NCJ Number
126592
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 57 Issue: 10 Dated: (October 1990) Pages: 106,108-109,110
Date Published
1990
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and police interaction with victims of and witnesses to violence are discussed and various intervention techniques are presented.
Abstract
Police officers are often the first contact for victims following a traumatic encounter and the importance of that police/victim interaction cannot be underestimated. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a reaction to a violent event that evokes intense fear, terror, and helplessness; and the police officer needs to be familiar to the typical behavior which can be displayed by a person suffering this disorder. The outcome of effective police/victim interviewing can have a positive dual effect, aiding police in retrieving pertinent evidence and factual data relevant to the case, while protecting the immediate and potential future mental well-being of the victim. Eleven victim/witness intervention techniques are discussed; and a table listing the sequence of behaviors for various traumatic events, including three criminal activities, is presented. Three victim/witness interview techniques are discussed as well as a brief discussion of the two generally accepted principles of memory. 1 table and 2 references