NCJ Number
184844
Date Published
1998
Length
223 pages
Annotation
Incorporating both the practical experiences and theoretical knowledge of the authors, this book examines the interaction of the crime victim with the criminal justice system.
Abstract
The first two chapters provide the foundation for understanding the crime victim's position and issues with the justice system, as one chapter presents an overview of the historical treatment of crime victims by the justice system, and the second chapter presents information on the measurement of crime victimization. Three chapters examine the experiences of the crime victim in the criminal justice system (police, courts, and corrections). Another three chapters address special classes of victims. The chapter on women as victims focuses on domestic violence and sexual harassment. The two other chapters provide overviews of the child victim and elderly victims. Two other chapters discuss specific crimes, namely, sexual assault and its consequences and hate crimes against particular populations. The concluding two chapters consider crime prevention issues and victim service programs in various countries. The chapter on foreign victim programs includes those in New Zealand, Canada, Great Britain, and the Netherlands. The book concludes with an analysis and prediction of what lies in the future for the crime victim's movement into the next millennium. Legislative initiatives, victim services, and criminal justice policy issues are explored. Chapter references, an appended list of national crime victim's assistance organizations, and a subject index