# Presentation: 329169

## Module 6Impact of Crime on Victims

## Learning Objectives

**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.**

## Who Is Affected by Crime?

## Activity

***Impact of Crime***

## Overview of Crime

**Overview of Crime**

***Serious violent crime levels declined since 1993.***

- Source:  Bureau of Justice Statistics.

- Note:  The serious violent crimes included are rape, robbery, aggravated assault and homicide.

## Overview of Crime

**Overview of Crime**

- Adjusted victimization rate
- per 1,000 persons age 12 and over

**Rape Rates**

***Rape rates have been stable in recent years.***

- Source:  Bureau of Justice Statistics.

- Note:  Includes both attempted and completed rapes.

## Overview of Crime

**Overview of Crime**

- Adjusted victimization rate
- per 1,000 persons age 12 and over

**Robbery Rates**

***Robbery rates declined after 1994.***

- Source:  Bureau of Justice Statistics.

## Overview of Crime

**Overview of Crime**

***Assault rates declined since 1994.***

- Source:  Bureau of Justice Statistics.

- Adjusted victimization rate
- per 1,000 persons age 12 and over

**Assault Rates**

## Overview of Crime

**Overview of Crime**

- Source:  FBI, Uniform Crime Reports, 1950-2005

**Homicide Rates **

***Homicide rates have declined to levels last seen in the early 1970s.***

## Activity

***Who Is the Victim?***** **

## Factors That Influence a Victim’s Ability To Cope with the Impact of Crime

**Prior victimization increases trauma.**
**History of mental health problems.**
**Degree of threat to life and physical injury. **

## Factors That Influence a Victim’s Ability To Cope with the Impact of Crime

**Violent crime victims often have a more difficult time coping than property crime victims.**
**Lack of or poor social support systems.**
**Degree of exposure to the justice system. **

## Immediate, Short-Term, and Long-Term Reactions 

## Activity

***Victim Impact: ******Listen and Learn Video***

## Emotional and Psychological Trauma

**Unexpected**
**Victim was unprepared.**
**Could not be prevented.**

## What Causes Emotional and Psychological Trauma?

**Trauma changes the structure and function of the brain.**

## Immediate and Short-TermTrauma Reactions 

**Occurs during or immediately after the crime until about 3 months post-crime.**
**Most crime victims achieve considerable recovery sometime between 1 and 3 months after the crime. **

## Immediate and Short-Term Trauma Reactions

**Shock.**
**“****This can’t be happening to me.”**
**Emotional problems.**
**Physiological anxiety.**
**Cognitive symptoms of anxiety.**

**Flight or fight**** ****responses****:**

## Trauma Reactions:  2 or 3 Months After the Crime 

**Fear, anxiety, and generalized distress.**
**Preoccupation with the crime.**
**Concern about safety from attack. **
**Concern that other people will not ****believe them.**
**Negative changes in their belief systems.**
**Worrying about when the next attack will occur.**

## Long-Term Trauma  Reactions 

**Most victims of crime—especially those who receive services and information—are able to cope with the trauma of victimization.  **
**Initial and short-term trauma reactions can turn into long-term trauma reactions if trauma is not identified or addressed with mental health assistance.**

## Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

## PTSD Symptoms 

**Persistent re-experiencing of the event. **
**Persistent avoidance of things associated with traumatic event. **
**Reduced ability to be close to other people and experience or sustain loving feelings.**
**Persistent symptoms of increased arousal (e.g., sleep difficulties, outbursts of anger).**

## Crime-Related PTSD 

**Rates of PTSD are higher among victims of violent crime than among victims of other types of traumatic events. **
**Victims with physical injuries and who believed they might have been killed/seriously injured during the crime are more likely to suffer from PTSD than other victims. **

## Crime-Related PTSD

**Rates of PTSD are higher among victims who report crimes to the justice system than among non-reporting victims.**
**Many crime victims with PTSD do not spontaneously recover without treatment.**

## Physical, Psychological/ Emotional, Financial, and Spiritual Impact of Crime 

## Activity

***Possible Victim Reactions***

## Cautions 

**Every victim is unique.**
**Never make assumptions concerning how a victim will react.**
**A person’s reaction to his or her victimization will be influenced by a variety of factors.**

## Review of Module Learning Objectives

**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.**