have a profound and devastating impact
on crime victims and their loved ones. It can alter the victim's view of
the world as "a just place" and leave the victim with new and difficult
feelings and reactions he or she may not understand. This module
addresses the different ways crime can impact victims---physically,
psychologically/emotionally, financially, and spiritually.

### Lessons {#lessons .NVAA-Heading-3}

-   Who Is Affected by Crime? (30 minutes)

-   Immediate, Short-Term, and Long-Term Reactions (40 minutes)

-   Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Emotional and Psychological
    Trauma (20 minutes)

-   Physical, Psychological/Emotional, Financial, and Spiritual Impact
    of Crime (30 minutes)

### Learning Objectives {#learning-objectives .NVAA-Heading-3}

By the end of this module, participants will be able to:

-   Identify primary and secondary victims of crime.

-   Recognize factors that influence a victim's ability to cope.

-   Identify symptoms of trauma that victims may have in the immediate,
    short-term, and long-term periods following victimization.

-   Discuss possible physical, psychological/emotional, financial, and
    spiritual effects of crime on victims.

### Worksheets {#worksheets .NVAA-Heading-3}

-   Worksheet 6.1: Case Scenario: Janet

-   Worksheet 6.2: Possible Victim Impact: Physical,
    Psychological/Emotional, Financial, and Spiritual Impact

### Equipment and Materials {#equipment-and-materials .NVAA-Heading-3}

-   *Victim Impact: Listen and Learn* DVD

### Preparation {#preparation .NVAA-Heading-3}

-   Read Chapter 6, Impact of Crime on Victims, in the Participant's
    Text.

-   Preview *Victim Impact: Listen and Learn* DVD. The DVD features 14
    men and women discussing their experiences as crime victims. Choose
    2 or 3 victim experiences to view during Lesson 2.

### Introduction {#introduction .NVAA-Heading-3}

-   Show Visual 6-1.

Review the purpose and learning objectives for this module.

The trauma of victimization can have a profound and devastating impact
on crime victims and their loved ones. It can alter the victim's view of
the world as "a just place" and leave the victim with new and difficult
feelings and reactions he or she may not understand. This module
addresses the different ways crime can impact victims---physically,
psychologically/emotionally, financially, and spiritually.

> By the end of this module, participants will be able to:

-   Identify primary and secondary victims of crime.

-   Recognize factors that influence a victim's ability to cope.

-   Identify trauma symptoms victims may have in the immediate,
    short-term, and long-term periods following victimization.

-   Discuss possible physical, psychological/emotional, financial, and
    spiritual effects of crime on victims.

### 1. Who Is Affected by Crime? (30 minutes) {#who-is-affected-by-crime-30-minutes .NVAA-Heading-3}

-   Show Visuals 6-2 and 6-3.

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-   Activity: Impact of Crime (10 minutes)

    The purpose of this activity is to graphically illustrate on a very
    small level some of the possible feelings that victims may have
    following a crime against them and a loved one.

1.  Take a clean piece of paper and crinkle the paper into a ball,
    making it as small as you can. Tell participants that the process of
    crinkling the paper represents a crime against an individual.

2.  Then demonstrate restoring the paper to exactly how it was before it
    was crinkled.

3.  Briefly ask a few questions about the experience:

-   ***What do you notice about my ability to restore the paper to its
    original condition?***

-   ***What feelings did this activity leave you with?***

-   ***How do you think this activity compares to what happens to crime
    victims?***

    -   Show Visual 6-4 through 6-8. Overview of Crime.

Briefly present crime trends and rates for violent crime, rape, robbery,
assault, and homicide.

-   Serious violent crime levels have declined since 1993.

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-   The serious violent crimes included in the statistics are rape,
    robbery, aggravated assault, and homicide.

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-   Rape rates have been stable in recent years.

-   Robbery rates declined after 1994.

-   Assault rates have declined since 1994.

-   Homicide rates recently declined to levels last seen in the late
    1960s.

    -   Show Visual 6-9.

