"Baselines for Victim Assistance." Security Management 43, no. 3(March 1999): p. 18.Notes: Also available full-text on HWWilsonwebAbstract: The National Criminal Justice Association (NCJA) convened a focus group of campus administrators, law enforcement personnel, and others to help identify the essential elements of services programs for victims of campus crime. Among other essential components, the focus group agreed that a victims' services program "should be administered on a high enough level that it has credibility on campus," according to NCJA executive director Cabell Cropper. The group, which looked at a number of university programs developed to help students deal with campus crime, also concluded that partnerships between on-campus medical services and security and their off-campus counterparts are necessary. A report of the findings will be available at http://www.securitymanagement.com when released.

"National Organization for Victim Assistance." [http://www.try-nova.org]. Abstract: Website of the National Organization for Victim Assistance, a private, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization of victim and witness assistance programs and practitioners, criminal justice agencies and professionals, mental health professionals, researchers, former victims and survivors, and others committed to the recognition and implementation of victim rights and services. Founded in 1975, NOVA is the oldest national group of its kind in the worldwide victims' movement. Its mission is to promote rights and services for victims of crime and crisis everywhere.

Allread, Walter. "Police Help Themselves By Helping Victims." Law and Order 47, no. 9(September 1999): pp. 83-88.Abstract: While victim advocacy is relatively new to many law enforcement agencies, some police departments are already familiar with the work. A total of 32 states have victim rights amendments in their constitutions, and police officers throughout the United States are realizing the benefits of victim advocacy work. In fact, the national Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies has added a special chapter on victim witness assistance in its Standards for Law Enforcement. This article discusses the benefits of victim advocacy to law enforcement in South Carolina.

Beatty, David, et al. New Directions From the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime, 1998.Call Number: J 1.2:D 62/2Notes: Also available full-text on the Internet at http://www.ojp.gov/ovcAbstract: This volume presents a comprehensive plan on how the US criminal justice and juvenile justice systems should respond to crime victims, highlights the progress made since the 1982 President's Task Force on Victims of Crime, and identifies innovative public policy initiatives and community partnerships that are revolutionizing the treatment of crime victims. Chapters, which are also available individually as Bulletins, include Victims Rights, Law Enforcement, Prosecution, Judiciary, Corrections, the Victim Assistance Community, the Health Care Community, the Mental Health Community, the Legal Community, the Educational Community, the Faith Community, the Business Community, the News Media Community, Crime Victim Compensation, Restitution, Civil Remedies, Child Victims, and International Pespectives in Victim Services.

This bibliography is a representative selection of materials either owned or on order by the FBI Academy Library. Inclusion of an item does not represent an endorsement by the FBI of the material or its author.

California Public Interest Research Group. "Nowhere to Turn: Victims Speak Out on Identity Theft." May 2000. [http://www.pirg.org/calpirg/consumer/privacy/idtheft2000/]. Abstract: Identity theft is a growing crisis in the United States. As the crime becomes more visible, stories of victims' complex experiences permeate the media. Identity theft occurs when someone invades your life, taking pieces of your personal identifying information as his or her own, and ruins your financial reputation. In addition, victims of this crime face extreme difficulties attempting to clear the damaged credit, or even criminal record, caused by the thief. The California Public Interest Research Group and the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse have been helping victims of identity theft through advocacy, free guides, hotlines, and monthly support group meetings. But so far there have been little in-depth data collected on the specific problems that victims face or on the specific gaps in law enforcement efforts and credit industry practices that make cleaning up a stolen identity such a time-consuming and seemingly impossible task. This report summarizes findings of a detailed survey of identity theft complainants and key findings illustrate the obstacles victims face when trying to resolve their identity theft cases.

