Victim Impact "Listen and Learn" Videotape Discussion Guide

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Arson/Homicide
Assault
Burglary
Child Abuse
Victim With a Disability
Domestic Violence
Drunk Driving
Gang Violence/Homicide
Hate Violence
Homicide
Homicide
Incest/Child Sexual and Physical Abuse and Neglect
Rape/Sexual Assault
Robbery

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Arson/Homicide

Peggy is a survivor of the murder of her son Joey, who was killed in an arson crime.

"I don't understand what he was thinking of, but his stupid act has
ruined lives of people he didn't even know existed."

1. What was the emotional impact of her son Joey’s murder on Peggy?

• It was extremely difficult for her to understand how Joey’s murderer’s intended victim survived, and her son was senselessly murdered.


• She is very angry because she is a law-abiding citizen, and her son was an upstanding young man, and they didn’t deserve to endure this horrible experience.


• She feels like “we’ve been punished the rest of our lives because of someone we didn’t even know.”


• She is very sad because she knows the painful circumstances of Joey’s death from smoke inhalation, and that memory will stay with her for the rest of her life.


• She cries every day because she is so sad.

2. What was the “domino effect” of Joey’s murder on Peggy’s family?

• Peggy has had to sleep with her daughter after she saw her brother’s murderer at the trial.
  
• Her daughter’s victim impact statement at sentencing was “heartbreaking,” which indicates the emotional devastation she feels as a result of her brother’s murder.
  
• Peggy’s whole family feels “a sense of emptiness.”

3. How can offenders demonstrate accountability and remorse for killing someone?

They should:

Not address their victim's surviving members in court unless they are truly sorry—saying “he would pray for us” was an insult to Peggy and her family.

Serve their prison terms in accordance with the court’s sentence.

Pay restitution to cover the costs of the funeral and any counseling expenses for surviving family members.

Admit to the murder and verbalize the details of the offense for the criminal or juvenile justice system (and if the surviving family members want to know as well).

Verbalize the possible physical, emotional, spiritual and financial impact on the victim’s family, friends, co-workers and community.

Demonstrate non-violent, non-criminal behavior.

For Additional Information:

The chapter on Homicide from the National Victim Assistance Academy text, which is sponsored by the Office for Victims of Crime within the U.S. Department of Justice, can be accessed at:

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/assist/nvaa2002/chapter12.html

Excellent resources about arson and its impact on victims is available from the National Center for Victims of Crime:

http://www.ncvc.org/gethelp/arson/index.html.

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Assault

Alan is the victim of a brutal physical assault.

“I look to the future...but I really want to get back to where I was.”

 

1. What was the physical impact of the assault on Alan?

• He is physically unable to perform tasks that he was readily able to before the assault.
• He has “no knees” to speak of.
• His leg muscles and tendons are crushed.
• Although he “really liked helping people,” he no longer can.
  

2. What was the emotional impact of the assault on Alan?

• He blames himself and feels guilty because he “never even defended” himself.
• He lacks confidence in himself, and his ability to take care of himself and his friends and family.
• This happened when he was just starting to rebuild his life after many difficulties, and the assault has made it very difficult for him to continue his rebuilding efforts.
• He suffers from depression.
• He is afraid to walk from his house to his car.
• He is very angry.
• He wants “to get back to where he was” before the assault.
  

3. In general, what are some of the difficulties that victims of physical assaults face?

• Often, they endure lengthy periods of recovery from their physical injuries.
• Assaults often leave physical wounds that result in immense financial costs for medical attention.
• Injuries may leave victims unable to work, or to enjoy activities as they have in the past.
• The emotional impact can be devastating—feelings of shame, self-blame, guilt, anger, and revenge.
• While resources for victims of domestic violence/assaults and sexual assaults are readily available, there are very few resources to help victims of physical assault, such as support groups to help them cope with the emotional impact of the crime.
• As Alan describes, a physical assault can have devastating consequences that alter a victim’s entire life and ability to emotionally cope, make a living, and see a future that is positive.
  

