National 

Victim Assistance 

Academy 

VIDEOTAPE SERIES: 

Meeting the 

Needs of 

Underserved 

Victims 

“Putting Victims First” 

U.S. Department of Justice 

Office of Justice Programs 

Office for Victims of Crime 
U.S. Department of Justice 

Office of Justice Programs 

810 Seventh Street NW. 

Washington, DC 20531 

Alberto R. Gonzales 

Attorney General 

Regina B. Schofield

Assistant Attorney General 

John W. Gillis 

Director, Office for Victims of Crime 

Office of Justice Programs 

Partnerships for Safer Communities 

www.ojp.usdoj.gov 

Office for Victims of Crime 

www.ovc.gov 

For grant and funding information, contact 

U.S. Department of Justice Response Center 

1–800–421–6770 

NCJ 195656 

This document was prepared by the Victims’ Assistance Legal 

Organization under grant number 95–MU–GX–K002, awarded 

by the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, 

U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions expressed in this document are those of the authors and do 

not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the 

U.S. Department of Justice. 

The Office for Victims of Crime is a component of the 

Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau 

of Justice Assistance, the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the 

National Institute of Justice, and the Office of Juvenile 

Justice and Delinquency Prevention. 
Meeting the Needs of Underserved Victims


Video Discussion Guide 

Video produced by 

Video/Action 

for the 

Office for Victims of Crime 

U.S. Department of Justice

Written by 

Melissa Hook 

Victims’ Assistance Legal Organization 

McLean, VA 

Morna Murray 

Victims’ Assistance Legal Organization 

McLean, VA 

Anne Seymour 

Justice Solutions 

Washington, DC 

August 2005 
Contents

Meeting the

Segment One: Creating Services for the

Introduction ......................................................1

Facilitator Tips for Using the 

Needs of Underserved Victims Video and 

Discussion Guide ..........................................2

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community ..........5

Segment Two: Providing Services to Isolated 

Crime Victims ..................................................11

Segment Three: Bringing Hope to Urban


Communities ..................................................16

Segment Four: Empowering Immigrant 

Women To Speak Out ....................................23

Segment Five: Reaching Out to Crime 


Victims With Disabilities ................................29

Segment Six: Providing Services to Victims 

of Hate and Bias Crimes ................................35

Segment Seven: Reaching Out to Victims 


of Financial Crimes ........................................38

Additional Resources ......................................43

Deaf and Hard of Hearing 


Community ..................................................43

Isolated Crime Victims ..............................44


Urban Communities ..................................46


iii 
Immigrant Women ......................................48


Victims With Disabilities ............................50


Victims of Hate and Bias Crimes ..............52


Victims of Financial Crimes ......................52


iv 
Introduction

The video 

and discussion guide were developed to offer 

insights into the challenges faced by underserved 

victim populations in accessing and service providers in providing comprehensive and effective 

victim services in the aftermath of crime. The 

videotape and discussion guide are useful tools for

Meeting the Needs of Underserved Victims 

victim service providers, criminal and juvenile justice professionals, and allied professionals. 

Many crime victims are underserved. They often 

do not receive services and support that can fully 

meet their physical, emotional, spiritual, and financial needs after a victimization. Meeting victims’ 

needs is far more difficult when their access to 

rights and services is complicated by factors such 

as ethnicity, geographic isolation, language barriers, cultural intolerance, disability, and/or lack of 

appropriate social support. Generally, victims have 

legislatively protected rights to be present and 

heard at all stages of the criminal justice process— 

rights that underserved victims may not know 

about, understand, or act on. Thus, victims can be 

doubly underserved. No universal formula to meet 

the needs of all underserved populations exists because of the uniqueness of each group. Yet, one 

can improve response protocols by looking carefully at specific populations and asking victims for 

feedback. 

1 
The 13-minute video features discussions with five 

victims who represent the following underserved 

populations in the United States: 

✦ Deaf and hard of hearing people. 

✦ Rural American Indians. 

✦ Inner-city youth. 

✦ Women migrant workers. 

✦ Individuals with disabilities. 

The discussion guide contains questions and discussion points for two additional underserved victim populations that are not featured in the video: 

victims of hate and bias crimes and financial 

crimes. 

Facilitator Tips for Using the Meeting the Needs of Underserved


Victims Video and Discussion Guide


The video and discussion guide are valuable training tools for victim service providers, criminal and 

juvenile justice professionals, mental health providers, allied professionals, and other audiences 

who seek to better understand the difficulties and 

challenges faced by all underserved victim populations and, in particular, the populations featured in 

the video. The Meeting the Needs of Underserved Victims video can be viewed in its entirety or in segments. The individuals interviewed discuss their 

personal experiences with crime and their shortand long-term needs and concerns in the aftermath 

of crime. They make suggestions on how the criminal justice system can improve its responses to 

lessen victims’ trauma. 

2 
To facilitate discussion of each of the video’s segments, turn to the corresponding section in the discussion guide. Each section offers a framework for 

moderating a discussion; it provides facilitators 

with questions and “probes”—possible answers or 

responses to each question that are based on research on victim trauma and underserved victims— 

to use during a discussion. 

The discussion guide questions are designed to 

spark dialog among participants about issues raised 

in the video. Moderators may choose any of several 

ways to use the questions, depending on the size 

and composition of the group. Moderators may 

want to create viewer worksheets on which participants can write their thoughts. They may want to 

divide participants into smaller groups to discuss 

the questions, then report back to the larger group. 

When deciding how to structure a discussion, facilitators should consider how to reinforce the issues 

raised by the video and give participants opportunities to apply those ideas to their work. 

Meeting the Needs of Underserved Victims provides 

viewers with insights into the needs of underserved 

victim populations and how these needs can be better served by victim service providers and allied 

professionals. The recommendations in the discussion guide and video on how to better serve the 

needs of underserved victim populations are not all 

inclusive; rather, they are intended to promote dialog among viewers about the challenges faced by 

underserved victims and how service providers can 

work effectively to overcome those challenges. 

3 
The video can serve as a primer about the needs of 

underserved victim populations, from the time the 

crime occurs through the criminal or juvenile justice process. It can be a useful audiovisual aid for 

✦ Introductory training for new staff. 

✦ Continuing education for existing staff. 

✦ Professional training and education programs 

for victim service providers, criminal and juvenile justice officials, and allied professionals. 

✦ Public awareness efforts that seek to increase


understanding of victimization and victims’


rights and needs.


✦ Victim awareness programs that seek to help 

offenders better understand the impact of crime 

on victims. 

Depending on the audience and venue, discussion 

facilitators can 

✦ Develop viewer worksheets—using the discussion questions—to encourage individual reflection on the issues addressed in the video. 

✦ Provide opportunities for viewers to apply the 

issues raised by the video to their own experiences, either as crime victims or as professionals 

who work with crime victims. 

✦ Divide viewers into small groups to discuss


their ideas and opinions, with the opportunity


to share insights with the whole group.


4 
✦ Document key points of group discussions on 

tear sheets to offer a visual summary of the 

proceedings. 

Below are suggested resources to augment effective 

facilitation: 

✦ VCR and monitor. 

✦ Viewer worksheets. 

✦ Tear sheet pads and easel. 

✦ Markers. 

✦ Masking tape. 

Segment One: Creating Services for the Deaf 

and Hard of Hearing Community 

Victims who are deaf or hard of hearing need 

service providers with whom they can commuplain their needs and understand their rights, these 

victims may require skilled interpreters at virtually 

every stage of the criminal or juvenile justice pronicate effectively in the aftermath of crime. To excess. Service providers should be familiar with the 

kinds of challenges that deaf and hard of hearing 

victims may encounter after a victimization. Service 

providers should reach out to and collaborate with 

allied professionals in the deaf and hard of hearing 

community to ensure that victims’ needs are met in 

5 
a comprehensive way. This segment will help viewers understand 

✦ Communication challenges for victims who are 

deaf or hard of hearing. 

✦ Short- and long-term concerns of victims who


are deaf or hard of hearing.


✦ The need for effective collaboration between 

service providers and the deaf and hard of hearing community. 

1. What are the communication challenges that 

deaf and hard of hearing victims face after 

victimization? 

Facilitator Probes 

✦ Communicating with and receiving help from


people who do not understand sign language.


✦ Verbal communication skills of the deaf and


hard of hearing that vary enormously, making


it difficult for them to be understood.


✦ The trauma associated with loss of hearing as a 

direct result of the crime. 

2. What kinds of barriers make it difficult for 

deaf and hard of hearing people to communicate after a victimization? 

Facilitator Probes 

✦ Injuries that may prevent deaf and hard of hearing victims from using their hands to sign. 

✦ Lack of auxiliary devices to help them


communicate.


6 
✦ The capacity to communicate, which may be influenced by other factors such as visual impairments and deficiencies in cognitive abilities. 

✦ Victim assistance providers and other professionals who are unfamiliar with their communication needs. 

✦ First responders who are unresponsive and/or 

biased because of preconceived notions about 

deaf and hard of hearing people. 

3. How can service providers help deaf and hard 

of hearing victims overcome barriers? 

Facilitator Probes 

✦ Form proactive relationships with other responders who know sign language. 

✦ Make eye contact and a conscious effort to 

communicate openness to try whatever methods 

of communication work best. 

✦ Be sensitive to how victims identify their impairment and the best ways to support them. 

✦ Understand the varying degrees of hearing impairment that affect a victim’s ability to communicate or to be understood. 

4. What are some of the immediate difficulties 

that victims could have after a victimization 

that would be complicated by a lack of hearing and the need to communicate using sign 

language? 

7 
Facilitator Probes 

✦ Inability to cry out and attract the attention of 

people to come to their assistance and resulting 

feelings of helplessness and fear. 

✦ TTY lines on 911 calls that are not always accessible from all types of phones and victims 

who do not know how to use them. 

✦ Difficulty in describing injuries to individuals 

who are not trained in sign language, particularly when victims are frightened or traumatized. 

✦ Emergency care providers who are not trained 

to communicate with victims who cannot hear 

or speak clearly. 

5. What are some of the long-term concerns 

about the criminal justice system that deaf 

and hard of hearing victims might have after 

a victimization? 

Facilitator Probes 

✦ Being able to pay for interpreters to guide them 

through the criminal justice process. (Service 

providers can collaborate with county offices of 

deaf services and not-for-profit organizations to 

ensure that payment for interpreters is not a 

burden to victims.) 

✦ Understanding crime victim compensation and 

other rights that may be complex without assistance from interpreters. 

8 
✦ Providing accurate and complete testimony 

about a crime to the best of their abilities. (This 

may require collaboration among victim/witness 

advocates, prosecutors, county offices of deaf 

services, and interpreters.) 

6. How should victim service providers make 

contact with the deaf and hard of hearing 

population in their communities so that victims are aware of the rights and services to 

which they are entitled? 

Facilitator Probes 

✦ Seek assistance from service providers in the 

deaf and hard of hearing community in disseminating information about victims’ rights and 

services. 

✦ Collaborate with county offices of deaf services 

to provide interpreters, sign language education, 

and advocacy programs. 

✦ Reach out to clinics and commercial providers 

of hearing aids that serve deaf and hard of hearing people. 

✦ Proactively reach out to the general community 

of deaf and hard of hearing people to explain 

victims’ rights and services. 

7. What steps can victim service providers take 

to determine and implement agency goals to 

improve services to deaf and hard of hearing 

victims? 

9 
Facilitator Probes 

✦ Define and determine attainability of immediate 

and short- and long-term objectives. Establish a 

timeframe to meet those objectives. 

✦ Within the agency, 

—Assess services, facilities, and availability of 

assistive devices. 

—Train staff on needs and concerns of deaf and 

hard of hearing victims. 

—Evaluate the need for further change and 

determine funding requirements. 

✦ In the professional community, 

—Conduct outreach to professionals who serve 

the deaf and hard of hearing community and 

assess the potential for collaboration.


—Form partnerships.


—Conduct cross training.


✦ In the community, 

—Educate the deaf community about victims’ 

rights and the availability of services targeted 

to deaf and hard of hearing individuals. 

✦ Evaluate results. 

10 
Segment Two: Providing Services 

to Isolated Crime Victims

Crime victims who live in rural and isolated 

areas face various challenges in accessing victim services. They may be unaware of their rights 

and available services or choose not to access them. 

and respect for privacy often discourage victims 

Cultural mores such as self-reliance, family loyalty, 

from reporting crime. Long distances and poor 

public transportation inhibit victims from traveling 

to larger communities to access services. Additionally, rural and isolated areas include American 

Indians and immigrant groups that are culturally 

and ethnically diverse. This segment will help viewers understand 

✦ Barriers to services that crime victims confront 

in rural and isolated areas. 

✦ Collaborative initiatives in rural areas that can 

improve services. 

✦ Factors that can inhibit American Indian crime 

victims from accessing services.

1. What are some of the key challenges faced by 

crime victims who live in isolated areas? 

Facilitator Probes 

✦ Conditions brought on by poverty, including 

lack of telephones, personal and/or public transportation, and community resources to promote 

education about victims’ rights and services. 

11 
✦ Long geographical distances to get to police stations, courthouses, shelters, hospitals, and legal 

aid offices; difficulties in making numerous 

trips. 

✦ Limited knowledge among criminal justice professionals about victims’ rights and needs because of a lack of training. 

✦ Lack of crisis response, local victim services, 

and shelters. 

2. What are the cultural factors in isolated areas 

that may determine to whom victims can go 

for assistance and support? 

Facilitator Probes 

✦ Language barriers. 

✦ Cultural mores that underscore gender dominance and sanction abuse of women and 

children. 

✦ Religious or ethnic leaders as the only source 

of advice and support in times of crisis. 

✦ Religious or ethnic leaders who potentially diminish the seriousness of a victimization. 

✦ Lack of confidentiality, and the fact that everyone may know one another and their problems. 

✦ Strong family loyalty dynamics, a tradition of 

“not washing dirty laundry in public,” and an 

unwillingness to identify offenders in the family. 

12 
✦ A deep sense of community and intolerance of 

outsiders who try to fulfill the role of victim 

service provider on a part-time basis. 

✦ Modesty and pride among rural American 

women that may prevent them from seeking 

help from strangers after they have been 

victimized. 

3. How is the need for victim services and support generally addressed in isolated areas of 

the country? 

Facilitator Probes 

✦ By victim advocates who cover several jurisdictions, sometimes called “circuit riders.” 

✦ Through various forms of technology, including 

telecommunication and telemedicine. 

✦ Through the clergy and other spiritual leaders 

in ethnic populations. 

✦ With specific grants from the federal and state 

governments to provide victim services in rural 

areas and designated for Indian Country. 

4. What kind of initiatives may improve victim 

services for people who live in isolated areas? 

Facilitator Probes 

✦ Research the cultural fabric of the county to determine what binds it together and in groups, 

such as language and dialects, predominant 

faiths, and ways of making a living. 

13 
✦ Identify local community leaders and work with 

them to improve victim services in the outlying 

regions. 

✦ Develop teams of volunteers who are trained in 

victim sensitivity, rights, and needs. 

✦ Invite members of the allied helping professions 

to train on victim sensitivity, rights, and needs. 

✦ Form partnerships with existing cultural, agricultural, community, and faith-based organizations to provide victims with appropriate and 

informed support and referrals to service 

providers. 

✦ Form service bridges between limited local victim services and service networks in nearby 

cities or metropolitan areas. 

✦ Ignite the interest of state legislators about victims’ needs in isolated areas to secure funding 

for improved services. 

5. When isolated crime victims also are American Indian, what cultural factors affect the 

kind of services with which they may feel 

comfortable? 

Facilitator Probes 

✦ Preference for tribal law over district or federal 

law. 

✦ Language barriers. 

✦ Communication styles that vary or are in conflict (e.g., many American Indians value and are 

more comfortable with silence). 

14 
✦ Differences in social behavior (e.g., many 

American Indians consider eye contact and 

strong handshakes invasive). 

✦ Distrust of outsiders, particularly government 

employees, because of past history of prejudice 

and unfair treatment. 

✦ Tradition of tolerating adversity (including victimization) that may lead to low reporting of 

crimes. 

✦ Tradition that values the well-being of the 

group over the individual. 

✦ Potential of alcohol and substance abuse as previctimization and postvictimization factors (this 

factor affects victims of all cultures). 

6. What steps can service providers take to determine and implement agency goals to assist 

victims in accessing services when they live in 

isolated and rural areas? 

Facilitator Probes 

✦ Define and determine attainability of immediate 

and short- and long-term objectives. Establish a 

timeframe to meet those objectives. 

✦ Within the agency, 

—Evaluate victims’ limitations in accessing 

services (long-distance travel and 

communication). 

—Develop resources to address travel barriers. 

—Develop resources to address language 


barriers.


15 
—Train providers on cultural competency relative to the needs of the population. 

—Evaluate the need for further change and 

determine funding requirements. 

✦ In the community, 

—Identify and contact potential collaborators 

among community-based organizations and 

enlist their support. 

—Contact allied professionals and enlist their 

support. 

—Conduct cross training. 

—Seek outreach venues to educate isolated 

populations on victims’ rights and availability 

of services. 

—Contact local policymakers and enlist their 

support. 

✦ Evaluate results. 

Segment Three: Bringing Hope 

to Urban Communities 

Youth in inner cities with high crime rates often 

must deal with tough environments in which 

repeat victimization is common. Families, schools, 

and communities are critical partners in establishing effective interventions that provide alternatives 

for inner-city youth who have fallen victim to the

culture of violence. Special attention should be given to victims of gang violence so they feel safe 

16 
enough to report their own victimizations and can 

access the support and services they need. This 

segment will help viewers understand 

✦ Factors that contribute to high rates of youth 

victimization in urban communities. 

✦ Effective intervention strategies for young victims of violence to avoid repeat victimizations. 

✦ Unique challenges posed by gang violence. 

1. What are some of the contributing factors to 

victimization among youth in urban communities that have high crime rates? 

Facilitator Probes 

✦ Hostile environments, risky behavior by victims, lack of prevention measures, and the high 

prevalence of violent victimization. 

✦ Poverty, minimal parental involvement, few or 

no after-school community resources, and a lack 

of opportunities to engage in healthy activities. 

✦ Substance abuse and addiction as correlating 

factors in victimization. 

✦ High prevalence of trafficking in illegal substances, attracting many youth to an “easy” way 

to make money. 

✦ Gang life and activities that can attract youth 

and glamorize a culture of crime and revenge. 

✦ Marginalization of religious and ethnic groups 

that might otherwise offer support. 

17 
2. What types of interventions might alter 

young people’s attitudes toward violent behavior patterns to reduce future victimization, 

while supporting their participation in the 

criminal justice system? 

Facilitator Probes 

✦ Immediate support from the moment a youth 

enters an emergency room with an injury 

caused by violence. 

✦ Followup assessment of a victim’s family to


evaluate risk of repeat victimization and a


strategy for long-term prevention.


✦ Counseling for victims and families to better 

cope with the effects of injuries caused by 

violence. 

✦ Connecting youth to healthy environments and 

positive recreational activities in the community. 

✦ Legal assistance to help parents and victims 

move successfully through the criminal justice 

system. 

✦ Assistance with obtaining crime victim


compensation.


✦ Assistance from neighborhood watch groups 

that look out for the safety of youth who have 

been victimized. 

✦ Assistance with relocation when necessary. 

3. What types of community participation may 

be helpful to address repeat victimization 

among youth in urban areas? 

18 
Facilitator Probes 

✦ Leaders of the clergy and respected members of 

the neighborhood who mentor at-risk youth and 

young crime victims about violence prevention. 

✦ Community members who organize venues that 

heighten awareness of the needs of young crime 

victims. 

✦ Concerned parents who volunteer and are 

trained to respond to the needs of young crime 

victims. 

✦ School officials and teachers who provide outreach to youth and their parents about crime 

and victimization. 

✦ Mental health counselors and hospital social 

workers who develop protocols that provide 

support and care for young crime victims. 

✦ Legal aid volunteers who are taught to effectively assist young crime victims who have no 

concept of their rights in the criminal justice 

system. 

✦ Youth clubs and groups that reach out to young 

crime victims and provide them with out-ofschool activities. 