Connelly, Helen. Children Exposed to Violence: Criminal Justice Resources. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime, 1999.Call Number: *In catalogingAbstract: Of the 22.3 million children between ages 12 and 17, at some time in their life about 1.8 million have been the victim of a serious sexual assault, 3.9 million have been the victim of a serious physical assault, and almost 9 million have witnessed serious violence. Child protective services agencies substantiated just under 1 million cases of child abuse in 1997. In addition, 2,200 children are reported missing to police agencies every day. These children can experience numerous subsequent problems, and contact with the criminal justice system often poses further trauma. This report provides an overview of issues related to children who are victims or witnesses of violence and describes private-sector and public-sector resources to help improve the response of the criminal and juvenile justice systems and other agencies to child victims and witnesses of violence.

Dross, Peter. Survivors of Politically Motivated Torture: A Large, Growing, and Invisible Population of Crime Victims. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime, 2000.Call Number: J 34.2:SU 7Notes: Also available full-text on the Internet at http://www.ncjrs.org (Abstract Database)Abstract: Politically motivated torture is practiced or condoned in more than 100 nations around the world. An estimated 400,000 torture survivors live in the United States today. The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) sponsored a meeting in October 1998 for nearly 300 health care and human service professionals to learn about providing care and rehabilitative services to survivors of politically motivated torture. This report summarizes issues raised at the meeting, including the aftereffects of torture on survivors and their families; how treatment centers intervene to help victims deal with the physical and psychological aftermath of victimization; and, most important, how treatment centers collaborate with and provide training to victim assistance personnel and allied professionals.

Evans, Donald G. "Training Enhances Victim Services." Corrections Today 60, no. 1(February 1998): p. 68.Abstract: The concept of restorative justice has been emerging in response to the increasing recognition of crime victims' rights. Such change in attitude and approach is evident in the more than 3,000 state and Federal laws which provide victims with basic rights and services. Programs where the victims' needs are addressed by the offenders and the justice system have also been initiated, such as the Office for Victims of Crime and American Probation and Parole Association's "Victim Assistance in Community Corrections," a seminar for community corrections personnel to provide better services for victims.

Executive Office for US Attorneys. Victim and Witness Rights: United States Attorneys' Responsibilities. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, 1998.Call Number: J 31.2:V 66Abstract: This handbook is intended to be a desk reference regarding the laws and rules applicable to crime victims and witnesses. It is directed to victim-witness coordinators and advocates, Assistant United States Attorneys, and other United States Attorneys' office professionals who work with victims and witnesses.

________. "Victims' Rights." United States Attorneys' USA Bulletin 47, no. 1(January 1999).Notes: Available through Interlibrary LoanAbstract: These 18 articles examine policy and practice issues related to victims' rights and witness assistance, with emphasis on the role of prosecutors. Individual articles focus on what prosecutors need to know about victims' rights, the Attorney General's guidelines for victim and witness assistance, and the roles and responsibilities of victim-witness coordinators. Additional articles focus on the Mandatory Victims Restitution Act that took effect in April 1996, the Emergency Witness Assistance Program, the Crime Victims Fund, and the Drug Victim Initiative to empower communities to address drugs. Further papers focus on assistance to victims of financial crimes, bank robberies, and domestic violence and work with traumatized victims. Further papers focus on the enforcement of the Federal domestic violence laws, expert testimony in domestic violence prosecutions, and name changes and related options for victims of domestic violence. Other papers discuss work-related stress in a United States Attorney's office, a cooperative response to juvenile sex offenders in tribal communities, and the Bureau of Prisons' victim-witness notification program.

Goven, Patricia. "Law Enforcement Takes Action for Victims: IACP Summit Recommendations Released." The Police Chief 67, no. 6(June 2000): p 14(8).Abstract: The IACP's latest report What Do Victims Want? Effective Strategies to Achieve Justice for Victims of Crime details the results of the IACP's 1999 Summit on Victims of Crime held September 30-October 1, 1999, in Alexandria, Virginia. The conference brought together leaders in the fields of law enforcement, victim advocacy, justice, corrections, probation and parole, and the academic community with the objective of fashioning an action-oriented victim services agenda for the 21st century. The final summit report presents over seventy recommendations aimed at uniting law enforcement, the justice system and the community in a combined effort to improve victim services nationwide. This article provides an overview of the summit report.

