Because people recover in different ways and have different needs, community action is not necessarily appropriate for all crime victims. The individual s personality and history of victimization may play a role in determining whether community involvement will be helpful to recovery, while the availability of emotional and financial supports may be a factor in determining whether the victim has the time and energy to spend on community issues. Some victims of crime, though able to lead normal lives, may never feel prepared to deal with the pain of others or the frustrations of advocacy efforts. In the absence of clear criteria for when activism is likely to benefit a traumatized individual, a victim s own interest and desire to participate should be the determining factor. Rather than prescribing activism as a necessary part of the recovery process, professionals can provide people with opportunities for action, and support those who choose to get involved.
Timing is also an important consideration in community involvement.
Advocating for legislative reform or helping others before coming to terms with their own trauma may impede some victims recovery. Lebowitz, Harvey and Herman note that what they call the third stage of trauma recovery reconnecting with others should not be attempted until the earlier steps of achieving a sense of safety and exploring and integrating the traumatic event have been achieved. 33 Unless they have reached this stage, victims may be unable to cope with other people s trauma on top of their own. Listening to others crime stories may exacerbate fears and bring back disturbing, even overwhelming, memories of their own experiences, thereby retraumatizing them. This suggests that victims who invest themselves in advocacy efforts too soon may be taking on more than they are ready to handle.