✦ Volunteers from human resources departments 

from local businesses that develop after-school 

work programs for young crime victims that 

include opportunities for employment after 

graduation. 

19 
4. What special challenges do victims of gang 

violence face? 

Facilitator Probes 

✦ Lack of focus in the community on services 

to victims because resources are put toward 

prevention. 

✦ Resignation in the community that gang violence is a hopeless situation. 

✦ An attitude that young victims of gang violence 

may have “contributed” to the violence. 

✦ An attitude that young victims of gang violence 

have previously been perpetrators of violence in 

other crimes. 

✦ A distrust of the criminal justice system that 

makes victims unwilling to report crimes. 

✦ Barriers and biases that stem from differences 

in culture, race, religion, gender, and sexual 

preference. 

✦ Longstanding turf issues in the community that 

local populations tolerate or accept. 

5. How can living in a city plagued by gang violence contribute to repeat victimizations? 

Facilitator Probes 

✦ Difficulty of young victims and families to relocate out of the community that forces victims to 

live with or among perpetrators. 

✦ Alienation that leads youth to join gangs and 

that may also cause victims not to report crimes. 

20 
✦ Fear of enlisting the support of law enforcement 

and criminal justice professionals. 

✦ Fear of reprisal against victims if they report 

crimes and against witnesses if they agree to 

identify offenders or testify in court. 

✦ Neighborhood values that label victims and 

witnesses who report crimes as traitors to the 

community. 

✦ Victims, witnesses, and offenders living in the 

United States illegally who fear deportation or 

responsibility for the deportation of an offender. 

6. What may young victims and witnesses of 

gang violence need from their service providers, the criminal justice system, and the 

community? 

Facilitator Probes 

✦ Agency- and system-based collaborations with 

trusted members of the community. 

✦ Crisis lines that are open 24 hours a day. 

✦ User-friendly vertical gang units that include 

victim assistance; keeping the same criminal justice system personnel throughout a case. 

✦ System- and community-based service providers 

who speak the local languages and dialects. 

✦ Support and outreach extended to families, particularly victims’ siblings, who may be threatened by a gang. 

21 
✦ Victim/witness protection protocols at school 

and in the community. 

✦ Assistance with relocation, when necessary. 

7. What steps can service providers take to determine and implement agency goals to better 

support urban youth who have fallen victim 

to the cycle of violence? 

Facilitator Probes 

✦ Define and determine attainability of immediate 

and short- and long-term objectives. Establish a 

timeframe to meet those objectives. 

✦ Within the agency, 

—Develop response protocols that can provide 

support to young victims as soon as a crime is 

reported. 

—Develop response protocols with families of 

victims that assess the potential for repeat 

victimization. 

—Have protocols in place to address the risk of 

repeat victimization. 

—Develop resources to address language 


barriers.


—Train providers on cultural competency relative to the needs of the population. 

—Evaluate the need for further change and determine funding requirements. 

22 
✦ In the community, 

—Identify and contact potential collaborators 

among neighborhood-, faith-, community-, 

and ethnic-based organizations and local 

businesses and enlist their support. 

—Contact allied professionals and enlist their 

support. 

—Conduct cross training. 

—Seek outreach venues to educate ethnic populations on victims’ rights and the availability 

of services. 

—Contact community leaders and mentors and 

enlist their support. 

✦ Evaluate results. 

Segment Four: Empowering Immigrant 

Women To Speak Out

Many factors limit access to services among immigrant women crime victims, including immigration status, fear of deportation, fear of the 

criminal justice system and its representatives, lanoften unaware of their rights within the criminal

guage barriers, and poverty. Immigrant women are

justice system. Women migrant workers can face 

additional barriers because they most likely have 

no long-term residence from which they can access 

ongoing services. Victim service providers must 

23 
contact community organizations and other groups 

through which they can gain greater understanding 

of the needs of immigrant women victims. This segment will help viewers understand 

✦ Sociocultural barriers that prevent immigrant 

women from accessing services. 

✦ Legal considerations for immigrant women


crime victims.


✦ Special concerns of immigrant women crime 

victims who are migrant workers. 

✦ Actions that will improve services to immigrant 

women crime victims. 

1. What are some of the sociocultural values and 

barriers that inhibit immigrant women from 

accessing victim services? 

Facilitator Probes 

✦ Language barriers. 

✦ Decisions that are made based on the family 

rather than on personal needs. 

✦ Difficulty reporting a private matter to law enforcement officials because of cultural mores. 

✦ Traditional reliance on male family members to 

interact with the public. 

✦ Inability to speak openly about sex crimes because of cultural restrictions, values, or stigmas. 

✦ Fear of police as a result of abuse and oppression in their country of origin. 

24 
✦ Experience of colonial racism in their country 

of origin and a fear of white power structures. 

✦ Unusual immigration status (e.g., “mail-order 

brides” who may be particularly vulnerable to 

isolation, abuse, and fear of deportation). 

✦ Lack of skills and no source of income if they 

leave the family to avoid further victimization. 

✦ No knowledge of the rights to which victims are 

entitled. 

2. Of what relevant legal considerations should 

service providers be aware when immigrant 

women are victimized? 

Facilitator Probes 

✦ Immigration status and fear of deportation. 

✦ The right of immigrant women to receive victim 

services. 

✦ Laws concerning domestic violence, enslavement, and exploitation. 

✦ Rights of battered immigrant women under the 

Battered Immigrant Women Protection Act of 

2000. 

✦ T visas created by the Victims of Trafficking 

and Violence Protection Act of 2000 (VTVPA) 

that give temporary lawful status to immigrants 

brought into the country for illegal purposes. 

✦ U visas created by VTVPA that give temporary 

lawful status to illegal immigrant women who 

are victims of physical and mental abuse. 

25 
✦ Applications for T and U visas, which are available through U.S. Immigration and Customs 

Enforcement (ICE). 

3. What additional barriers do female migrant 

farm workers who are immigrants face in accessing victim services? 

Facilitator Probes 

✦ Poor understanding of social and regulatory 

systems that may change from state to state 

(e.g., enforcement of “no contact” orders). 

✦ Lack of ties in the local community. 

✦ Little sense of ownership or entitlement when 

they move from place to place. 

✦ Living at the periphery of the local community 

where they were harmed. 

✦ Lack of social support. 

✦ Difficulty participating in the criminal justice 

system because of frequent moves. 

4. What actions can victim service providers 

take in reaching out to immigrant women 

victims? 

Facilitator Probes 

✦ Learn state and federal laws that govern treatment of immigrant victims in the criminal justice system. 

✦ Form partnerships with the local ICE professionals and learn their protocols concerning 

crime victims. 

26 
✦ Promote victim sensitivity among the ICE professionals who may have to deal with immigrant 

women victims. 

✦ Form relationships with members of immigrant 

communities and teach them about immigrant 

victims’ rights and the availability of services in 

the community. 