4. How can offenders demonstrate accountability and remorse for assaulting someone?

• Admit to the assault and verbalize the details of the crime for the criminal or juvenile justice system.
• Verbalize and try to understand the possible feelings and thoughts of the victim as he or she was being assaulted.
• Verbalize the possible physical, emotional, financial and spiritual impact on the victim, the victim’s family, co-workers and the community.
• Demonstrate non-assaultive behavior.
• Realize that the assaults leave physical wounds that often result in immense financial costs for medical attention.
• Realize that physical assaults, as in Alan’s case, can result in catastrophic injuries that leave their victims unable to work or enjoy activities as they have in the past.
• Pay restitution to cover the victims’ financial costs resulting from the crime.

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Burglary

Leanna and her family were the victims of a home burglary.

“They are there for 20 minutes to wreck your life...
and your sense of security.”

1. What were some of the financial losses that Leanna and her family incurred as a result of this burglary?

• Cleaning up the crime scene.
• The loss of time it took to report the crime and deal with the police.
• Replacing the door that was kicked in.
• Replacing televisions sets.
• Replacing the camcorder.
• The cost of purchasing a new security system.

2. How did this burglary affect Leanna and her family?

• The loss of the videotape of her newborn son had a devastating emotional impact that made her upset and angry—it was something that could not be replaced.
• Every day, she would be reminded of the crime when she discovered something else that was stolen.
• Loss of a sense of security in their home, where they should feel safe.
• Knowing that her children feel her lack of a sense of security, and how that might affect them.
• She felt “violated.”

3. How does Leanna think the burglars can be held accountable for their crimes?

• Return all the stolen property to her.
• Return the videotape of her newborn son.
• Pay restitution.
• Stop committing crimes.
  

4. What are other ways that burglars can be held accountable for their crimes?

• Admit to the burglary and verbalize the details of the crime for the criminal or juvenile justice system.
• Verbalize and try to understand the possible physical, emotional, spiritual and financial impact on the victim, the victim’s family, co-workers, friends and community.

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Child Abuse

Nia was the victim of child sexual abuse that was committed by her friend’s older brother when she was between the ages of five and seven.

“I realize now that it’s not about sex at all. It’s all about power.”

 

1. What was the emotional impact of child sexual abuse on Nia?

• When her mother was initially very upset when Nia disclosed her victimization, she “thought she was upset” with her.
• She was afraid that her family and friends blamed her.
• She avoided and denied her victimization for some time.
• She was “depressed for a long time.”
• She has a hard time trusting people.
• Years later, she is still angry.
  

2. What was the physical impact of child sexual abuse on Nia?

• She had problems in school, and got poor work notices from the teacher.
• All Nia could do was “sit in her room and watch television and eat.”
  

3. What was the financial impact of child sexual abuse on Nia and her mother?

• They incurred costs for counseling.
  

4. How was her mother affected by the sexual abuse of her daughter?

• She was very upset about what happened, and maybe felt guilty for not being able to prevent it.
• She was hurt, especially when Nia was afraid to disclose the name of her abuser.
• She had also been attacked when she was nine-years-old, and never told anyone, so Nia’s abuse probably brought back bad memories of her own assault.
  

For Additional Information:

The chapter on Child Victimization from the National Victim Assistance Academy text, which is sponsored by the Office for Victims of Crime within the U.S. Department of Justice, can be accessed at:

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/assist/nvaa2002/chapter11.html

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Victim With a Disability

Kimberly became a quadriplegic following a car crash. She was a victim of domestic violence by her boyfriend, and a victim of gang rape by four unknown assailants.

“...I see all of the additional stigma in our society for people with disabilities. I see how they’re being targeted for crime and abuse.”

 

1. As a person with a disability, did Kim face any specific issues as a victim of domestic violence?

• Just when she had just begun to “build back some self-esteem and confidence,” her boyfriend’s (batterer’s) reference to her as “his pretty bird in a cage” was devastating.
• Her boyfriend’s efforts to control her were made easier by the fact that she was physically disabled.
• He could use extremely violent control tactics because Kim’s disability left her unable to defend herself.
• By the time her victimization was discovered, she had endured multiple physical assaults and wounds.
  

