The policies and procedures described reflect the Federal law and regulations in existence at the time of printing. Individual sections present a historical summary of the victim's movement and the actions taken as a result of the work of the President's Task Force on Victims of Crime, which was appointed in 1982. Additional sections explain the responsibilities of Federal law enforcement officials in providing assistance to victims and witnesses, the nature of psychological first aid, the process of making referrals to local resources, the use of victim impact statements, and information victims need about sentencing guidelines and Federal prison notification procedures. Additional sections summarize the research on the victimization experience, provide guidelines for communicating effectively with victims and witnesses, explain the role of assistance units based in law enforcement agencies, and discuss third-party litigation. Texts of Federal laws and departmental guidelines and readings on domestic violence, sexual assault, survivors of homicide, and victims of white-collar crime are included.