5. What actions can victim service providers 

take in reaching out to immigrant women victims who are migrant farm workers? 

Facilitator Probes 

✦ Identify and learn the languages spoken in 

the migrant communities or find reliable 

interpreters. 

✦ Conduct outreach to migrant farm worker 

communities about the availability of services 

through groups such as the clergy that have the 

most contact with them. 

✦ Educate at-risk women in migrant farm worker 

communities to help them recognize and identify that violent behavior is a crime. 

✦ Develop protocols to respond to the needs and 

concerns of battered migrant women farm 

workers as they move seasonally through the 

community. 

6. What steps can service providers take to determine and implement agency goals to better 

support immigrant women, including migrant 

workers, when they are victims or at risk of 

victimization? 

27 
Facilitator Probes 

✦ Define and determine attainability of immediate 

and short- and long-term objectives. Establish a 

timeframe to meet those objectives. 

✦ Within the agency, 

—Develop protocols to assist illegal immigrants 

who are afraid of being deported. 

—Understand the basics of T and U visas. 

—Develop protocols to overcome language barriers (e.g., the Trafficking in Persons and 

Worker Exploitation Hotline [1–888–428– 

7581] has translation services for victims to 

report crimes by telephone in 150 languages). 

—Train providers on cultural competency 

relative to the needs of local immigrant 

populations. 

—Evaluate the need for further change and determine funding requirements. 

✦ In the community, 

—Identify and contact potential collaborators 

among faith-, community-, and ethnic-based 

organizations and enlist their support. 

—Contact allied professionals and enlist their 

support. 

—Conduct cross training. 

28 
—Seek outreach venues to educate immigrant 

populations on victims’ rights and the availability of services. 

✦ Evaluate results. 

Segment Five: Reaching Out to Crime 

Victims With Disabilities

I

ndividuals with disabilities who are victimized 

can face a host of difficulties in accessing effective services. Although victims with disabilities 

have the same needs as other crime victims, they 

also have specific needs posed by their particular 

disability, especially in the areas of communication

and access. Victim service providers need to be educated about the common types of disabilities and 

how their different conditions and challenges can 

affect victims’ abilities to communicate and acquire 

the services they need. Asking crime victims with 

disabilities clearly and directly what they need is 

one of the best ways a service provider can get that 

information. Collaboration with service providers 

who work with individuals with disabilities is essential. This segment will help viewers understand 

✦ Special concerns of victims with disabilities in 

accessing services. 

✦ Unique challenges for victim service providers 

who are assisting people with disabilities. 

29 
✦ The need for collaboration with representatives 

of disability groups in the community. 

1. What are the common types of conditions 

that are referred to as disabilities? 

Facilitator Probes 

✦ Impairments of sight, hearing, and speaking. 

✦ Physical disabilities (e.g., impairments of use of 

limbs, loss of limbs). 

✦ Cognitive and developmental disabilities. 

✦ Mental illness. 

2. What kinds of challenges do victims with disabilities face in accessing victim services? 

Facilitator Probes 

✦ Having to now deal with new and unfamiliar 

limitations imposed on their lives because of the 

victimization. 

✦ Knowing where to find services and with whom 

to talk. 

✦ Communicating their needs. 

✦ Lack of general support in the community and 

persistent isolation. 

✦ Ongoing emotional and psychological issues 

magnified by a victimization (e.g., depression, 

sense of helplessness). 

✦ Decreased credibility when their communication skills are affected by physical or cognitive 

disorders (e.g., law enforcement officers who 

30 
do not understand what a victim says may disregard or misunderstand her account of the 

crime). 

✦ Survival priorities (e.g., keeping a job and 

paying bills) that may take precedence over 

reporting the crime, accessing services, and 

participating in the justice system. 

✦ Service providers who have minimal experience 

assisting victims with disabilities. 

✦ Physically inaccessible victim service providers’ 

offices. 

3. What are some of the communication challenges that victims with disabilities may 

experience? 

Facilitator Probes 

✦ Difficulty in describing their victimization, feelings, and needs. 

✦ Reluctance to do anything more than report a 

crime and get emergency medical assistance. 

4. What are some of the communication challenges that service providers may experience? 

Facilitator Probes 

✦ Difficulty in finding sensitive language to discuss the effect of victims’ disabilities. 

✦ Difficulty in determining how much assistance 

victims need in communicating and in taking 

care not to speak for victims. 

31 
✦ Poor understanding of the “health” of victims 

and the misconception that they might be ill or 

“contagious.” 

✦ Danger of making referrals to agencies that


work with people with disabilities but lack


training in victims’ rights and needs.


5. What are some practical suggestions for service providers to improve communication 

with victims with disabilities? 

Facilitator Probes 

✦ Speak directly to victims with disabilities to determine what they may need and what will 

make them comfortable. 

✦ Speak directly to victims with disabilities even if 

they are accompanied by a third-party assistant 

or an interpreter. 

✦ Treat victims with disabilities with compassion, 

dignity, and respect. 

✦ Be receptive to victims’ body language and other physical cues. 

✦ Provide physical assistance when asked by victims. When in doubt, ask permission before 

helping. 

✦ Be realistic and specific about victims’ possible 

difficulties in being fully involved in the criminal justice process, and be aware of what challenges and expectations they may face. 

32 
6. What are some of the efforts that service 

providers might make to work effectively 

with victims with disabilities? 

Facilitator Probes 

✦ Collaborate with agencies that serve individuals 

with various types of disabilities. 

✦ Cross-train to build skills in understanding victims’ needs and communicating with victims 

with specific disabilities. 

✦ Cross-train with disability agencies so service 

providers can understand the rights and needs 

of victims with disabilities. 

✦ Consult with qualified professionals who specialize in a range of disabilities to develop policies and programs to better assist victims. 

✦ Reach out to local disability advocacy organizations in the community. 

✦ Learn the requirements of the Americans With 

Disabilities Act through technical assistance and 

training. 

✦ Acquire assistive technologies to help victims 

with disabilities be informed of their rights 

and be present and heard at criminal justice 

hearings. 

✦ Ensure that offices are accessible and comfortable for individuals with disabilities. 

33 
7. What steps can service providers take to determine and implement agency goals to better 

support victims with disabilities? 

Facilitator Probes 

✦ Define and determine attainability of immediate 

and short- and long-term objectives. Establish 

a timeframe to meet those objectives. 

✦ Within the agency, 

—Evaluate the physical accessibility of the 

agency. 

—Identify existing assistive technologies within 

the agency. 

—Evaluate staff to determine who has experience working with people with disabilities. 

—Identify training, including materials such as 

literature and videos, to educate staff on how 

to work with individuals with different types 

of disabilities. 

—Evaluate the need for further change and determine funding requirements. 

✦ In the disability community, 

—Seek outreach venues to educate disability 

populations on victims’ rights and the availability of services. 