2. How did Kim’s disability affect the court process?

• She was portrayed not as a victim of crime, but rather as “a woman with a severe disability that no other man would ever want or ever love.”
• Her batterer was portrayed in a positive light, despite the evidence of the physical abuse he had inflicted upon her.
• She felt re-victimized by the justice system.
  

3. How did Kim’s disability factor into her second victimization by multiple rapists?

• Kim felt that she was “chosen because of (her) vulnerabilities with her disability.”
• She felt that she was an “easy victim” and an “easy target.”
  

4. Is there a victimization stigma related to people with disabilities?

Kim believes there definitely is:

“I see all of the additional stigma in our society for people with disabilities. I see how they’re being targeted for crime and abuse. And for me, I feel like those experiences happened to me, and I don’t want to just bury them and not do anything with those experiences.”

5. How can we work to prevent victimization of persons with disabilities, and provide supportive services to persons with disabilities who are victimized by crime?

• Build collaborative networks among victim service providers, justice professionals and disability professionals to promote greater understanding and awareness of the needs of individuals and victims with disabilities.
• Develop programs for the criminal and juvenile justice systems and victim assistance that are in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
• Educate the public about disability issues, and the potential for increased vulnerability for crime and victimization among people with disabilities.
  

For Additional Information:

The chapter on Victimization of Individuals with Disabilities from the National Victim Assistance Academy text, which is sponsored by the Office for Victims of Crime within the U.S. Department of Justice, can be accessed at:

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/assist/nvaa2002/chapter15.html

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Domestic Violence

Rebel is a victim of domestic violence perpetrated by her ex-husband.

“...I kept thinking in the back of mind that domestic violence happened to someone else....I didn’t think it would be happening to me.”

1. What was the emotional and physical impact of domestic violence on Rebel?

• She felt that her husband was constantly controlling her.
• He isolated her from her family and friends and church.
• He told her that she, and everything she did, was stupid, which made her constantly try to “fix it.”
• She had panic attacks when she went home.
• She was devastated and demoralized when he sexually abused her.
• She was very angry about what he did to her.
• She was and remains fearful.
• She is afraid to get into a relationship with any man.
• She is afraid “it’ll happen again.”

2. Domestic violence is a crime that escalates in severity and violence. What did Rebel feel was the turning point in their relationship when she knew she had to get out of it?

• He threatened to have her killed.
• He had isolated her from her family and friends, so she had nowhere to turn.

3. How did the domestic violence affect Rebel’s relationship with her family and friends?

• She was isolated from them by her batterer.
• They were very concerned about her, but felt there was not much they could do to help because she was “too involved in the relationship” to see the harm she was enduring.
• Friends and family members were uncomfortable and unsure about discussing the problem with her.
  

4. Why do you think Rebel found it hard to realize that she was a victim of domestic violence?

• Many people believe domestic violence will never happen to them.
• Most people don’t understand that domestic violence crosses all lines of socioeconomic, cultural and geographic demographics.

 

5. What can be done by service providers to hold batterers accountable for their behavior?

• Treat domestic violence as a crime, and not “just a family matter.”
• Arrest perpetrators and remove them from the scene of the crime.
• Provide batterers treatment programs that help violent offenders “unlearn” the intimate violent behaviors they are inflicting on their partners.
• Ensure that batters pay restitution and child support to their victims.
• Help victims obtain protective orders to reduce the risk of further harm, and develop plans for their safety and that of their children.
• Ensure that domestic violence victims and their children have a wide range of supportive services that help them make important decisions about their lives and their futures.
  

For Additional Information:

The chapter on Domestic Violence from the National Victim Assistance Academy text, which is sponsored by the Office for Victims of Crime within the U.S. Department of Justice, can be accessed at:

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/assist/nvaa2002/chapter9.html.

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Drunk Driving

Cindi is the victim of a drunk driving crash that left her five-month old
daughter Laura a quadriplegic (Laura died at age seven), and left
her with devastating physical injuries.

