Victim Support As Crime Prevention

Victim support as crime prevention

Abstract: Since the 1980s victim support services have approached victimization as a random act and have largely ignored research on multiple victimization. Victims already often blamed themselves and, therefore, victim support services tended to avoid any suggestion that the victim was an actor in the crime. However, the research on multiple victimization, and more recently poly-victimization, shows that individuals who have been victimized in the past are at risk of being re-victimized in the future. This article, examines why previous victimization puts individuals at risk of re-victimization and considers the importance of timely support as a means to empower victims and reduce their risk of future victimization.