—Identify and contact individuals who work 

with disability communities and enlist their 

support. 

34 
—Contact allied professionals who serve disability communities and enlist their support. 

—Conduct cross training. 

—Establish cross-agency emergency response 

protocols for victims with disabilities. 

✦ Evaluate results. 

Segment Six: Providing Services to Victims of 

Hate and Bias Crimes

Victims of hate and bias crimes have been 

harmed because of an inherent part of their 

entation, or disability—and this poses unique challenges. Fear of repeat victimizations becomes a 

primary concern in the aftermath of a crime beidentity—their religion, race, ethnicity, sexual oricause victims cannot cease to be targets. Social attitudes that minimize the impact of the crime on 

victims can hamper their ability to access effective 

and compassionate services. Collaboration with 

community groups and training are effective tools 

for service providers who serve victims of hate and 

bias crimes. This section will help participants 

understand 

✦ Why hate and bias crimes have traditionally 

been underreported and difficult to prosecute. 

✦ The short- and long-term effects of hate and 

bias crimes. 

✦ The role of service providers in helping victims 

of hate and bias crimes. 

35 
1. Why are victims of hate and bias crimes an 

underserved population? 

Facilitator Probes 

✦ Victims’ fears of drawing attention to themselves or their communities may cause an unwillingness to report a crime or seek services. 

✦ Difficulties in assessing the degree of harassment or intimidation may lead first responders 

to underestimate the seriousness of hate and 

bias crimes. 

✦ Law enforcement’s difficulties in determining 

motive in hate and bias crimes can impede the 

filing of appropriate charges. 

2. What are some of the short- and long-term 

effects of hate and bias crime victimization? 

Facilitator Probes 

✦ Fear, distrust, depression, hopelessness, and 

paranoia over repeat victimizations. 

✦ Outrage for being victimized for qualities that 

make them who they are. 

✦ Financial loss and destruction of victims’ 

livelihoods. 

✦ Social repercussions that affect victims, their 

families, and their communities. 

✦ The negative impact on victims’ relationships 

with the larger community. 

36 
✦ Employers’ fear that the workplace will become 

a targeted environment for criminal behavior. 

✦ Termination of victims’ employment. 

3. What can service providers do to better serve 

victims of hate and bias crimes? 

Facilitator Probes 

✦ Be as nonjudgmental and patient as possible. 

✦ Recognize that victims may be reluctant to reveal the nature of the hate and bias for which 

they were victimized. 

✦ Address the crimes as victimizations and let victims express any feelings they may have about 

the nature of the crime. 

✦ Inform and educate victims about the possibility 

of pursuing civil remedies for the crime. 

✦ Assist victims with securing crime victim 

compensation. 

✦ Develop a level of trust with the targeted community of the hate and bias through community 

outreach and support. 

4. What steps can service providers take to determine and implement agency goals to better 

support victims of hate and bias crimes? 

Facilitator Probes 

✦ Define and determine attainability of immediate 

and short- and long-term objectives. Establish a 

timeframe to meet those objectives. 

37 
✦ Within the agency, 

—Identify groups in the community that may 

be victims of hate and bias crimes. 

—Educate staff on hate and bias crimes and 

why special laws have been created to prosecute and punish perpetrators. 

—Conduct bias awareness training and create 

an open environment in which staff can identify and address personal biases. 

—Evaluate the need for further change and determine funding requirements. 

✦ In the community, 

—Seek outreach venues to educate populations 

targeted by hate and bias on victims’ rights 

and the availability of services. 

—Identify and contact potential collaborators 

among faith-, community-, and ethnic-based 

organizations and enlist their support. 

—Contact allied professionals and enlist their 

support. 

✦ Evaluate results. 

Segment Seven: Reaching Out to Victims of 

Financial Crimes

Whether it is the loss of a lifetime of savings or 

the destruction of a credit rating, financial 

crime creates havoc in victims’ lives. People often

38 
blame themselves when they have been victims of 

financial scams and fraud. Elderly victims who are 

targets of financial abuse and fraud may fear 

reprisals from relatives and a loss of independence 

if the extent of their victimization becomes known. 

Victims often suffer trauma after a financial victimization in ways similar to victims of violent crime. 

Service providers should be aware of the effects 

that financial crime can have on victims and help 

them access the comprehensive services they need, 

including outside referrals for financial counseling. 

This section will help participants understand

✦ How the impact of financial crime on victims is 

often minimized. 

✦ The emotional impact of financial victimization. 

✦ The role of service providers in assisting victims 

of financial crime.

1. Why are victims of financial crimes— 

telemarketing scams, investment fraud, 

cybercrime, and identity theft—sometimes 

underserved? 

Facilitator Probes 

✦ Victims of financial crime have fewer rights in 

the criminal justice process than victims of violent crime. 

✦ Victims of financial crime who are elderly, lonely, and/or isolated may be unaware of the availability of support. 

✦ They often are ashamed of their victimization 

and do not report the crime. 

39 
✦ Victims fear that they may be judged for their 

perceived greed—after losing out in a financial 

scam—and do not seek support for their 

victimization. 

✦ Few service provider organizations have mandates to assist victims of financial crime. 

✦ Service providers may have little understanding 

of the often severe emotional impact of financial 

crime on victims. 

2. What are some of the emotional responses of 

victims of financial crime? 

Facilitator Probes 

✦ Feelings of helplessness to recover losses. 

✦ Self-blame. 

✦ Guilt and shame. 

✦ Disbelief. 

✦ Anger. 

✦ Depression. 

✦ Loss of trust. 

✦ Deteriorating self-esteem. 

✦ Fear for their financial security and independence, especially among the elderly. 

3. What other factors influence financial crime 

victims’ emotional and psychological wellbeing following victimization? 

40 
Facilitator Probes 

✦ Depletion of finances. 

✦ Family blame for poor judgment; accusations of 

foolishness and greed. 

✦ Unsympathetic creditors dealing with victims’ 

financial difficulties. 

✦ Embarrassment and humiliation over public disclosure of victimization in the media. 

✦ Losses that are rarely fully recoverable, even 

when perpetrators are prosecuted and convicted. 

4. What are ways that service providers can 

assist victims in dealing with the impact of 

financial crimes? 

Facilitator Probes 

✦ Provide victims with timely and ongoing information about an investigation. 

✦ Be patient and responsive if victims of financial 

crime grow frustrated or depressed over a lack 

of progress in their cases. 

✦ Provide victims with referrals for psychological 

counseling and support. 

✦ Refer victims to consumer advocacy organizations and debt counselors who can help them 

negotiate the various issues involved in any resulting financial crisis. 

✦ Be aware that some elderly victims may not fully grasp the seriousness of their situations. 

41 
✦ Ensure that victims complete victim impact 

statements and that they are filed with the appropriate agency if the cases are prosecuted. 

