A draft recommendation on assistance to victims and prevention of victimization was adopted by the European Committee on Crime Problems in 1987; it considers the victims' needs and the nature and form of the assistance to be offered. Assistance during and after the commission of the offense should be offered, including emergency help to meet immediate needs and prevention of future victimization. The persons or services offering assistance include the public in general and the victim's social environment. The identification of existing public and private services, their achievements, and their deficiencies is important. Victim assistance services operating on a public or private basis should coordinate activities. The efficient organization of victim assistance services requires data on victimization rates, victim needs, and assistance services already available. Research on mediation experiments, the evaluation and monitoring of victim assistance services, and the evaluation of the effectiveness of prevention programs is also needed. Bibliography