“What if somebody did this to your kid?...or it happened to your mom or your boyfriend or your girlfriend or your wife.?...Start thinking in those terms a little bit and, you know, maybe that’ll help deter you.”

 

1. What was the physical impact of this drunk driving crash on Cindi’s daughter Laura?

• Laura’s cervical section of her spinal cord was crushed and, at five-months-old, she became the nation’s youngest quadriplegic—paralyzed from the neck down.
• She suffered from chronic pneumonia.
• She suffered from bladder infections.
• She had many tracheotomies and other kinds of infections.
• She had seizures.
• She eventually died from her injuries at age seven.
  

4. How did this horrible crash and crime affect Cindi?

• She spent seven years tending to her daughter Laura around-the-clock.
• She felt hatred for the man who did this to them.
• She kept imagining “all kinds of plans on how I was gonna’ kill this guy.”
• She had much pain and sorrow when Laura was alive, as well as when she died at age seven.
  

3. Cindi went on to co-found Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), our nation’s leading organization that combats drunk driving. What has been the impact of MADD on America since 1980?

• People now realize that drunk driving is not an accident; it is a crime.
• Alcohol-related traffic deaths have decreased 36 percent since 1982.
• Many laws have been passed that: raised the minimum drinking age to 21; lower the amount of alcohol in one’s bloodstream that constitutes “intoxication;” and that make it a crime to drive drunk in a car with a child as a passenger.
• Widespread public awareness, and the slogan “Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk”, have led to more responsible drinking and extensive use of designated drivers.
• Drunk driving crash victims who participate in Victim Impact Panels for DUI offenders provide greater understanding of the devastating impact of these crimes on victims, their families, and our communities.
  

For Additional Information:

The chapter on Drunk Driving from the National Victim Assistance Academy text, which is sponsored by the Office for Victims of Crime within the U.S. Department of Justice, can be accessed at:

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/assist/nvaa2002/chapter13.html

Excellent resources about drunk driving and assistance for victims of these crimes are available from the National Office of Mothers Against Drunk Driving:

http://www.madd.org

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Gang Violence/Homicide

Teri is the survivor of the murder of her 16-year-old son Anthony by gang members.

“...The only way I identified him was by his fingernail biting...
it was hard. It was very hard to deal with that.”

 

1. What was the emotional impact of the murder of her son Anthony on Teri?

• She was fearful when her son failed to return home, and “didn’t feel comfortable” with learning about a body that had been found on television.
• It was “hard to deal with” learning about the circumstances of her son’s murder, as well as the condition in which his body was found.
• She had memory loss.
• She would “cry all the time” because she was very sad.
• She feels strongly that “it’s not fair” and that “you can’t take that pain away.”

 

2. How did the impact of Anthony’s murder affect Teri physically?

• She couldn’t go back to work for a while.
• She found it difficult to respond to people’s questions about her son’s murder.

 

3. How can gang members demonstrate accountability and remorse for harming and/or killing others?

• Understand that, as Teri says, the victim’s “family, they’re not going to go on, because their life is...forever changed.”
• Admit to the behavior and verbalize the details of the committing offense for the criminal or juvenile justice system.
• Verbalize and try to understand the possible physical, emotional, spiritual and financial impact on the victim, the victim’s family, friends, co-workers and the community.
• Demonstrate non-violent, non-criminal behavior.
• Pay restitution to cover costs associated with the crime, including funerals, any counseling for the surviving family members of the victim, etc., with or without the mandate of a court order.

 

For Additional Information:

The chapter on Victims of Gang Violence from the National Victim Assistance Academy text, which is sponsored by the Office for Victims of Crime within the U.S. Department of Justice, can be accessed at:

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/assist/nvaa2002/chapter22_3.html

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) within the U.S. Department of Justice offers excellent resources about how to identify gang involvement, and gang-related violence intervention and prevention, which can be accessed at:

http://www.ncjrs.org/programs/progsummary.asp?pi=26&ti=6&si=23&kw=&strltem

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Hate Violence

Jee Young Ahn’s brother Dong Young Ahn was the victim of a violent attack motivated by hate.