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-   Activity: Who Is the Victim? (10 minutes)

***The purpose of this activity is to identify all those who are
affected when a crime is committed.***

1.  ***Ask for a volunteer to read aloud* Worksheet 6.1, Case Scenario:
    Janet*. ***

2.  ***Ask participants to identify all the victims in the case
    scenario. As they identify the victims, record their answers on
    newsprint. Probe to ensure that primary as well as secondary victims
    (for example, Janet's family, her roommate, her classmates, and the
    resident advisor) are identified as victims.***

3.  ***Make the following points:***

-   ***Everyone is affected by crime, either directly or indirectly.***

-   ***Secondary victims may not be as easily identified and may not
    receive needed services.***

    -   Show Visuals 6-10 and 6-11. Factors That Influence a Victim's
        Ability To Cope with the Impact of Crime.

Present and discuss the factors that influence a victim's ability to
cope with the impact of crime.

-   Prior victimization increases trauma following a new crime.

-   A history of mental health problems, particularly Posttraumatic
    Stress Disorder (PTSD) or major depression, increases trauma
    following a new crime.

-   The degree of threat to life and physical injury affects the risk of
    difficulty in coping.

-   Generally, violent crime victims have a more difficult time coping
    than property crime victims.

-   Two key post-victimization factors can increase the likelihood of
    victims developing mental health problems:

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-   Lack of or poor social support systems,

-   Degree of exposure to the justice system.

### 2. Immediate, Short-Term, and Long-Term Reactions (40 minutes) {#immediate-short-term-and-long-term-reactions-40-minutes .NVAA-Heading-3}

-   Show Visual 6-12 and 6-13.

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-   Activity: Victim Impact: Listen and Learn DVD (20 minutes)

    The purpose of this activity is to highlight the impact that one
    crime can have on an individual, family members and their community.

    1.  ***Show selected excerpts from the DVD.***

    2.  ***Facilitate a discussion about the video portions: Are the
        experiences described by the victims on the DVD familiar to
        participants? Were there any surprises from watching the DVD?
        What did they learn from the DVD?***

    3.  ***Ask participants to remember the experiences of the victims
        from the DVD during the remainder of this module.***

    -   Show Visual 6-14. Emotional and Psychological Trauma.

        Review the common elements of an emotional trauma:

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-   It was unexpected.

-   The person was unprepared.

-   There was nothing the person could do to prevent it from happening.

    It is not the event that determines whether something is traumatic
    to someone, but the individual's experience of the event.

    It is not predictable how a given person will react to a particular
    event.

    -   Show Visual 6-15. What Causes Emotional and Psychological
        Trauma?

        Our brains are structured into three main parts:

-   Cortex: the outer surface, where higher thinking skills arise;
    involves the frontal cortex, the most recently evolved portion of
    the brain.

-   Limbic system: the center of the brain, where emotions evolve.

-   Brain stem: the reptilian brain that controls basic survival
    functions.

    Using brain-scan activity, scientists can now observe the brain in
    action. They have observed that trauma actually changes the
    structure and function of the brain, at the point where the frontal
    cortex, the emotional brain, and the survival brain converge.
    (http://helpguide.org/mental/emotional_psychological_trauma.htm)

    -   Show Visuals 6-16 and 6-17. Immediate and Short-Term Trauma
        Reactions.

Define immediate and short-term trauma.

-   Immediate and short-term trauma occurs during or immediately after
    the crime, until about 3 months later.

-   Most crime victims achieve considerable recovery sometime between 1
    and 3 months after the crime.

Review and discuss the following set of reactions, providing examples.
These are normal "flight or fight" responses that occur in dangerous
situations.

-   Few crime victims are anticipating a violent assault as the crime
    occurs; most are shocked, surprised, and terrified when it happens.

-   Crime victims often have feelings of unreality when an assault
    occurs and think, "This can't be happening to me."

-   People who have been victimized in the past are at greater risk of
    developing emotional problems than newly victimized individuals.
    Victims do not "get used to it."

-   Many violent-crime victims describe experiencing extremely high
    levels of physiological anxiety, including rapid heart rate,
    hyperventilation, and stomach distress.

-   Crime victims often experience cognitive symptoms of anxiety,
    including feeling terrified or helpless, guilty, and/or out of
    control.

    -   Show Visual 6-18. Trauma Reactions: 2 or 3 Months After the
        Crime.

Review and discuss the following examples of trauma reactions in the
months following a crime.

-   Most victims of violent crime continue to have high levels of fear,
    anxiety, and generalized distress.

