NCJ Number
167371
Date Published
1997
Length
17 pages
Annotation
The victims' rights movement is examined with respect to its origins, its accomplishments, and probable future developments.
Abstract
Five virtually independent activities produced the victims' movement. These were the introduction of State victim compensation programs, the development of an area of study known as victimology, the women's movement, a crime wave and a parallel increase in public dissatisfaction with the criminal justice system, and the increase in victim activism. The formation of the National Organization for Victim Assistance in 1975 helped consolidate the purposes and goals of the victims' movement. Funding from the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration (LEAA) in the late 1970's gave communities the support they needed to replicate pioneering programs and translate knowledge and practice into educational materials. The abolition of LEAA by Congress in 1980 provided a strong reminder of the fragility of the movement's gains in the 1970's. However, the influence of the new organizations, victim activist groups, and public awareness produced progress in three areas: public policy, program implementation, and public awareness. In 1995, victim assistance operates in three areas: theory and research, program and professional development, and public policy. Victim services will probably become fully integrated into the criminal justice system and will be influenced by changes in many areas, including demographics, economics, technology, communication, health and health care, the environment, ethics, religion crime, transnationalism, and the justice system. 26 references