“...Just because someone speaks less English than you, just
because someone looks a little different than you...that doesn’t
give you any right to step, to kick or spit on someone’s face.”

1. What is a “hate crime” and what makes people commit crimes based upon hatred?

• A hate crime is a criminal act that is motivated in whole or part by bias, bigotry or hatred aimed at a victim, or a community of victims, due to their race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, or disability status.
• Hate crimes often threaten or harm an entire group of people—and not just the direct victim—because of an increased sense of vulnerability that “this could happen to me simply because of how I look or what I believe.”
• Hatred is learned behavior. Hate crime offenders have been taught to believe that certain other people or classes of people are of lesser value in our society. Committing a hate crime makes the offender feel more powerful and, somehow, better than the person he or she is harming.

 

2. What was the physical impact of this hate crime attack on Dong Young Ahn?

• Multiple fractures to his cheekbone and nose.
• Suffers nerve damage in his face, so he has lost much sensation in his mouth.
• Multiple bruises and cuts from the severe beating.

 

3. How did his sister Jee Young Ahn react emotionally to the attack?

• Angry at the perpetrators for ganging up on her brother and senselessly beating and kicking him.
• Offended by and angry at the police for writing up the assault as just “a gang fight.”
• Very upset about the assumptions of the perpetrators that her brother was Chinese, due only to his physical appearance (he is Korean).
• “Pain images” of her brother being assaulted.
• She is very fearful.
• Hurt by “seeing someone she loves suffer and go through pain.”

4. What could these assailants do (or have done) to be held accountable for their crimes?

• Show more respect for Jee Young Ahn when she read her victim impact statement.
• Apologize to the Ahns and accept responsibility for their violent actions.
• Admit it was not a gang fight but an attack on an innocent victim.
• Pay restitution to cover the costs of Dong Young Ahn’s many medical expenses, and for counseling for his sister and him.
• Learn about diversity and how different cultures, beliefs and perspectives help make our nation and communities a better place to live.
  

5. What are other ways that hate crime perpetrators can be held accountable for their crimes?

For Additional Information:

The chapter on Hate and Bias Crime from the National Victim Assistance Academy text, which is sponsored by the Office for Victims of Crime within the U.S. Department of Justice, can be accessed at:

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/assist/nvaa2002/chapter22_1.html

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Homicide

Myrtle is a survivor of the murder of her daughter Nanette.

“It isn’t fun being hit by a car...but then to lose a daughter
on top of that, that made it twice as bad. And I would never
like to see any other family suffer like mine did.”

 

1. When Myrtle’s daughter Nanette was murdered, what was the emotional impact of this crime?

• She was very angry because Nanette had multiple sclerosis and could not defend herself.
• She was upset because the murderer showed no remorse.
• Her family has been emotionally devastated by the loss of their daughter and sister.
• She misses her daughter very much.

2. When a victim/survivor is elderly, how might the impact of the crime be aggravated?

• Elderly people are not as strong as younger people, so the emotional impact may result in physical aggravations or ailments.
• Most elderly parents believe that they will die before the children, so the loss of a child—particularly in a violent manner—is devastating.
  

3. What could Nanette’s murderer do to be held accountable for her crime?

• Accept responsibility for her criminal actions.
• Apologize to Myrtle and her family.
• Pay restitution to cover the costs of Nanette’s funeral, and any counseling costs incurred by Myrtle or her family.
• Serve her full prison sentence.
• When she is released, live a life free from crime, and be a good mother to her son.

For Additional Information:

The chapter on Homicide from the National Victim Assistance Academy text, which is sponsored by the Office for Victims of Crime within the U.S. Department of Justice, can be accessed at:

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/assist/nvaa2002/.chapter12.html

Excellent resources about homicide and assistance for surviving family members and friends of homicide victims are available from the National Organization for Parents Of Murdered Children:

http://www.pomc.com

http://www.madd.org

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Homicide

Amy is the survivor of the rape, torture and murder of her sister Jill.

