Victim Advocacy -- National Center for Victims of Crime
The National Center for Victims of Crime is one of the most respected, most influential national organizations that offer information, services, advocacy and references for victims of crime. This paper covers many of the services that they provide and delves into the ways in which victims can recover from the trauma of having been a victim of a crime. Moreover, this paper goes deeper into the victim issue by referencing the shocking increases recently reported regarding crimes against women -- and the reticence of some elected officials to pass legislation that provides harsh measures against those who attack, rape, and otherwise victimize women.
Why is there a need for victim advocacy groups?
Throughout history there have always been crimes and criminals at one level or another; no data is available to note how far back unkind and vicious acts have been committed against innocent individuals, but it is a given that wrongful behaviors have been part of even the earliest societies -- dating back before recorded history.
But today there are facts, there are data bases, and there is a plethora of evidence that criminals are active and searching for draconian acts to commit against others, notably women. To wit, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) reports that recently there have been "…huge increases in the incidences of domestic violence, rape, and sexual assault…" in the United States (HRW).
The crimes against women included an "…alarmingly high rate of sexual violence," HRW reports. And while "…domestic violence is often a hidden crime," the rise in the incidences of domestic violence indicates that more victims are coming forward and asking for help (HRW). This is a perfect example of why organizations like the NCVC are vitally important, because while law enforcement and government agencies do what they can to respond to violence in the home, private, nonprofit groups like NCVC are there to fill in the gaps and to provide additional services beyond the reach of traditional police and government services.
Why do so many crimes go unreported?
The Bureau of Justice Statistics reported (in 2012) that about 52% of all violent crimes are not reported each year. In other words, about 3.38 million incidents in which there is a victim (or victims) are not reported to police; of those 3.38 million criminal acts an estimated 211,000 were sexual assaults and aggravated assaults (allgov.com). Why do so many crimes go unreported? Clearly, there are personal issues and situations involved in this dynamic, but when victims are asked why they did not report a criminal act against them, they often say they did not believe law enforcement could help them, and some believed they would get bogged down in a bureaucracy and that would make them feel helpless (allgov.com).
The fact that so many people either do not trust the criminal justice system or believe that the system won't (or can't) help them leads to the logical conclusion: there is a pivotal need for organizations like the National Center for Victims of Crime. The best arguments for the existence of the NCVC is two-fold: there is a need for advocacy and support for victims; and two, many citizens do not turn to law enforcement for the reasons mentioned above. In other words there is a gap that needs to be filled, and the NCVC is one well-respected organization that strives to fill that gap in services.
National Center for Victims of Crime
The Nation Center for Victims of Crime (NCVC) is not the only nationally-recognized victim assistance and advocacy group, but it is well-known and provides an astonishingly wide range of services for crimes that vary from real-world stalking to online harassment of teens. The NCVC holds conferences and uses what it calls a "multidisciplinary approach" to sharing practices that have promise for other organizations; it uses conferences as a forum for those in the criminal justice field, for victim service organizations, and for policymakers. In other words, the NCVC wishes to be known as not just a place where a crime victim can obtain information and referrals.
Rather, it actually wishes to be recognized as an organization fully engaged in DNA issues; it offers training, technical assistance, and conducts forums within its "DNA Resource Center" -- to provide support for law enforcement and criminal justice professionals when it comes to rape and other crimes specific to women. The NCVC also has a "Stalking Resource Center," which again provides technical assistance and training for professionals in law...
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