There are many effects of crime on victims. Some crimes impact victims more than others. For example, the victimization as a result of property crime is usually very different from that suffered by those adversely affected by a violent crime. In particular, rape often affects victims more harshly, not only because of the violence of the crime itself, but also because it can sometimes be a tough crime to prove in a criminal trial. And it is not uncommon for the defendant to try to blame the victim for the rape.

Part 1

What kinds of perspectives (professional or otherwise) might be needed in order to appreciate fully what a victim of crime has suffered? How can reflecting on these viewpoints affect the victim? Can they affect the community, or maybe even the perpetrator, too?

Part 2

Use Nexis Uni to find one legal resource and one non-legal resource that expands upon what we are learning in Part 1. Tell us about them.

How did conducting research help you to expand what you (yourself individually and the class as a whole) may have already known about victim advocacy? Did you learn any new research techniques or resources to help you learn more about victim advocacy, or to explore within any other allied field (e.g., criminology, sociology, psychology, healthcare, etc.)?

Part 3

Now consider the following as you apply what you have learned:

A 19-year-old girl, Mary, accused her ex-boyfriend of raping her in a drunken rage. She filed a police report. The prosecutor believes her story but told her that there is not enough evidence to take the case to court. The prosecutor does not think it would be possible for a jury to find him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Mary was referred to you, the local victim advocate. In order to try to help her and give her some options, what perspectives do you need to know about Mary's situation? For those of which Mary may not know or be aware, where do you think that you should start looking for information? Why?