“When she was murdered, it felt like all that was good in me was taken out with her, and I was left with this giant black sludge sitting in my center.”

 

1. What was the emotional impact of her sister’s rape and murder on Amy?

• The crime has had a long-term impact on her— “...eight years ago, and it seems like yesterday.”
• She became suicidal.
• She is hypervigilant, paying careful attention to her surroundings wherever she is.
• She no longer feels safe, and now always sleeps with the door locked.
• She feels “pain and anger.”
• Her innocence is gone.
• Amy is “bitter and jaded at the age of 40.”

 

2. How did the emotional impact of the murder turn into physical impact as well?

• She has insomnia.
• She has stomach problems.
• She has dermatitis, a very bad skin disease.
• She grinds her jaw, which is a sign of stress.

 

3. What was the “domino effect” of Jill’s murder on Amy’s family?

• Her older sister became agoraphobic (a person who is incapable of leaving the safety of his or her home).
• Her brother became an alcoholic.
• Amy says, “There is not just one victim. You’re not just stopping at one person.....over 200 people were affected by her (Jill’s) loss.”

 

4. What can be done to help survivors of homicide victims?

• As they proceed through the criminal justice and appellate processes, ensure that they are informed, engaged and involved.
• Provide referrals to victim compensation.
• Provide referrals to counseling and support groups.

For Additional Information:

The chapter on Homicide from the National Victim Assistance Academy text, which is sponsored by the Office for Victims of Crime within the U.S. Department of Justice, can be accessed at:

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/assist/nvaa2002/chapter12.html

Excellent resources about homicide and assistance for surviving family members and friends of homicide victims are available from the National Organization for Parents Of Murdered Children:

http://www.pomc.com

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Incest/Child Sexual and Physical Abuse and Neglect

Ron is a victim of child sexual and physical abuse by his uncle, and child abuse and neglect by his mother.

“My journey has been an enormous struggle for me.
I’ve known years and years of depression.
I’ve been physically sick at times in my life.”

1. There are four types of child victimization. Which of these crimes were committed against Ron (Answer: All):

• Physical abuse (by his uncle and mother).
• Emotional abuse (by his uncle and mother).
• Sexual abuse (by his uncle).
• Neglect (by his mother).

2. What was the physical impact of Ron’s ongoing child abuse and neglect?

• Continual beatings that hurt him physically.
• His eyes would be swollen shut “for days on end.”
• Ongoing physical sickness throughout his life that is linked to his abuse.
• The use and abuse of drugs to cope with his pain and trauma.
  

3. What was the emotional impact of Ron’s ongoing child abuse and neglect?

• A sense of dread going home from school.
• Filled with terror and fear.
• Anger at his mother for handing him over to a pedophile, and choosing “to do nothing about it.”
• Lifelong depression.
• Emotional distress that led him to abuse drugs in order to cope.
• His trauma left him unable to keep a job.
• His trauma left him unable to form friendships.
• He “never expected to live” with all the suffering he endured.
• He cannot be with his brother and sister because they were victims of and witnesses to horrible crimes throughout their childhoods, and they cannot honestly discuss it.
• He feels guilt because his brother is addicted to drugs, his brother’s children are “neglected and hurt and wounded,” and Ron feels helpless.

4. What can we do to help victims of child abuse, including adult survivors of child physical and sexual abuse and neglect?

• Educate people about child abuse and neglect, and what they can do to prevent such crimes, and help child abuse victims.
• Hold offenders accountable for their actions against vulnerable child victims.
• Make sure that children have a trusting adult who can guide and support them, and to whom they can turn to for help.
• Let child abuse victims and adult survivors know that they are not to blame for the crimes committed against them.
• Let child abuse victims know that they did the right thing by telling about their abuse.
• Provide ongoing counseling and other services to help child abuse victims and adult survivors.