-   They are preoccupied with the crime (i.e., they think about it a
    great deal of the time; they talk about it; they have flashbacks and
    bad dreams about it).

-   They are often concerned about their safety from attack and the
    safety of their family members.

-   They are concerned that other people will not believe them or will
    think that they were to blame for what happened.

-   Many victims also experience negative changes in their belief
    systems and no longer think that the world is a safe place where
    they can trust other people.

-   For victims of some crimes, such as child abuse or domestic
    violence, the trauma occurs many times over a period of weeks,
    months, or even years. Victims in such cases often experience the
    compounded traumatic effects of worrying about when the next attack
    will occur.

    -   Show Visual 6-19. Long-Term Trauma Reactions.

Present and discuss long-term trauma reactions, providing examples.

-   Most victims of crime---especially those who receive counseling,
    other support services, and/or information about justice processes
    and their relevant rights---are able to cope with the trauma of
    victimization.

-   If a victim's trauma is not identified or addressed with mental
    health assistance, initial and short-term trauma reactions can
    exacerbate and turn into long-term trauma reactions, including:

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-   Major depression.

-   Thoughts of suicide and suicide attempts.

-   Use and abuse of alcohol and other drugs.

-   Ongoing problems with relationships.

-   Anxiety disorders.

-   A changing view of the world as a safe place.

-   Increased risk of further victimization.

Ask participants about the time frame in which they are interacting with
a crime victim. Why would it be important to understand the impact of
trauma beyond the immediate crisis?

### 3. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (20 minutes) {#posttraumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd-20-minutes .NVAA-Heading-3}

-   ***Show Visual 6-20.***

Define PTSD.

-   The American Psychiatric Association describes PTSD as a set of
    symptoms that develop after exposure to an extreme stressor.

-   An extreme stressor capable of producing PTSD can be:

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-   Sexual assault

-   Physical attack

-   Robbery

-   Mugging

-   Kidnapping

-   Child sexual assault

-   Observing the serious injury or death of another person due to
    violent assault

-   Learning about the violent personal assault or death of a family
    member or close friend

    -   Show Visual 6-21. PTSD Symptoms.

Present and discuss characteristic symptoms after the traumatic event.

-   Persistent re-experiencing of the event (i.e., distressing dreams,
    distressing recollections, flashbacks, or emotional and/or
    physiological reactions when exposed to something that resembles the
    traumatic event).

-   Persistent avoidance of things associated with the traumatic event
    or reduced ability to be close to other people and experience or
    sustain loving feelings.

-   Persistent symptoms of increased arousal (i.e., sleep difficulties,
    outbursts of anger, difficulty concentrating, constantly being on
    guard, extreme startle response).

    -   Show Visuals 6-22 and 6-23. Crime-Related PTSD.

Present and discuss research about crime-related PTSD.

-   Rates of PTSD are much higher among those who have been victims of
    violent crime than among those who have been victims of other types
    of traumatic events (Resnick et al., 1993).

-   Victims whose crimes resulted in physical injuries and who believed
    they might have been killed or seriously injured during the crime
    are much more likely to suffer from PTSD than victims whose crimes
    did not involve a threat to their lives or physical injury (Resnick
    et al., 1993).

-   Rates of PTSD appear to be higher among victims who report crimes to
    the justice system than among nonreporting victims, probably because
    these crimes are more serious or more likely to result in injury
    (Resnick et al., 1993).

-   Many crime victims with PTSD do not spontaneously recover without
    treatment; some crime victims have PTSD years after they were
    victimized.

###  {#section .NVAA-Heading-3}

### 4. Physical, Psychological/Emotional, Financial, and Spiritual Impact of Crime (30 minutes) {#physical-psychologicalemotional-financial-and-spiritual-impact-of-crime-30-minutes .NVAA-Heading-3}

-   Show Visuals 6-24 and 6-25.

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-   Activity: Possible Victim Reactions. (20 minutes)

***The purpose of this activity is to provide an opportunity for
participants to identify possible physical, psychological/emotional,
financial, and spiritual impacts of crime.***

1.  ***Divide the large group into five smaller groups. Assign each
    group one impact-of-crime area and ask them to brainstorm possible
    impacts (for example, Group One works on physical impacts of crime;
    Group Two works on psychological/emotional impacts of crime,
    etc.).***

2.  ***Using* Worksheet 6.2, Possible Victim Impact: Physical,
    Psychological/Emotional, Financial and Spiritual*, ask participants
    to compare their list with the Worksheet. ***

3.  ***Ask each group to report to the larger group, providing a few
    examples.***

-   Show Visual 6-26. Cautions.

