NCJ Number
251959
Date Published
August 2018
Length
2 pages
Annotation
This report discusses one of the four major issue areas of Vision 21, which was established in 2013 as the first comprehensive examination of the crime victims field in 15 years.
Abstract
Vision 21 projects engage a broad spectrum of service providers, advocates, criminal justice professionals, allied practitioners, and policymakers to address crime victim issues. Major issue areas being addressed by Vision 21 are 1) to conduct continuous rather than episodic strategic planning; 2) support research on victims and victimization; 3) ensure statutory, policy, and programmatic flexibility to address enduring and emerging crime victim issues; and 4) build and institutionalize capacity. The current report discusses the implementation of the second issue area, which is to support research on victims and victimization. In addressing this issue the U.S. Justice Department's Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) has funded a number of research and evaluation initiatives to fill data gaps and inform program development to better serve crime victims. OVC supports building a body of evidence-based knowledge to generate, collect, and analyze quantitative and qualitative data on victimization, emerging victimization trends, services and behaviors, and enforcement efforts. The Center for Victim Research (CVR) was created to facilitate addressing the need for more victim-related statistics, evidence-based practices, and program evaluation. CVR is a one-stop shop where victim service providers, policymakers, and researchers can connect and share their knowledge. This is an effort to increase access to victim research and data, as well as to increase the utility of research and data collection that will improve the accessibility and effectiveness of crime victim services nationwide. CVR's online content is outlined in this report, along with its other activities and services.