Healey, Kerry Murphy. Victim and Witness Intimidation: New Developments and Emerging Responses. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, 1995.Call Number: J 28.15/2-2:W 78Abstract: Prosecutors in some jurisdictions report an increase in victim and witness intimidation; some prosecutors have estimated intimidation as a factor in 75 to 100 percent of the violent crimes committed in some gang-dominated neighborhoods. This report summarizes recent developments in gang- and drug-related intimidation of victims and witnesses, current responses to the problem by police and prosecutors, and emerging models and strategies for its prevention and suppression.

Loconte, Joe. "Making Criminals Pay." Policy Review , no. 87(January/February 1998): pp. 26-31.Notes: Available full-text on HWWilsonwebAbstract: Genesee County in New York operates a felony diversion program as part of an unorthodox crime strategy that aims to repair the harm done to victims and their families. The Genesee Justice program is run from the sheriff's office in Batavia and brings together county judges, prosectors, and law enforcement officials to design a punishment that will make offenders personally responsible for their misdeeds to the victims and communities. The emphasis is on compensation and community-based service rather than jail sentences, and Genesee offers thorough victim assistance and involvement in virtually all stages of the judicial process. The history of the program is discussed, and a sidebar lists a number of groups that are redefining justice.

London, R. G. So You're A Victim-Witness Coordinator...Now What? Glynco, GA: Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, 1997.Call Number: *In catalogingAbstract: This paper describes the role of the Victim-Witness Coordinator within a Federal law enforcement agency, discusses the advantages of such a program, proposes stategies for implementation, and identifies sources of information and referral.

Metts, James R. "Victim Assistance in Lexington County: Providing the Best Services Possible." Sheriff (September-October 1998): pp. 10-11. Abstract: Any veteran law officer has witnessed the scene. A family argument that has turned tragic. It may have started over money matters, infidelity, or maybe over a drinking problem. No matter what the cause, a family has just been changed by a domestic homicide and there in the midst of crime scene investigators, patrol officers, detectives, and the coroner, stands a child in confusion wondering, "What will happen to me? Are these people going to hurt me? Where is daddy going? Where is my mommy?" With all the officers searching for clues, there is often one officer missing--an officer whose only focus is to provide compassionate and professional services to the victim. This article discusses the Lexington County, South Carolina, Sheriff's Office Victim Assistance Program and why such a program is critical to the needs of victims.

Moschner, Patty. "Laying the Groundwork for a Victim Assistance Program: Advice and Recommendations." Sheriff (September-October 1998): p. 13.Abstract: Victim assistance in law enforcement has grown tremendously over the last decade. Sheriffs' offices have been very instrumental in setting the standard for victim services by establishing victim assistance programs. The Sheriff of Douglas County, Colorado, realized the importance of providing assistance to victims and in the 1980's, enlisted the help of several non-commissioned employees to assist officers with victims who had been traumatized by violent crime. The immediate benefits included greater victim cooperation in the investigation, more officer time available for investigation rather than victim care-taking, easier victim transition to the court system, and positive community appreciation and support. This article offers recommendations to other sheriffs' offices beginning victim assistance programs.

National Center for Victims of Crime. "National Center for Victims of Crime: Who We Are." [http://www.ncvc.org/main/main.htm]. Abstract: Website of the National Center for Victims of Crime (formerly the National Victim Center), a non-profit organization founded in 1985 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. The National Center is the nation's most effective resource and advocacy center for victims of crime. Its mission is to forge a national commitment to help victims of crime rebuild their lives. The Center is dedicated to serving individuals, families and communities harmed by crime. Through collaboration with local, state and Federal partners, the Center provides direct services and resources, advocates laws and public policies that create resources and secures rights and protection for victims, delivers training and technical assistance to victim service providers and allied professionals, and fosters cutting edge thinking about the impact of crime and the ways in which we can all help victims regain control of their lives.

