Recovering From Your Crime-Related Injuries (Spanish Subtitles)

• NCJ Number: 215732
• Author(s): Connie L. Best
• Date Published: April 2007
• Length: 0 pages
• Publication Series: OVC Videos
• Grant Number(s): 1998-VF-GX-0006
• Agencies: OVC
• Publication Type: Instructional Material

Annotation

Using dramatization, verbal commentary, and graphics, this video provides information to seriously injured crime victims about the services and benefits available to them, their rights as crime victims, how to cope with feelings created by their victimization, and their involvement in the criminal justice processing of their case.

Abstract

The video dramatizes the medical care an injured crime victim might require. Advice is offered on how to benefit most from medical services, such as asking questions of health-care providers, keeping appointments, and committing to the treatment plan. Regarding the cost of medical care, victims are informed about crime victim compensation programs that cover uninsured medical costs, mental health counseling, and lost wages. Troublesome feelings and behaviors often related to a serious victimization are also addressed. These may include fear accompanied by problematic physical symptoms, flashbacks, nightmares, and anxiety about future threats to safety. Advice on coping with these feelings and experiences includes receiving counseling that helps in identifying the nature and source of problematic feelings and behaviors, the development of constructive coping mechanisms, and the avoidance of the use of drugs and alcohol as a means of avoiding facing and managing stress. Some practical suggestions for how to behave constructively after victimization are to keep busy, go back to work if physically possible, and plan and follow daily activities. The video concludes with dramatizations and information on the importance of becoming involved in and claiming one's rights as a victim within criminal justice processing. These include the victim's right to notification about important decisions and procedures in his/her case and the right to express to the court in oral or written form how the crime has impacted one's life. The various stages of criminal justice processing are described.