Present and discuss the following cautions.

-   Every victim is unique.

-   Never make assumptions concerning how a victim will react.

-   Remember that a person's reaction to his or her victimization will
    be influenced by a variety of factors.

    -   Show Visual 6-27. Review Module Learning Objectives.

Review the learning objectives and ask whether these were met.

By the end of this module, participants will be able to:

-   Identify primary and secondary victims of crime.

-   Recognize factors that influence a victim's ability to cope.

-   Identify trauma symptoms victims may have in the immediate,
    short-term, and long-term periods following victimization.

-   Discuss possible physical, psychological/emotional, financial, and
    spiritual effects of crime on victims.

    **Worksheet 6.1**

    **Case Scenario: Janet**

Janet, a 19-year-old African-American college student, was at an
off-campus party with her roommate from the dorm. After drinking five
beers and two shooters, one of her hosts, a white college basketball
star, invited her upstairs to listen to a new CD. Once behind closed
doors, he proceeded to sexually assault her and called her negative
racial names, despite her emphatic "No's" and muffled screams for help.
Janet escaped her rapist when he passed out. She found her roommate
downstairs and left the party. Her roommate asked Janet what was wrong,
but Janet just said she wanted to leave right away. The next morning
Janet talked with her college resident advisor and told her everything
that had happened to her. The resident advisor informed college
officials. The next day, news of the assault was in all of the papers.

Worksheet 6.2

Possible Victim Impact: Physical, Psychological/Emotional, Financial,
and Spiritual

+---------------------------------+------------------------------------+
| **Physical Impact**             | **Psychological/Emotional Impact** |
+---------------------------------+------------------------------------+
| -   Physiological anxiety,      | -   Shock                          |
|     including rapid heart rate, |                                    |
|     hyper-ventilation, and      | -   Terror                         |
|     stomach distress            |                                    |
|                                 | -   Feelings of unreality          |
| -   Physical injuries such as   |                                    |
|     gunshot wounds,             | -   Feelings of numbness           |
|     lacerations, broken bones,  |                                    |
|     sprains, burns              | -   Confusion                      |
|                                 |                                    |
| -   Physical injuries that lead | -   Helplessness                   |
|     to other health conditions, |                                    |
|     such as heart attack,       | -   Fear                           |
|     stroke, fractures from      |                                    |
|     falling, loss of dexterity  | -   Anger or rage                  |
|                                 |                                    |
| -   Increased risk of cardiac   | -   Grief or intense sorrow        |
|     distress, irritable bowel   |                                    |
|     syndrome, and chronic pain  | -   Enhancement of particular      |
|                                 |     senses (hearing, smell, sight) |
| -   Permanent disability        |                                    |
|                                 | -   Anxiety (including terror,     |
| -   Disfigurement               |     helplessness, or feeling out   |
|                                 |     of control)                    |
| -   Immune disorders that       |                                    |
|     increase potential for      | -   Difficulty trusting self or    |
|     infectious diseases         |     others                         |
|                                 |                                    |
| -   Substantial lifestyle       | -   Depression                     |
|     changes, including          |                                    |
|     restriction of activities   | -   Panic symptoms                 |
|     once enjoyed                |                                    |
|                                 | -   Anxiety disorders (panic       |
| -   Lethargy and body fatigue   |     disorder, agoraphobia, or      |
|                                 |     obsessive-compulsive disorder) |
| -   Sleep disorders             |                                    |
|                                 | -   Inability to concentrate       |
| -   Loss of appetite, excessive |                                    |
|     appetite, or eating         | -   Guilt and self-blame           |
|     disorders                   |                                    |
|                                 | -   Shame                          |
| -   Decreased libido and sexual |                                    |
|     dysfunction                 | -   Preoccupation with the crime   |
|                                 |                                    |
| -   Inability to work           | -   Concerns about personal safety |
|                                 |                                    |
| -   Increased risk of future    | -   Problems with important        |
|     victimization               |     relationships                  |
|                                 |                                    |
| -   For sexual assault victims, | -   Social withdrawal              |
|     possible exposure to        |                                    |
|     sexually transmitted        | -   Concerns about being believed  |
|     diseases, exposure to HIV,  |                                    |
|     or unwanted pregnancy       | -   Concerns about being blamed    |
|                                 |                                    |
|                                 | -   Negative changes in belief     |
|                                 |     system                         |
|                                 |                                    |
|                                 | -   Increased feelings of          |
|                                 |     vulnerability                  |
|                                 |                                    |
|                                 | -   Increased risk of alcohol or   |
|                                 |     other drug abuse               |
|                                 |                                    |
|                                 | -   Isolation                      |
|                                 |                                    |
|                                 | -   Persistent avoidance of things |
|                                 |     associated with the traumatic  |
|                                 |     event                          |
|                                 |                                    |
|                                 | -   Suicidal ideation              |
|                                 |                                    |
|                                 | -   Posttraumatic stress disorder  |
+---------------------------------+------------------------------------+