✦ Be familiar with and follow correct protocols 

for requesting restitution when state law provides for it. 

5. What steps can service providers take to determine and implement agency goals to better 

support victims of financial crimes? 

Facilitator Probes 

✦ Define and determine attainability of immediate 

and short- and long-term objectives. Establish a 

timeframe to meet those objectives. 

✦ Within the agency, 

—Educate staff on common types of financial 

crime. 

—Compile a list of referrals and hotlines that 

offer support to victims of financial crime. 

—Evaluate the need for further change and determine funding requirements. 

✦ In the community, 

—Conduct outreach to the general population 

about financial crime and the kinds of support available to victims. 

—Consult with the mental health community 

about trauma brought on by financial abuse 

or fraud. 

✦ Evaluate results. 

42 
Additional Resources

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community

Outreach

Abused Deaf Women’s Advocacy Services 

Web site: www.adwas.org 

Abused Deaf Women’s Advocacy Services. 1996. 

Domestic Violence in the Deaf Community.

Packet. Seattle, WA: Abused Deaf Women’s Advocacy Services. 

Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center, 

Gallaudet University 

Web site: clerccenter.gallaudet.edu 

Learning Sign Language: Media Resources (Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center, Gallaudet University) 

Web site: clerccenter.gallaudet.edu/ 

InfoToGo/545.html 

Merkin, Lewis, and Marilyn J. Smith. 1995. “A 

Community-Based Model Providing Services for 

Deaf and Deaf-Blind Victims of Sexual Assault and 

Domestic Violence.” Sexuality and Disability 13(2): 

97–106. 

National Association of the Deaf 

Web site: www.nad.org 

National Association of the Deaf Law Center. 

2000. NAD Position Statement on Communication 

Access by Law Enforcement Personnel with Deaf 

43 
and Hard of Hearing Individuals. Silver Spring, 

MD: National Association of the Deaf. 

Web site: www.nad.org/infocenter/newsroom/ 

positions/CommAccessLawEnforcement.html 

National Institute of Justice. 1997. The Americans 

With Disabilities Act: Emergency Response Systems and 

Telecommunication Devices for the Deaf. Washington, 

DC: U.S. Department of Justice. 

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders 

Web site: www.nidcd.nih.gov 

Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc.


Web site: www.rid.org


Zak, Omer. 1999. Methods of Communication With 

the Deaf. 

Web site: www.zak.co.il/deaf-info/old/ 

methods.html 

Isolated Crime Victims 

Alvord, Lori A., and Elizabeth Cohen van Pelt. 

1999. The Scalpel and the Silver Bear: The First Navajo 

Woman Surgeon Combines Western Medicine and Traditional Healing. New York, NY: Bantam. 

Dickey, Walter J., and Peggy McGarry. 2001. 

Community Justice in Rural America: Four Examples 

and Four Futures. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance. 

Frey, Heather E. 2002. Tribal Court CASA: A Guide 

to Program Development. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and 

Delinquency Prevention. 

44 
Lena, Eileen M. 2001. Impact Evaluation of STOP 

Grant Programs for Reducing Violence Against Women 

Among Indian Tribes. Final Report submitted to the 

National Institute of Justice, U.S. Department of 

Justice. Tuscon, AZ: Tribal Law and Policy Program, University of Arizona. 

Web site: www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/nij/grants/ 

186235.pdf 

National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry (an organization with special interests in 

agriculture, community service, legislative affairs, 

women, deaf and hard of hearing individuals, and 

youth and young adults that channels volunteer activities into worthwhile community projects in rural 

areas) 

Web site: www.nationalgrange.org 

National Tribal Justice Resource Center 

Web site: www.tribalresourcecenter.org/legal 

Native American Criminal Justice Resources 

Web site: arapaho.nsuok.edu/~dreveskr/ 

nacjr.html-ssi 

Native American Studies Collections, General Native American Bibliographies 

Web site: www-library.stanford.edu/depts/ssrg/ 

native/nativepm.html 

Ogawa, Brian. 1999. Color of Justice: Culturally Sensitive Treatment of Minority Crime Victims. 2d ed. 

Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon. 

45 
Rural Task Force. 1998. Report of the Rural Task 

Force. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs. 

Rural Victimization Project, Institute for Family 

Violence Studies, Florida State University School 

of Social Work 

Web site: familyvio.ssw.fsu.edu/rural 

Tribal Court Clearinghouse, Tribal Law and Policy 

Institute 

Web site: www.tribal-institute.org 

Urban Communities 

A Parent’s Guide for Preventing Gangs (information 

provided by the Memphis, Tennessee, Police Department and the National Crime Prevention 

Council) 

Web site: www.lunaweb.com/pargang.htm 

Association for Multicultural Counseling and 

Development 

Web site: www.bgsu.edu/colleges/edhd/ 

programs/AMCD 

Dunn, Michael J. 2002. “Youth Violence Must Be 

Treated at the Source.” Wisconsin Medical Journal 

101(6): 34–35. 

Hallcom, Francine. An Urban Ethnography of Latino 

Street Gangs in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. 

Web site: www.csun.edu/~hcchs006/table.html 

Is Your Child in a Gang? (information developed by 

the Sacramento, California, Police Department) 

Web site: www.sacpd.org/gangs.html 

46 
National Criminal Justice Reference Service, 

Gangs Resources 

Web site: www.ncjrs.org/gangs/summary.html 

National Youth Gang Center 

Web site: www.iir.com/nygc 

Project on Human Development in Chicago 

Neighborhoods 

Web site: www.hms.harvard.edu/chase/projects/ 

chicago 

Project Safe Neighborhoods 

Web site: www.psn.gov 

Project Ujima (a community project committed to 

helping stop the cycle of violent crimes by reducing 

the number of repeat victims of violence) 

Web site: www.chw.org/display/PPF/DocID/ 

624/router.asp 

Roysircar, Gargi, Daya S. Sandhu, and Victor Bibbins, Sr., eds. 2003. Multicultural Competencies: A 

Guidebook of Practices. Alexandria, VA: Association 

for Multicultural Counseling and Development. 

Seymour, Anne. 1996. Victims of Gang Violence: A 

New Frontier in Victim Services. Special Report. 

Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, 

Office for Victims of Crime. 

Streetcats Foundation and National Children’s 

Coalition, Violence Prevention Resources 

Web site: www.child.net/violence.htm 

Student Pledge Against Gun Violence 

Web site: www.pledge.org 

47 
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

2001. Youth Violence: A Report of the Surgeon General. 

Washington, DC. 

Immigrant Women 

Application for T Nonimmigrant Status (Form I– 

914), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services 

Web site: uscis.gov/graphics/formsfee/forms/ 

i-914.htm 

Association for Multicultural Counseling and 

Development 

Web site: www.bgsu.edu/colleges/edhd/ 

programs/AMCD 

Civil Rights Division. Information for Victims of Trafficking in Persons and Forced Labor. 2002. Brochure. 

Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice. 

Web site: www.usdoj.gov/crt/crim/wetf/ 

victimsbrochure.pdf 

Civil Rights Division. Trafficking in Persons: A Guide 

for Non-Governmental Organizations. 2002. Brochure. 

Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice. 

Web site: www.usdoj.gov/crt/crim/wetf/ 

trafficbrochure.pdf 

Family Violence Prevention Fund


Web site: endabuse.org


Jang, Deeana L., Leni Marin, and Gail Pendleton, 

eds. 1997. Domestic Violence in Immigrant and Refugee 

Communities: Asserting the Rights of Battered Women. 

Rev. 2d ed. San Francisco, CA: Family Violence 

Prevention Fund. 

48 
National Immigration Law Center, Immigration 

Law & Policy 

Web site: www.nilc.org/immlawpolicy/obtainlpr/ 

oblpr071.htm 

National Immigration Project, Immigrant Survivors of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault 

Web site: www.nationalimmigrationproject.org/ 

domestic-violence/domvioindex.htm 

Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, U.S. Department of State 

Web site: www.state.gov/g/tip 

Ogawa, Brian. 1999. Color of Justice: Culturally Sensitive Treatment of Minority Crime Victims. 2d ed. 

Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon. 

Orloff, Leslie. 1999. “Offering Culturally Sensitive 

Services to Battered Immigrant Women.” The Legal 

Advocate 2(5): 1, 9. 

Rodriguez, Rachel. 2001. Migrant Health Issues: Domestic Violence Series. Buda, TX: National Center for 

Farmworker Health, Inc. 

Roysircar, Gargi, Daya S. Sandhu, and Victor Bibbins, Sr., eds. 2003. Multicultural Competencies: A 

Guidebook of Practices. Alexandria, VA: Association 

for Multicultural Counseling and Development. 

49 
Self-Petitioning For Battered Immigrant Women 

and Children, 8 U.S.C. 1154 (Procedure for granting immigrant status) 

Web site: www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/8/ 

1154.html 

Trafficking in Persons and Worker Exploitation 

Task Force, Civil Rights Division, U.S. Department of Justice 

Web site: www.usdoj.gov/crt/crim/tpwetf.htm 

Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act 

of 2000. H.R. 3244. Public Law 106-386. October 

28, 2000. 

Web site: uscis.gov/graphics/services/ 

PL106_386.pdf 

Victims With Disabilities 

Administration on Developmental Disabilities, 

U.S Department of Health and Human Services 

Web site: www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/add 

Andary, Michael, Anthony Gamboa, Jr., Madhav 

Kulkarni, Charles Simpkins, John Stilson, 

Emanuel Tanay, and Donald Vogenthaler. 2002. 

Closed Head Injury: A Common Complication of Vehicular Crashes. Irving, TX: Mothers Against Drunk 

Driving. 

Web site: www.madd.org/victims/ 

0,1056,1985,00.html 

Brain Injury Association of America


Web site: www.biausa.org


50 
Disability, Abuse & Personal Rights Project 

Web site: www.disability-abuse.com 

National Dissemination Center for Children with 

Disabilities 

Web site: www.nichcy.org 

National Rehabilitation Information Center 

Web site: www.naric.com 

National Spinal Cord Injury Association 

Web site: www.spinalcord.org 

Office for Victims of Crime. 2002. Serving Crime Victims With Disabilities: Meet Us Where We Are. Video 

and discussion guide. Washington DC: U.S. Department of Justice. 

Steinberg, Mary A., and Judith R. Hylton. 1998. 

Responding to Maltreatment of Children With Disabilities: A Trainer’s Guide. Rockville, MD: National 

Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information, U.S. Department of Health and Human 

Services. 

Tyiska, Cheryl Guidry. 1998. Working with Victims of 

Crime with Disabilities. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime. 

U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Medline Plus: Developmental 

Disabilities 

Web site: www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/


developmentaldisabilities.html


51 
Victims of Hate and Bias Crimes 

American-Arab Anti Discrimination Committee 

Web site: www.adc.org 

Anti-Defamation League


Web site: www.adl.org


Bureau of Justice Assistance. 1997. A Policymaker’s 

Guide to Hate Crime. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice. 

National Gay and Lesbian Task Force


Web site: www.thetaskforce.org


Resources for Responding to Hate Crimes 

Web site: www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/help/ 

hbcfts.htm 

Victims of Financial Crimes 

Federal Trade Commission. 2003. ID Theft: When 

Bad Things Happen to Your Good Name. Washington, 

DC. 

Web site: www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/ 

idtheft.htm 

Identity Theft National Resource, Federal Trade 

Commission 

Web site: www.consumer.gov/idtheft 

Identity Theft Prevention and Survival


Web site: www.identitytheft.org


Identity Theft Resource Center


Web site: www.idtheftcenter.org


52 
Internet Fraud Complaint Center, Federal Bureau 

of Investigation and National White Collar Crime 

Center 

Web site: www.ifccfbi.gov 

Johnson, Kelly Dedel. 2003. Financial Crimes 

Against the Elderly. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented 

Policing Services. 

Web site: www.cops.usdoj.gov/mime/open.pdf? 

Item=963 

National Fraud Information Center, National Consumers League 

Web site: www.fraud.org 

National White Collar Crime Center 

Web site: www.nw3c.org 

Office for Victims of Crime. 1998. Victims of Crime: 

Beyond Economic Loss. Video. Washington, DC: U.S. 

Department of Justice. 

Office for Victims of Crime. 2001. Telemarketing 

Fraud Prevention, Public Awareness, and Training Activities. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice. 

Office for Victims of Crime. 2003. F.A.S.T.: Financial 

Abuse Specialist Team. Video. Washington, DC: U.S. 

Department of Justice. 

Ventura County, California, District Attorney, 

Senior Crime Prevention Program 

Web site: www.ventura.org/vcda/ 

senior_crime.htm 

53 
For copies of this document, video, and/or additional 

information, please contact 

OVC Resource Center 

P.O. Box 6000 

Rockville, MD 20849–6000 

Telephone: 1–800–851–3420 or 301–519–5500 

(TTY 1–877–712–9279) 

www.ncjrs.org 

Or order OVC publications online at http://puborder.ncjrs.org. 

E-mail questions to Ask OVC at http://ovc.ncjrs.org/askovc. 

Send your feedback on this service via http://tellncjrs.ncjrs.org. 

Refer to publication number NCJ 195656. 

For information on training and technical 

assistance available from OVC, please contact 

OVC Training and Technical Assistance Center 

10530 Rosehaven Street, Suite 400 

Fairfax, VA 22030 

Telephone: 1–866–OVC–TTAC (1–866–682–8822) 

(TTY 1–866–682–8880) 

www.ovcttac.org 
*NCJ~195656*