Office for Victims of Crime. Breaking the Cycle of Violence: Recommendations to Improve the Criminal Justice Response to Child Victims and Witnesses. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, 1999.Call Number: *In catalogingAbstract: Children represent one-fourth of crime victims. They experience abuse from parents and caretakers, are victimized by strangers, and are exposed to violence when they witness crimes in their homes and neighborhoods. Effective, age-appropriate interactions and practices adapted to the child can reduce the trauma that child victims and child witnesses experience and minimize their long-term physical, emotional and social problems. This monograph describes the best practices and programs that focus on the most effective response to juvenile victims and juvenile witnesses by all those who work in the criminal justice system, beginning at the crime scene and continuing through the prosecution.

Office for Victims of Crime. OVC Training Resource Guide. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, 2000.Call Number: *In cataloging Notes: Also available on the Internet at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/new/pubs.htmAbstract: The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) established the Training and Technical Assistance Center (TTAC) in 1998 to support activities related to OVC's mission and goals. TTAC provides victim service professionals a central access point for a range of crime victim resources, including speakers for presentations that heighten awareness of issues related to victims of crime; technical assistance for new and expanding programs, provided by experts in the crime victim field; a mentoring program to further the skills, knowledge, and abilities of Victims of Crime Act of 1984 (VOCA) administrators and their staff through peer consultation; and training based on curricula developed through the OVC discretionary grant program. OVC is initiating a national training program that will bring professional training to locations across the country on a regular basis. This catalogue provides descriptions and schedules of the first in a series of such training sessions.

________. Through My Eyes. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, 9 minutes, 1999.Call Number: HV 6250.4 .C48T47 1999 A/VAbstract: This video, the first in a five-part series on children exposed to violence, displays the artwork and writings of children who have experienced violence in their homes and on the streets, accompanied by their comments on how the violence has affected them, as well as commentary by experts in child development and mental health services. Critical steps which lead to recovery from the devastating impact of exposure to violence as a child are also discussed.

________. "Welcome to the Office for Victims of Crime." April 1, 1997. [http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/welcovc/]. Abstract: Homepage of the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) established by the 1984 Victims of Crime Act to oversee diverse programs that benefit victims of crime. OVC provides substantial funding to state victim assistance and compensation programs--the lifeline services that help victims to heal. The agency also supports training designed to educate criminal justice and allied professionals regarding the rights and needs of crime victims. OVC is one of five bureaus and four offices, with grant-making authority, within the Office of Justice Programs, US Department of Justice. Click on "Information Resources" to access a sizeable collection of full-text documents available electronically. Also available on this website is the "Resource Center" which is a primary source of crime victim information. Whether you are drafting policies on domestic violence, searching for up-to-date research on child abuse, investigating a story on date rape, or seeking statistics on the extent and nature of victimization in the United States, you can turn to the OVC Resource Center. Highly trained information specialists answer you questions by utilizing national and regional victimization statistics, a comprehensive collection of research findings, and the Center's well-established network of victim advocates and organizations.

Office of the Attorney General. Attorney General Guidelines for Victim and Witness Assistance. Rockville, MD: US Department of Justice, 2000.Notes: J 1.8/2:V 66/2/2000Abstract: The purpose of this document is to establish guidelines to be followed by officers and employees of Department of Justice investigative, prosecutorial, and correctional agencies in the treatment of victims of and witnesses to crime.