-   

+---------------------------------+------------------------------------+
| **Financial Impact**            | **Spiritual Impact**               |
+---------------------------------+------------------------------------+
| -   Medical bills (emergency    | -   In an attempt to understand    |
|     transportation, hospital    |     events that make no sense,     |
|     stays, inpatient and        |     people often turn to the       |
|     outpatient physical care,   |     spiritual beliefs with which   |
|     medical supplies)           |     they were raised, even if they |
|                                 |     do not normally engage in      |
| -   Medication and prescription |     religious practice. These      |
|     drugs                       |     spiritual insights are helpful |
|                                 |     for some victims. Other        |
| -   Replacement of eyeglasses,  |     victims express disappointment |
|     hearing aids, or other      |     in their faith communities'    |
|     sensory-aid items damaged,  |     reactions.                     |
|     destroyed, or stolen        |                                    |
|                                 | -   All religions accept human     |
| -   Rental and related costs    |     suffering as a component of    |
|     for physical                |     the human experience, but      |
|     mobility-restoration        |     understand its role            |
|     equipment (wheelchairs and  |     differently. Hindus and        |
|     ramps, crutches)            |     Buddhists understand the role  |
|                                 |     of karma in tragic events and  |
| -   Physical therapy            |     seek to accept what has        |
|                                 |     happened rather than seek      |
| -   Occupational therapy        |     justice. Jews believe that God |
|                                 |     expects human beings to act in |
| -   Job retraining              |     kindness to one another, and   |
|                                 |     when they do not, justice is   |
| -   Mental health counseling    |     sought and forgiveness must be |
|     and therapy                 |     earned. The wide gamut of      |
|                                 |     Christianity practiced in the  |
| -   Loss of wages due to        |     United States includes all     |
|     incapacitation,             |     perspectives from acceptance   |
|     rehabilitation, or taking   |     as "God's will" and            |
|     time off from work to       |     forgiveness of offenders to    |
|     repair damages from         |     strong drives for justice in   |
|     property crimes,            |     the secular arena. Muslims     |
|     participate in criminal or  |     believe they have a special    |
|     juvenile justice            |     mission from Allah to create a |
|     proceedings, or seek        |     just society. They condemn     |
|     medical or mental health    |     violence and willingly         |
|     treatment                   |     participate in the justice     |
|                                 |     system.                        |
| -   Crime-scene cleanup         |                                    |
|                                 |                                    |
| -   Loss of or damage to        |                                    |
|     personal property           |                                    |
|                                 |                                    |
| -   Costs of replacing locks    |                                    |
|     and changing security       |                                    |
|     devices                     |                                    |
|                                 |                                    |
| -   Child and elder care        |                                    |
|                                 |                                    |
| -   Fees incurred in changing   |                                    |
|     bank or credit card         |                                    |
|     accounts                    |                                    |
|                                 |                                    |
| -   Higher insurance premiums   |                                    |
|                                 |                                    |
| -   Relocation expenses         |                                    |
|                                 |                                    |
| -   For homicide victims,       |                                    |
|     funeral and burial expenses |                                    |
|     and loss of income          |                                    |
+---------------------------------+------------------------------------+