U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

DNA Knowledge Among Victim Service Providers

NCJ Number
236078
Author(s)
Ilse Knecht; Julie Whitman
Date Published
March 2008
Length
36 pages
Annotation
This report from the National Center for Victims of Crime presents the results of an online survey and focus group discussion examining the service providers experiences with cases involving DNA.
Abstract
Results of the survey and focus group discussions found that the majority of survey respondents had recently worked with cases involving DNA, and that DNA was relevant to their daily work. The results also indicate that service providers could not answer victims' questions about DNA and that they were unable to provide victims with accurate and timely information about DNA and its use as evidence. This report presents the results of an online survey and focus group discussion that explored how service providers in the field of victim services understand and use information related to DNA. The online survey was conducted in February 2007 by the National Center for Victims of Violence, while the multidisciplinary focus group was conducted in June 2007. The survey asked respondents about the following: experience with cases using DNA evidence; role of person informing victim about DNA; their knowledge about DNA evidence, profiles, and databases; sources of information about DNA; victims' need for information in the criminal justice system; top concerns about the use of DNA; and the need for more training. The results show that service providers who work in the field of victim services believe that in-person training, written materials, and electronic updates of new developments in the field of DNA evidence are important for improving their work with victims whose cases involve DNA evidence. Tables, figures, and appendixes