Participants of the 1999 IACP Summit on Victims of Crime. What Do Victims Want? Effective Strategies to Achieve Justice for Victims of Crime. Arlington, VA: International Association of Chiefs of Police, 2000.Notes: Available full-text on the Internet at http://www.theiacp.org/pubinfo/Research/index.htmlAbstract: The final report of the 1999 International Association of Chiefs of Police Summit on Victims of Crime, held September 30-October 1, 1999, which provides a comprehensive 21st century victims' agenda. Laying the groundwork to uphold victims rights, the report presents a spectrum of strategies designed to assist law enforcement, the justice system and communities collectively in investing resources to promote victim rights and satisfy their needs more effectively.

Police Executive Research Forum. Providing Services to Victims of Fraud: Resources for Victim/Witness Coordinators. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, Officer for Victims of Crime, 1998.Call Number: J 34.2:V 66/2Abstract: This manual presents effective program service strategies, suggestions to enhance services by Federal personnel who work with fraud victims, and referrals to outside agencies and programs that provide fraud victims with services or information. Individual sections explain the types, victims, perpetrators, costs, and emotional consequences of fraud and the role of victim-witness coordinators in providing criminal justice-based services to fraud victims. Additional sections explain services for fraud victims, including emotional support and referrals, restitution, asset forfeiture, civil actions and reparation boards and administrative action review committees. Other sections focus on support services to address credit problems and prevent revictimization, the management of cases involving mass victims, and networking for effective service delivery.

Rosenthal, Rick. "Victims, Witnesses and the Media." Law and Order 48, no. 3(March 2000): pp. 21-22.Abstract: The Fairfax County, Virginia, Police Department has developed a media relations advisory card for crime victims and witnesses that offers advice on how to deal with the media. The author discusses the impact the card has had on the relationship between the department and local media and explains why he, as a journalist, has no problem with the card.

US Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime. "Federal Crime Victims Division." [http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/fcvd/]. Abstract: Website of the Federal Crime Victims Division (FCVD) which is responsible for providing advocacy, leadership, and policy development guidance to Federal agencies and Indian tribes to assist them in developing direct services for victims of Federal crime. This responsibility includes providing training and technical assistance in order to effect systemic change by building coordinated, multi-agency, victim-centered service programs. The FCVD also coordinates services with other elements of the Federal Government, such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Immigration and Naturalization Service, Executive Office for United States Attorneys, Department of Treasury agencies, Department of State, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the Department of Defense and the military services, the Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and other Federal agencies with criminal justice responsibilities. The staff assists the OVC Director in monitoring agency compliance with these victims' issues contained in Federal Statutes and the accompanying Attorney General Guidelines for Victim and Witness Assistance. Additional responsibilities of the division are outlined on the website.

Victim Services. From Pain to Power: Crime Victims Take Action. Rockville, MD: US Department of Justice, 1998.Call Number: J 34.2:P 16Notes: Also available full-text on the Internet at http://www.ncjrs.org (Abstract Database)Abstract: This monograph chronicles ways in which many crime victims are channeling their pain into helping others, improving their communities, and healing themselves at the same time. It describes opportunities for victims who want to become active in their communities and recommends ways for victim service programs to involve victims in community service. This monograph is part of the larger document entitled New Directions From the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century.

Woods, Timothy O. National Sheriff's Association. First Response to Victims of Crime. Rockville, MD: US Department of Justice, 2000.Call Number: J 34.8:V 66Notes: Also available full-text on the Internet at http://www.ncjrs.org (Abstract Database)Abstract: This handbook helps law enforcement officers to better understand and meet the needs of crime victims, particularly during the first contact. The first section of the handbook provides basic guidelines for an officer's first contact with a crime victim. Tips are provided for responding to victims' three major needs: to feel safe, to express their emotions, and the need to know "what comes next" after their victimization. These basic guidelines for meeting crime victims' needs are followed by specific guidelines for interacting with various types of victims: elderly victims, victims of sexual assault, child victims, victims of domestic violence, and family members of homicide victims. The handbook also contains a list of national victim resources, including hotlines and other toll-free numbers, which can help victims cope with and recover from their victimization.

Compiled by Jean Caddy, 9/00