NCJ Number
211454
Date Published
February 2006
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This discussion guide accompanies the video New Directions from the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century, part of the Victims of Crime: A Social Work Response project designed by the Texas chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) to enhance the response of professional social workers to adult victims of violent crimes.
Abstract
The video, which is appropriate for both undergraduate and graduate social work courses, presents information on the current state of the crime victim assistance field in three main areas: (1) the rights of crime victims; (2) access to services: and (3) continuing education and training. This guide presents an introduction to the video that describes the history of the victim assistance field. For each of the video's three segments, the guide presents an approximate script of the video, related questions, and suggestions for followup assignments. Segment 1 focuses on implementing victims' rights and includes questions that direct students to consider what services victims need following a crime and how social workers can help clients heal from the trauma of victimization. Segment 2 focuses on providing access to services and presents questions that direct students to consider why society may blame the victim and how access to victim services can be improved for certain populations, such as persons of color or for those who live in remote locations. Segment 3 focuses on continuing education and training and includes questions directing students to think about how working in the crime victim assistance field may impact social workers and whether there is a role for social workers in the victim assistance field. Resources are offered for more information about the victim assistance field. Annotated bibliography