For Additional Information:

The chapter on Child Victimization from the National Victim Assistance Academy text, which is sponsored by the Office for Victims of Crime within the U.S. Department of Justice, can be accessed at:

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/assist/nvaa2002/chapter11.html

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Rape/Sexual Assault

Debbie is the victim of rape; her husband Rob is a police officer.

“A lot of people told me after I was attacked that, ‘Debbie, at least
you’re alive.’ And I remember thinking, you know, I’m not alive...I would have been better off had he killed me because that way at least my family...would have been able to get over everything at once.”

 

1. What was the emotional impact of the rape on Debbie?

• When the attack was occurring, she thought she would “never see my husband or children again.”
• She was terrified because her rapist said if she told anyone, he would “come back and I’m gonna’ kill you.”
• She felt responsible for her husband’s safety, as he was sleeping upstairs at the time the rape occurred.
• She went into immediate shock.
• She couldn’t believe it was happening to her.
• She felt hopeless and helpless.
• She lost her ability to trust others.
• She would “explode” for no reason with her family.

 

2. What was the physical impact of the rape on Debbie?

• She couldn’t sleep and, when she could, she had nightmares.
• She could not eat.
• She could not “focus.”
• She seriously considered suicide.

 

3. What was the “domino effect” of Debbie’s rape on her family?

• They lived with Debbie’s fear and anxiety, especially that her rapist would come back and “grab” and harm her daughter.
• Her son gets very angry when he hears about another woman being raped, because he knows firsthand the impact on the entire family of a rape victim.
• Her husband felt guilty because he was unable to protect his wife—and he is a police officer!
• Her daughter was afraid to go out from the house to the car at night.
• Her son was bullied in school because other kids knew what had happened to his mother.

 

4. What can be done to hold rapists accountable for their crimes?

• They must understand that their crimes can affect a victim emotionally and physically for the rest of his or her life, and that rape has a “domino impact” on rape survivors’ family and friends.
• Pay restitution to pay for the costs of counseling for their victim, and his or her family.
• If the victim requests specific actions from the offender to hold them accountable—such as Debbie’s request for victim/offender dialogue—they should seriously consider this to respond to something that may help the victim recover from the aftermath of the rape.

For Additional Information:

The chapter on Sexual Assault from the National Victim Assistance Academy text, which is sponsored by the Office for Victims of Crime within the U.S. Department of Justice, can be accessed at:

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/assist/nvaa2002/chapter10.html

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Robbery

Jim was the victim of a physical assault and robbery.

“I don’t understand what got them to that point,
to do this to someone. I cannot fathom that.”

1. What was the physical impact of this crime on Jim?

• Was beaten and kicked by three offenders.
• Lost his front tooth.
• Bruised his ribs.
  

2. What were some of Jim’s reactions in the aftermath of this assault and robbery?

• Could not believe it was happening to him.
• Sleeplessness.
• Thankful to be safe and alive.
• Afraid to call his parents, and very saddened by their highly emotional reactions.
• Less trusting.
• More aware and suspicious of his surroundings.
• Changing his habits, i.e., not walking after dark, taking cabs instead of walking, etc.
  

3. What were the reactions of Jim’s parents?

• Emotional.
• Crying.
• Very sad.
  

4. What was the financial impact of this robbery and assault on Jim?

• Medical bills.
• Dental bills (including replacing a tooth).
• $20.00 stolen from his wallet.
• Costs of cabs he now feels he needs to take to be safe.

 

5. Jim lost much more than $20.00 in this robbery. What else did he lose?

• His sense of personal safety.
• His sense of safety in his neighborhood and community.
• An ability to trust others.
• Changes he made in his lifestyle to feel safer based upon the crime.
  

6. How does Jim think these offenders could be held accountable for the harm they caused?

• Pay restitution.
• “Take responsibility for their actions.”
• Not commit a crime again.

 

7. What are other ways that robbers can be held accountable for their crimes?

 

For More Information:

Resources that address the impact of robbery on victims, and what they can do to recover in the aftermath of a robbery, are available from the National Center for Victims of Crime:

http://www.ncvc.org/gethelp/robbery

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Last Modified:
April 2, 2011