The National Center for Victims of Crime

A large amount of a police officer’s job involves interacting with victims. Whether he/she is consoling victims, making referrals or acting as a resource, the police officer is often the only person to whom a victim has to turn. Therefore, it is important that a police officer also have a resource to consult when he/she needs guidance on victimology issues. The website for the National Center for Victims of Crime is one such resource.

The National Center for Victims of Crime was created in 1985 to provide direct services and support to victims, advocate the passage of laws favorable to victims and to encourage thought about how victims can best regain their lives. The Center focuses on four main areas: victim services, civil justice,public policy and training and technical assistance of both agencies and individuals.

The website for the National Center for Victims of Crime (http://www.ncvc.org) offers a number of useful features. The website offers information on how to seek civil justice through litigation. There are sections for victims, attorneys and those who provide social services to victims.

The HELP series is a series of documents that are geared towards increasing awareness of various issues relevant to victims such as date rape, domestic violence, gang activity, missing children and restitution issue (to name only a very few of the documents available). Many of these are also available in a format more amenable to teens. These documents are very straight forward and written in layman terms. These would serve as excellent resources for the recent victim who is seeking further information.

Another useful feature is the reference library which offers statistics on many victimology issues as well as recent victimology reports and studies. There is also a list of relevant and useful links of victimology websites.

Finally, the Center’s website has a section focusing on public policy and legislative issues. The public policy section has information on federal laws, policies and issues focusing on victimology issues, as well as an area of updates on pending laws.

Overall, the website of the National Center for Victims of Crime is a valuable resource that would serve well as an additional tool for the police officer’s toolbox, enabling the officer to more successfully assist the victims that he/she encounters. Victims often want information and want to know where to turn next – the website for the National Center for Victims of Crime would be an excellent place to turn.

J.W. Carter IIUniversity of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA