Acknowledgements
VALOR greatly appreciates the confidence and support of the U.S. Department of Justice, Office
for Victims of Crime, especially Bill Brantley, who served as our Federal Project Officer. We
are also grateful for the outstanding work of our consultants, Ellen Alexander, Anne Seymour,
and Jann Taylor, who ensured the timely and thorough completion of this project.
Resource Guide Co-authors and Editors
Ellen Alexander
Morna A. Murray
Anne K. Seymour
Jann P. Taylor
Contributing Organizations and Individuals
National Center for Victims of Crime
Office for Victims of Crime Resource Center
Graphic Design
Paul Evers Design
This product was supported by Grant Number 1999 MU GX K012 from the Office for Victims of
Crime, Office of Justice
Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The Assistant Attorney General, Office of Justice
Programs coordinates the activities of
the following program offices and bureaus: Bureau of Justice Assistance, Bureau of Justice
Statistics, National Institute of
Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and the Office for Victims of
Crime. Points of view in this
document are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies
of the U.S. Department of
Justice.
Sample Speech
As we join together this week to commemorate the 20th anniversary of National Crime Victims'
Rights Week, it's a special time to reflect upon the many contributions that crime victims and
those who serve them have made to our community, and to our nation. It's our seven days to
bring honor to those who bring honor to victims, 365 days a year, night and day, with little
thought to the personal sacrifice involved in helping others heal.
This year's theme, "Dare to Dream," is fitting in that it reflects the hopes and aspirations that
form the very foundation of America's victims' rights discipline: a shared dream for the day
when all victims will be involved and informed throughout the criminal and juvenile justice
systems; a shared hope that no victims will ever be blamed for the horrible crimes that were
committed against them; and shared aspirations for a society that puts "helping crime victims" at
the top of the priority list of social justice. As Eleanor Roosevelt said, "The future belongs to
those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." I guess, then, that the future belongs to us,
because there is no dream more beautiful than that of true victim justice.
The dream of victim justice is rapidly becoming reality in communities large and small, urban
and rural, in the far reaches of our nation. And yet, this reality did not happen overnight. There
was nothing accidental about this reality. Victim justice is a direct result of thousands of
individuals
many whose lives were irrevocably changed by the trauma of victimization, and countless others
who believe victim assistance is the noblest cause they can fight for. If you go to Washington,
D.C. and look in awe at the front of the Archives Building, there engraved in marble is the
inscription: "Past is prologue." In the victims' rights discipline, it is indeed our past that has led
us to a new millennium full of hope for victims, and help for individuals and communities who
have been hurt by crime.
For example, two decades ago, a small yet determined group of victims and advocates in
Wisconsin threw caution to the wind, and passed the very first Victims' Bill of Rights that
provided broad participatory rights for victims of crime. In 1984, the power of the personal story
of two mothers whose children were killed by drunk drivers helped convince our nation that
drunk driving was not merely an accident, but a violent crime. In 1986, a group of determined
victims and advocates gathered together to dare to dream of constitutional protections of victims'
rights, elevating the rights of crime victims to those afforded to accused and convicted offenders.
That dream is rapidly becoming a reality: 32 states [including yours, if applicable] now have
state-level constitutional amendments on the books, and a federal amendment for victims of crime
is currently pending in the U.S. Congress.
[Insert an optional paragraph that pays tribute to individuals and agencies in your state or
community who, in the past twenty years, have "dared to dream" and made a difference]
Our collective dreams of victim justice are built upon the painful realization of the nightmares
that crime has wreaked on our fellow Americans, our homes, our neighborhoods, our schools,
and our communities:
The nightmare of a child sexual abuse victim who has been molested and threatened, who feels
she has nowhere to turn, who at the age of five, feels helpless and hopeless.
The nightmare of the battered woman whose life is marred by shame and blame, who feels
responsible for the violence she endures because we, as a nation, have just recently begun to
place the blame for domestic violence where it rightfully belongs: on the violent batterer.
The nightmare of the survivors of homicide victims whose losses are immeasurable, and who
feel such a tremendous obligation to stand up for the rights of their loved ones, who are no longer
here to stand up for their rights.
The nightmare of the many victims of elder abuse, whose golden years are tarnished by abuse,
neglect, violence and degradation often at the hands of a family member.
And the nightmare of communities such as Oklahoma City and Littleton, whose collective
tragedy simply shatters the human psyche, and whose collective grief has changed the way our
nation views the victimization of entire communities.
Yes, we can and should continue to dream of a world that is fair and just, a world in which all
victims are treated with compassion and dignity. At the same time, we should reflect on the
wisdom of Eugene Ionesco who said, "Ideologies separate us. Dreams and anguish bring us
together." Because together, in America's victims' rights discipline, we have seen triumph
emerge from tragedy. We are beginning to see a sense of hope emerge from a sense of
helplessness.
During National Crime Victims' Rights Week, as we reflect on the positive differences that
individuals have made here in [your community] and across the nation, we must ask ourselves
"What can I do to make a difference? What can I dare to dream?" While each of our answers
may vary, let me offer some suggestions for what one person can do to help victims of crime:
If you know of a crime that has occurred, report it. Because every time we fail to report a
criminal or juvenile offense, that offender remains free to harm others.
If you know of somebody who has been hurt by crime, be there to support him or her, not just
in the hours and days after the victimization, but for the long run. The support you provide may
be just the link that a victim needs to begin the painful process of recovery.
Volunteer for victims. [Offer specific examples of agencies that need assistance.]
Let us know your ideas for making our homes and schools and communities safer. If you dare
to dream of a [city or county or state] that is committed to public safety, our collective security
will be enhanced.
If, as Henry David Thoreau said, "Dreams are the touchstones of our character," then our
communal character of concern and caring for victims of crime will speak volumes about us as
individuals, as a community, and as a nation. If we dare to dream of a world that is free from
violence, and filled with supportive services for those who have been touched by crime, it is the
first step in making that dream a reality. Perhaps most important, please remember that every
time you help a victim in need, and every time you take the time to assist somebody who is
hurting, you are, indeed, doing our community justice.
Notable Quotables
"Dare to Dream" Theme Quotations
Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken bird that cannot fly. Langston Hughes
Dreams are the touchstones of our character. Henry David Thoreau
The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. Eleanor Roosevelt
Idealogies separate us. Dreams and anguish bring us together. Eugene Ionesco
Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.
Henry David Thoreau
Throw your dreams into space like a kite, and you do not know what it will bring back: a new
life, a new friend, a new love, a new country. Anais Nin
Without change, something sleeps inside us, and seldom awakens. The sleeper must awaken.
Frank Herbert
Additional Inspirational Quotations
If we do not maintain justice, justice will not maintain us. Francis Bacon
Whenever a separation is made between liberty and justice, neither, in my opinion, is safe.
Edmund Burke
Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of
mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all
indirectly. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted; the indifference of
those who should have known better; the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most;
that has made it possible for evil to triumph. Unknown
Remember, people will judge you by your actions, not your intentions. You may have a heart of
gold, but so does a hard-boiled egg. Anonymous
Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds. Albert Einstein
Without a struggle, there can be no progress. Frederick Douglass
The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem
too lightly; it is dearness only that gives everything its value. Thomas Paine
We must learn to live together as brothers (and sisters), or perish together as fools.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Without a sense of caring, there can be no sense of community. Anthony J. D'Angelo
I cannot say whether things will get better if we change; what I can say is they must change if
they are to get better. G. C. Lichtenberg
You must be the change you wish to see in the world. Mahatma Ghandi
None of us knows what the next change is going to be, what unexpected opportunity is just
around the corner, waiting a few months or a few years to change all the tenor of our lives.
Kathleen Norris
Even if you are on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there. Will Rogers
You get the best out of others when you give the best of yourself. Harry Firestone
There are no shortcuts to any place worth going. Anonymous
It is no use saying, "We are doing our best." You have got to succeed in doing what is
necessary. Winston Churchill
When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on! Franklin D. Roosevelt
Sample Sermon
The joy of the Lord is your strength! Nehemiah 8:10
Today marks the beginning of National Crime Victims' Rights Week, which is a week set aside
each year to honor and commemorate victims of crime and those who provide services to victims.
This year's theme for the week is "Dare to Dream." It is a fitting theme for commemorating
crime victims during a year that marks a brand new century, as we come together as people of
God daring to dream that all victims of crime can find the healing and restoration they so
desperately need from us, our families, our communities, and our justice system.
All of us have been touched by crime at one point or another in our lives. Perhaps you yourself
have been a victim of crime. Perhaps a member of your family, or someone you love, has been
victimized. Crime has become part of the very fabric of our society and our lives. At times, it
feels like there is very little we can do to stop the seemingly endless onslaught of cruel and even
unspeakable crimes . . . teenagers killing one another and themselves, elderly people physically
and emotionally abused by trusted relatives and caregivers, honest individuals cheated out of their
life savings by fraudulent schemes, pure and innocent children betrayed by those people who
should cherish them the most. It is so hard to think about, and sometimes we just can't. What
can we do to stop this endless onslaught? What would God have us do about a problem that is so
big, so widespread, so unmanageable?
The hard truth is that it is a huge problem with no easy answers. But for those of us specifically
called to this work, or simply called to displaying compassion and understanding for the needs of
victims of crime, we are not alone. God makes a habit of calling us to help each other, of daring
us to dream that we can make a difference. The God who imparts in us the vision the
dream to show love for one another wants us to dare to dream and then dare to act.
The story of Nehemiah is a powerful and empowering illustration of the great things that can be
accomplished by those who dare to believe in the dreams to which they are called. After the third
captivity of the Jewish people, Nehemiah was instrumental in leading them back to Jerusalem,
only to find the walls and gates of the city destroyed and lying in rubble. Deeply troubled,
Nehemiah turned to God in prayer and received in answer a great vision of a rebuilt Jerusalem.
While most around him scoffed and criticized his plan for restoration of the walls, Nehemiah
gathered some loyal workers and set to work. He realized that his burning dream was not enough
to accomplish his goal it would require careful planning, arduous work and extreme sacrifice.
Throughout the fifty-two days that it took to rebuild the walls, the team of workers and
volunteers
faced countless obstacles and a lack of community support, but Nehemiah remained focused, not
on the overwhelming problems and dangers, but rather on the vision he had been given by God.
This was his foundation, his strength. He never lost sight of his dream, his vision of Jerusalem
restored to its rightful and original glory.
There are significant parallels between Nehemiah's story and the experience of crime victims.
Victims who are senselessly and brutally victimized by crime face the almost overwhelming task
of rebuilding the walls of their lives walls that have maintained their physical, emotional,
psychological, and spiritual well-being. For a long time, our country promoted a system of
justice in which the constitutional rights of offenders were justifiably safeguarded, but
unfortunately were also given more weight and importance than the rights of their innocent
victims. Thirty years ago, victims did not enjoy the rights within the criminal and juvenile justice
systems that they do today. They had no right to have input into criminal proceedings, or receive
restitution for the harm they suffered, or simply speak about the impact the crime had upon them
at the sentencing of the offender. But today, after countless hard-fought battles, inspired by
unspeakable injustice and senseless tragedy after tragedy, we are, as a country, as neighborhoods,
as faith communities, beginning to see and understand our obligation to victims and the essential
role we can play in helping them restore and rebuild the walls of their lives.
Look around you and you will see that the work of rebuilding and restoration lies everywhere in
the neighborhoods decimated by gang violence and warfare, in the school communities that have
been instantaneously and irrevocably altered by incomprehensible acts of violence, in the families
torn apart by homicide, in the children who are abandoned, neglected, subjected to untold abuse.
It is daunting to think that somehow we can make a difference for victims of crime. But just as
Nehemiah painstakingly rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem, brick by brick, stone by stone, so too
have victims and those who serve them worked, step by step, to secure better services, more
comprehensive rights and some measure of healing and justice.
In some way, big or small, God calls each of us to care for each other. There is a vision that
each of us can dare to dream. This dream may be any number of things, from public service to
caring for our own families. But this week, let us consider in a meaningful way, perhaps for the
very first time, the ways in which we can dare to dream that victims of crime can be embraced
and encircled within our communities and given the rights, support and services they need to
rebuild the walls that have been torn down by victimization. Let us share our dreams with those
whose dreams may be shattered. Let us, like Nehemiah, dare to dream that the insurmountable
can be achieved, that we can make a difference in our neighborhoods, our communities. In
opening ourselves to God's call in our lives, let us dare to believe that He will give us the
strength and the courage to make our own unique contribution to the work of
rebuilding rebuilding the walls, rebuilding the dreams, rebuilding the gates to true justice and
restoration for victims of crime.
Crime Victims' Rights in America
An Historical Overview
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.
Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." Margaret Mead
1965
The first crime victim compensation program
is established in California.
By 1970, five additional compensation
programs are created New York, Hawaii,
Massachusetts, Maryland and the Virgin Islands.
1972
The first three victim assistance programs are
created:
Aid for Victims of Crime in St. Louis,
Missouri.
Bay Area Women Against Rape in San
Francisco, California.
Rape Crisis Center in Washington, D.C.
1974
The Federal Law Enforcement Assistance
Administration (LEAA) funds the first
victim/witness programs in the Brooklyn and
Milwaukee District Attorneys' offices, plus
seven others through a grant to the National
District Attorneys Association, to create model
programs of assistance for victims, encourage
victim cooperation, and improve prosecution.
The first law enforcement-based victim
assistance programs are established in Fort
Lauderdale, Florida and Indianapolis, Indiana.
The U.S. Congress passes the Child Abuse
Prevention and Treatment Act which establishes
the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect
(NCCAN). The new Center creates an
information clearinghouse, provides technical
assistance and model programs.
1975
The first "Victims' Rights Week" is
organized by the Philadelphia District Attorney.
Citizen activists from across the country unite
to expand victim services and increase
recognition of victims' rights through the
formation of the National Organization for
Victim Assistance (NOVA).
1976
The National Organization for Women forms
a task force to examine the problem of battering.
It demands research into the problem, along with
money for battered women's shelters.
Nebraska becomes the first state to abolish
the marital rape exemption.
The first national conference on battered
women is sponsored by the Milwaukee Task
Force on Women in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
In Fresno County, California, Chief
Probation Officer James Rowland creates the
first victim impact statement to provide the
judiciary with an objective inventory of victim
injuries and losses prior to sentencing.
Women's Advocates in St. Paul, Minnesota
starts the first hotline for battered women.
Women's Advocates and Haven House in
Pasadena, California establish the first shelters
for battered women.
1977
The National Association of Crime Victim
Compensation Boards is established by the
existing 22 compensation programs to promote
the creation of a nationwide network of
compensation programs.
Oregon becomes the first state to enact
mandatory arrest in domestic violence cases.
1978
The National Coalition Against Sexual
Assault (NCASA) is formed to combat sexual
violence and promote services for rape victims.
The National Coalition Against Domestic
Violence (NCADV) is organized as a voice for
the battered women's movement on a national
level. NCADV initiates the introduction of the
Family Violence Prevention and Services Act in
the U.S. Congress.
Parents of Murdered Children (POMC), a
self-help support group, is founded in
Cincinnati, Ohio.
Minnesota becomes the first state to allow
probable cause (warrantless) arrest in cases of
domestic assault, regardless of whether a
protection order had been issued.
1979
Frank G. Carrington, considered by many to
be "the father of the victims' rights movement,"
founds the Crime Victims' Legal Advocacy
Institute, Inc., to promote the rights of crime
victims in the civil and criminal justice systems.
The nonprofit organization was renamed
VALOR, the Victims' Assistance Legal
Organization, Inc., in 1981.
The Office on Domestic Violence is
established in the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, but is later closed in 1981.
The U.S. Congress fails to enact the Federal
Law Enforcement Assistance Administration
(LEAA) and federal funding for victims'
programs is phased out. Many grassroots and
"system-based" programs close.
1980
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is
founded after the death of 13-year-old Cari
Lightner, who was killed by a repeat offender
drunk driver. The first two MADD chapters are
created in Sacramento, California and Annapolis,
Maryland.
The U.S. Congress passes the Parental
Kidnapping Prevention Act of 1980.
Wisconsin passes the first "Crime Victims'
Bill of Rights."
The First National Day of Unity in October is
established by NCADV to mourn battered
women who have died, celebrate women who
have survived the violence, and honor all who
have worked to defeat domestic violence. This
Day becomes Domestic Violence Awareness
Week and, in 1987, expands to a month of
awareness activities each October.
NCADV holds its first national conference in
Washington, D.C., which gains federal recog-
nition of critical issues facing battered women,
and sees the birth of several state coalitions.
The first Victim Impact Panel is sponsored by
Remove Intoxicated Drivers (RID) in Oswego
County, New York.
1981
Ronald Reagan becomes the first President to
proclaim "Crime Victims' Rights Week" in
April.
The disappearance and murder of missing
child Adam Walsh prompt a national campaign
to raise public awareness about child abduction
and enact laws to better protect children.
The Attorney General's Task Force on
Violent Crime recommends that a separate Task
Force be created to consider victims' issues.
1982
In a Rose Garden ceremony, President
Reagan appoints the Task Force on Victims of
Crime, which holds public hearings in six cities
across the nation to create a greatly needed
national focus on the needs of crime victims.
The Task Force Final Report offers 68
recommendations that become the framework for
the advancement of new programs and policies.
Its final recommendation, to amend the Sixth
Amendment of the U.S. Constitution to
guarantee that ". . . the victim, in every criminal
prosecution, shall have the right to be present
and to be heard at all critical stages of judicial
proceedings . . .," becomes a vital source of new
energy pushing toward the successful efforts to
secure state constitutional amendments through
the 1980s and beyond.
The Federal Victim and Witness Protection
Act of 1982 brings "fair treatment standards" to
victims and witnesses in the federal criminal
justice system.
California voters overwhelmingly pass
Proposition 8, which guarantees restitution and
other statutory reforms to crime victims.
The passage of the Missing Children's Act of
1982 helps parents guarantee that identifying
information about their missing child is promptly
entered into the FBI National Crime Information
Center (NCIC) computer system.
The first Victim Impact Panel sponsored by
MADD, which educates drunk drivers about the
devastating impact of their criminal acts, is
organized in Rutland, Massachusetts.
1983
The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) is
created by the U.S. Department of Justice within
the Office of Justice Programs to implement
recommendations from the President's Task
Force on Victims of Crime. OVC establishes a
national resource center, trains professionals,
and develops model legislation to protect
victims' rights.
The U.S. Attorney General establishes a Task
Force on Family Violence, which holds six
public hearings across the United States.
The U.S. Attorney General issues guidelines
for federal victim and witness assistance.
In April, President Reagan honors crime
victims in a White House Rose Garden
ceremony.
The First National Conference of the
Judiciary on Victims of Crime is held at the
National Judicial College in Reno, Nevada, with
support from the National Institute of Justice.
Conferees develop recommendations for the
judiciary on victims' rights and services.
President Reagan proclaims the first National
Missing Children's Day in observance of the
disappearance of missing child Etan Patz.
The International Association of Chiefs of
Police Board of Governors adopts a Crime
Victims' Bill of Rights and establishes a victims'
rights committee to bring about renewed
emphasis on the needs of crime victims by law
enforcement officials nationwide.
1984
The passage of the Victims Of Crime Act
(VOCA) establishes the Crime Victims Fund,
made up of federal criminal fines, penalties and
bond forfeitures, to support state victim
compensation and local victim service programs.
President Reagan signs the Justice Assistance
Act, which establishes a financial assistance
program for state and local government and
funds 200 new victim service programs.
The National Minimum Drinking Age Act of
1984 is enacted, providing strong incentives to
states without "21" laws to raise the minimum
age for drinking, saving thousands of young
lives in years to come.
The first of several international affiliates of
MADD is chartered in Canada.
The National Center for Missing and
Exploited Children (NCMEC) is created as the
national resource agency for missing children.
Passage of the Missing Children's Assistance
Act pro-vides a Congressional mandate for the
Center.
The Spiritual Dimension in Victim Services is
founded to involve the faith community in
violence prevention and victim assistance.
Crime Prevention Week in February is
marked by a White House ceremony with
McGruff.
The Task Force on Family Violence presents
its report to the U.S. Attorney General with
recommendations for action, including the
criminal justice system's response to battered
women; prevention and awareness; education
and training; and data collection and reporting.
The U.S. Congress passes the Family
Violence Prevention and Services Act, which
earmarks federal funding for programs serving
victims of domestic violence.
The ad-hoc committee on the constitutional
amendment formalizes its plans to secure passage
of amendments at the state level.
Concerns of Police Survivors (COPS) is
organized at the first police survivors' seminar
held in Washington, D.C. by 110 relatives of
officers killed in the line of duty.
The first National Symposium on Sexual
Assault is co-sponsored by the Office of Justice
Programs and the Federal Bureau of
Investigation, highlighting on the federal level
the important needs of victims of rape and sexual
assault.
A victim/witness notification system is
established within the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
The Office for Victims of Crime hosts the
first national symposium on child molestation.
Victim/witness coordinator positions are
established in the U.S. Attorneys' offices within
the U.S. Department of Justice.
California State University-Fresno initiates
the first Victim Services Certificate Program
offered for academic credit by a university.
Remove Intoxicated Drivers (RID) calls for a
comprehensive Sane National Alcohol Policy
(SNAP) to curb aggressive promotions aimed at
youth.
OVC establishes the National Victims
Resource Center, now named the Office for
Victims of Crime Resource Center (OVCRC), to
serve as a clearinghouse for OVC publications
and other resource information.
1985
The Federal Crime Victims Fund deposits
total $68 million.
The National Victim Center (renamed The
National Center for Victims of Crime in 1998) is
founded in honor of Sunny von Bulow to
promote the rights and needs of crime victims,
and to educate Americans about the devastating
effect of crime on our society.
The United Nations General Assembly passes
the International Declaration on the Rights of
Victims of Crime and the Abuse of Power.
President Reagan announces a Child Safety
Partnership with 26 members. Its mission is to
enhance private sector efforts to promote child
safety, to clarify information about child
victimization, and to increase public awareness
of child abuse.
The U.S. Surgeon General issues a report
identifying domestic violence as a major public
health problem.
1986
The Office for Victims of Crime awards the
first grants to support state victim compensation
and assistance programs.
Two years after its passage, the Victims of
Crime Act is amended by the Children's Justice
Act to provide funds specifically for the
investigation and prosecution of child abuse.
Over 100 constitutional amendment
supporters meet in Washington, D.C. at a forum
sponsored by NOVA to refine a national plan to
secure state constitutional amendments for
victims of crime.
Rhode Island passes a constitutional
amendment granting victims the right to
restitution, to submit victim impact statements,
and to be treated with dignity and respect.
Victim compensation programs have been
established in thirty-five states.
MADD's "Red Ribbon Campaign" enlists
motorists to display a red ribbon on their
automobiles, pledging to drive safe and sober
during the holidays. This national public
awareness effort has since become an annual
campaign.
1987
The Victims' Constitutional Amendment
Network (VCAN) and Steering Committee is
formed at a meeting hosted by the National
Victim Center.
Security on Campus, Inc. (SOC) is
established by Howard and Connie Clery,
following the tragic robbery, rape and murder of
their daughter Jeanne at Lehigh University in
Pennsylvania. SOC raises national awareness
about the hidden epidemic of violence on our
nation's campuses.
The American Correctional Association
establishes a Task Force on Victims of Crime.
NCADV establishes the first national toll-free
domestic violence hotline.
Victim advocates in Florida, frustrated by
five years of inaction on a proposed
constitutional amendment by their legislature,
begin a petition drive. Thousands of citizens
sign petitions supporting constitutional protection
for victims' rights. The Florida legislature
reconsiders, and the constitutional amendment
appears on the 1988 ballot.
1988
OVC establishes funds for the Victim
Assistance in Indian Country (VAIC) grant
program to provide direct services to Native
Americans by establishing "on-reservation"
victim assistance programs in Indian Country.
The National Aging Resource Center on
Elder Abuse (NARCEA) is established in a
cooperative agreement among the American
Public Welfare Association, the National
Association of State Units on Aging, and the
University of Delaware. Renamed the National
Center on Elder Abuse, it continues to provide
information and statistics.
State v. Ciskie is the first case to allow the
use of expert testimony to explain the behavior
and mental state of an adult rape victim. The
testimony is used to show why a victim of
repeated physical and sexual assaults by her
intimate partner would not immediately call the
police or take action. The jury convicts the
defendant on four counts of rape.
The Federal Drunk Driving Prevention Act is
passed, and states raise the minimum drinking
age to 21.
Constitutional amendments are introduced in
Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware,
Michigan, South Carolina and Washington.
Florida's amendment is placed on the November
ballot, where it passes with 90 percent of the
vote. Michigan's constitutional amendment
passes with over 80 percent of the vote.
The first "Indian Nations: Justice for Victims
of Crime" conference is sponsored by the Office
for Victims of Crime in Rapid City, South
Dakota.
VOCA amendments legislatively establish the
Office for Victims of Crime, elevate the position
of Director by making Senate confirmation
necessary for appointment, and induce state
compensation programs to cover victims of
domestic violence, homicide and drunk driving.
In addition, VOCA amendments added a new
"priority" category of funding victim assistance
programs at the behest of MADD and POMC for
"previously underserved victims of crime."
OVC also establishes a Federal Emergency
Fund for victims in the federal criminal justice
system.
1989
The legislatures in Texas and Washington
pass their respective constitutional amendments,
which are both ratified by voters in November.
OVC provides funding for the first time to
the National Association of Crime Victim
Compensation Boards to expand national training
and technical assistance efforts.
1990
The Federal Crime Victims Fund deposits
total over $146 million.
The U.S. Congress passes the Hate Crime
Statistics Act requiring the U.S. Attorney
General to collect data of incidence of certain
crimes motivated by prejudice based on race,
religion, sexual orientation or ethnicity.
The Student Right-to-Know and Campus
Security Act, requiring institutions of higher
education to disclose murder, rape, robbery and
other crimes on campus, is signed into law by
President Bush.
The Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990,
which features reforms to make the federal
criminal justice system less traumatic for child
victims and witnesses, is passed by the U.S.
Congress.
The Victims' Rights and Restitution Act of
1990 incorporates a Bill of Rights for federal
crime victims and codifies services that should
be available to victims of crime.
U.S. Congress passes legislation proposed by
MADD to prevent drunk drivers and other
offenders from filing bankruptcy to avoid paying
criminal restitution or civil fines.
The Arizona petition drive to place the
victims' rights constitutional amendment on the
ballot succeeds, and it is ratified by voters.
The first National Incidence Study on
Missing, Abducted, Runaway and Throwaway
Children in America shows that over one million
children fall victim to abduction annually.
The National Child Search Assistance Act
requires law enforcement to enter reports of
missing children and unidentified persons in the
NCIC computer.
1991
U.S. Representative Ilena Ros-Lehtinen
(R-FL) files the first Congressional Joint
Resolution to place victims' rights in the U.S.
Constitution.
The Violence Against Women Act of 1991 is
considered by the U.S. Congress.
California State University-Fresno approves
the first Bachelors Degree Program in
Victimology in the nation.
The Campus Sexual Assault Victims' Bill of
Rights Act is introduced in the U.S. Congress.
The results of the first national public opinion
poll to examine citizens' attitudes about violence
and victimization, America Speaks Out, are
released by the National Victim Center during
National Crime Victims' Rights Week.
The Attorney General's Summit on Law
Enforcement and Violent Crime focuses national
attention on victims' rights in the criminal justice
system.
The U.S. Attorney General issues new
comprehensive guidelines that establish
procedures for the federal criminal justice system
to respond to the needs of crime victims. The
1991 Attorney General Guidelines for Victim
and Witness Assistance implement new
protections of the Crime Control Act of 1990,
integrating the requirements of the Federal
Crime Victims' Bill of Rights, the Victims of
Child Abuse Act and the Victim and Witness
Protection Act of 1982.
The first national conference that addresses
crime victims' rights and needs in corrections is
sponsored by the Office for Victims of Crime in
California.
The first International Conference on Campus
Sexual Assault is held in Orlando, Florida.
The American Probation and Parole
Association (APPA) establishes a Victim Issues
Committee to examine victims' issues and
concerns related to community corrections.
The International Parental Child Kidnapping
Act makes the act of unlawfully removing a
child outside the United States a federal felony.
The Spiritual Dimension in Victim Services
facilitates a conference of leaders of 13 religious
denominations to plan ways in which these large
religious bodies can increase awareness of crime
victims' needs and provide appropriate services.
The New Jersey legislature passes a victims'
rights constitutional amendment, which is
ratified by voters in November.
Colorado legislators introduce a constitutional
amendment on the first day of National Crime
Victims' Rights Week. Fifteen days later, the
bill is unanimously passed by both Houses to be
placed on the ballot in 1992.
In an 8-0 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court
ruled in Simon & Schuster v. New York Crime
Victims Board that New York's notoriety-for-
profit statute was overly broad and, in the final
analysis, unconstitutional. Notoriety-for-profit
statutes had been passed by many states at this
time to prevent convicted criminals from
profiting from the proceeds of depictions of their
crime in the media or publications. States must
now review their existing statutes to come into
compliance with the Supreme Court's decision.
By the end of 1991, seven states have
incorporated victims' rights into their state
constitutions.
OVC provides funding to the National Victim
Center for Civil Legal Remedies for Crime
Victims to train victim advocates nationwide
about additional avenues for victims to seek
justice within the civil justice system.
1992
Rape in America: A Report to the Nation,
published during National Crime Victims' Rights
Week by the National Crime Victims Research
and Treatment Center and the National Victim
Center, clarifies the scope and devastating effect
of rape in this nation, including the fact that
683,000 women are raped annually in the United
States.
The Association of Paroling Authorities,
International establishes a Victim Issues
Committee to examine victims' needs, rights and
services in parole processes.
The U.S. Congress reauthorizes the Higher
Education Bill which includes the Campus
Sexual Assault Victims' Bill of Rights.
The Battered Women's Testimony Act, which
urges states to accept expert testimony in
criminal cases involving battered women, is
passed by Congress and signed into law by
President Bush.
In a unanimous decision, the U.S. Supreme
Court in R.A.V. vs. City of St. Paul struck
down a local hate crimes ordinance in
Minnesota.
Five states Colorado, Kansas, Illinois,
Missouri and New Mexico ratify constitutional
amendments for victims' rights.
Twenty-eight states pass anti-stalking
legislation.
Massachusetts passes a landmark bill creating
a statewide computerized domestic violence
registry and requires judges to check the registry
when handling such cases.
The first national conference is convened,
using OVC funds, that brings together
representatives from VOCA victim assistance
and victim compensation programs.
1993
Wisconsin ratifies its constitutional amend-
ment for victims' rights, bringing the total
number of states with these amendments to 14.
President Clinton signs the "Brady Bill"
requiring a waiting period for the purchase of
handguns.
Congress passes the Child Sexual Abuse
Registry Act, establishing a national repository
for information on child sex offenders.
Twenty-two states pass stalking statutes,
bringing the total number of states with anti-
stalking laws to 50, plus the District of
Columbia.
1994
The American Correctional Association
Victims Committee publishes the landmark
Report and Recommendations on Victims of
Juvenile Crime, which offers guidelines for
improving victims' rights and services when the
offender is a juvenile.
Six additional states pass constitutional
amendments for victims' rights the largest
number ever in a single year bringing the total
number of states with amendments to 20. States
with new amendments include Alabama, Alaska,
Idaho, Maryland, Ohio, and Utah.
President Clinton signs a comprehensive
package of federal victims' rights legislation as
part of the Violent Crime Control and Law
Enforcement Act. The Act includes:
Violence Against Women Act, which
authorizes more than $1 billion in
funding for programs to combat
violence against women.
Enhanced VOCA funding provisions.
Establishment of a National Child Sex
Offender Registry.
Enhanced sentences for drunk drivers
with child passengers.
Kentucky becomes the first state to institute
automated telephone voice notification to crime
victims of their offender's status and release
date.
OVC establishes the Community Crisis
Response (CCR) program, using the NOVA
model, to improve services to victims of violent
crimes in communities that have experienced
crimes resulting in multiple victimizations.
1995
The Federal Crime Victims Fund deposits
total $233,907,256.
Legislatures in three states Indiana,
Nebraska, and North Carolina pass
constitutional amendments that will be placed on
the ballot in 1996.
The National Victims' Constitutional
Amendment Network proposes the first draft of
language for a federal constitutional amendment
for victims' rights.
The U.S. Department of Justice convenes a
national conference to encourage implemen-
tation of the Violence Against Women Act.
The first class graduates from the National
Victim Assistance Academy in Washington,
D.C. Supported by the Office for Victims of
Crime, the university-based Academy provides
an academically credited 45-hour curriculum on
victimology, victims' rights and myriad other
topics.
1996
Federal Victims' Rights Constitutional
Amendments are introduced in both houses of
Congress with bi-partisan support.
Both presidential candidates and the Attorney
General endorse the concept of a Victims' Rights
Constitutional Amendment.
The Federal Crime Victims Fund reaches an
historic high with deposits over $525 million.
Eight states ratify the passage of
constitutional amendments for victims'
rights raising the total number of state
constitutional amendments to 29 nationwide.
The Community Notification Act, known as
"Megan's Law," provides for notifying
communities of the location of convicted sex
offenders by amendment to the national Child
Sexual Abuse Registry legislation.
President Clinton signs the Antiterrorism and
Effective Death Penalty Act, providing one
million dollars in funding to strengthen
antiterrorism efforts, making restitution
mandatory in violent crime cases, and expanding
the compensation and assistance services for
victims of terrorism both at home and abroad,
including victims in the military.
The Office for Victims of Crime uses its new
authority under the Antiterrorism and Effective
Death Penalty Act to provide substantial
financial assistance to the victims and survivors
of the Oklahoma City bombing.
The Mandatory Victims' Restitution Act,
enacted as Title II of the Antiterrorism and
Effective Death Penalty Act, allows federal
courts to award "public harm" restitution
directly to state VOCA victim assistance
programs. As a result of the new sentencing
guidelines, judges can require federal offenders
in certain drug offense cases to pay "community
restitution."
The National Domestic Violence Hotline is
established to provide crisis intervention
information and referrals to victims of domestic
violence and their friends and family.
OVC launches a number of international
crime victim initiatives, including working to
foster worldwide implementation of a United
Nations declaration on victims' rights and
working to better assist Americans who are
victimized abroad.
The Church Arson Prevention Act is signed
into law in July, in response to increasing
numbers of acts of arson against religious
institutions around the country.
The Drug-Induced Rape Prevention Act is
enacted to address the emerging issue of the use
of sedating drugs by rapists on victims.
The Office for Juvenile Justice and
Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), within the
U.S. Department of Justice, issues the Juvenile
Justice Action Plan that includes
recommendations for victims' rights and services
for victims of juvenile offenders within the
juvenile justice system.
President Clinton directs the Attorney
General to hold the federal system to a higher
standard of services for crime victims.
1997
In January, a federal victims' rights
constitutional amendment is re-introduced in the
opening days of the 105th Congress with strong
bi-partisan support.
In February, OVC convenes the first National
Symposium on Victims of Federal Crimes.
Coordinated by the National Organization for
Victim Assistance, the symposium provides
intensive training to nearly 1,000 federal
employees who work with crime victims around
the world.
In March, Congress passes at historic speed
the Victims Rights Clarification Act of 1997 to
clarify existing federal law allowing victims to
attend a trial and to appear as "impact
witnesses" during the sentencing phase of both
capital and non-capital cases. Supported by the
Justice Department, President Clinton
immediately signs the Act, allowing the victims
and survivors of the bombing of the Alfred P.
Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City to
both observe the trial that is scheduled to begin
within days and to provide input later at
sentencing.
In April, the Senate Judiciary Committee
conducts hearings on the proposed federal
constitutional amendment. While not endorsing
specific language, Attorney General Janet Reno
testifies in support of federal constitutional rights
for crime victims.
In June, President Clinton reaffirms his
support of federal constitutional rights for crime
victims in a Rose Garden ceremony attended by
members of Congress, criminal justice officials,
and local, state, and national victims' rights
organizations. Also that month, the Judiciary
Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives
conducts its first hearing on the proposed
amendment.
In July, the Crime Victims Assistance Act is
introduced into the U.S. Senate, offering full-
scale reform of federal rules and federal law to
establish stronger rights and protections for
victims of federal crime. This legislation further
proposes to assist victims of state crime through
the infusion of additional resources to make the
criminal justice system more supportive of crime
victims.
To fully recognize the sovereignty of Indian
Nations, OVC for the first time provides victim
assistance grants in Indian Country directly to
the tribes.
A federal anti-stalking law is enacted by
Congress.
The Federal Crime Victims Fund reaches its
second highest year in fund collections with
deposits totaling $363 million.
Due to the large influx of VOCA funds in the
previous fiscal year, OVC hosts a series of
regional meetings with state VOCA
administrators to encourage states to develop
multi-year funding strategies to help stabilize
local program funding, expand outreach to
previously underserved victims, and to support
the development and implementation of
technologies to improve victims' rights and
services.
OVC continues its support of the victims and
survivors of the bombing of the Alfred P.
Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City by
funding additional advocates, crisis counseling,
and travel expenses to court proceedings for the
bombing victims. When the venue of the trial is
changed to Denver, Colorado, OVC provides
funding for a special closed-circuit broadcast to
victims and survivors in Oklahoma City.
OVC representatives join the United States
Delegation to the United Nations Commission on
Criminal Justice and Crime Prevention. OVC
plays a leadership role in the development of an
International Victim Assistance Training Manual
to implement the U.N. Declaration of Basic
Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and
Abuse of Power.
The National Victim Center utilizes its
extensive legislative database to create the
Legislative Sourcebook, a comprehensive
compendium of victims' rights laws in all states.
Developed with support from OVC, the
Sourcebook becomes the definitive digest of state
legislation on crime victims' rights laws for the
nation.
The third National Victim Assistance
Academy is held, bringing the total number of
students graduated to over 300 from 48 states.
Supported by OVC and sponsored by the
Victims' Assistance Legal Organization,
California State University-Fresno, and the
Medical University of South Carolina, the 45-
hour Academy is conducted simultaneously at
four universities across the nation linked by
distance learning technology.
A comprehensive national training for VOCA
Compensation and Assistance programs is hosted
by the National Association of Crime Victim
Compensation Boards and the National
Organization for Victim Assistance with support
from OVC. VOCA representatives from all 50
states and every territory are in attendance.
During National Crime Victims Rights Week,
OVC officially launches its homepage
, providing
Internet access to its comprehensive resources
about victims' rights and services.
New Directions from the Field: Victims Rights
and Services for the 21st Century is completed
with support from OVC. It assesses the nation's
progress in meeting the recommendations set
forth in the Final Report of the 1982 President's
Task Force on Victims of Crime, and issues over
250 new recommendations from the field for the
next millennium.
1998
Senate Joint Resolution 44, a new version of
the federal Victims' Rights Amendment, is
introduced in the Senate by Senators Jon Kyl and
Dianne Feinstein. The Senate Judiciary
Committee subsequently approves SJR 44 by an
11-6 vote. No further action is taken on SJR 44
during the 105th Congress.
Four new states pass state victims' rights
constitutional amendments: Louisiana by a voter
margin of approval of 69 percent; Mississippi by
93 percent; Montana by 71 percent; and
Tennessee by 89 percent. Also in 1998, the
Supreme Court of Oregon overturns the Oregon
state victims' rights amendment, originally
passed in 1996, citing structural deficiencies.
The fourth National Victim Assistance
Academy (NVAA), sponsored and funded by the
U.S. Department of Justice, Office for Victims
of Crime, is held at four university sites around
the country, bringing the total number of NVAA
graduates to nearly 700. To date, students from
all fifty states, one American territory, and three
foreign countries have attended the Academy.
PL 105-244, the Higher Education
Amendments of 1998, is passed. Part E of this
legislation, "Grants to Combat Violent Crimes
Against Women on Campus," is authorized
through the year 2003, and appropriates a total
of $10 million in grant funding to the Violence
Against Women Grants Office for fiscal year
1999. Another primary aim of this legislation is
to reduce binge drinking and illegal alcohol
consumption on college campuses.
The Child Protection and Sexual Predator
Punishment Act of 1998 is enacted, providing
for numerous sentencing enhancements and other
initiatives addressing sex crimes against
children, including crimes facilitated by the use
of interstate facilities and the Internet.
The Crime Victims with Disabilities Act of
1998 is passed, representing the first effort to
systematically gather information on the extent
of the problem of victimization of individuals
with disabilities. This legislation directs the
Attorney General to conduct a study on crimes
against individuals with developmental
disabilities within eighteen months. In addition,
the Bureau of Justice Statistics must include
statistics on the nature of crimes against
individuals with developmental disabilities and
victim characteristics in its annual National
Crime Victimization Survey by 2000.
The Identity Theft and Deterrence Act of
1998 is signed into law in October 1998. This
landmark federal legislation outlaws identity
theft and directs the U.S. Sentencing
Commission to consider various factors in
determining penalties including the number of
victims and the value of to any individual victim.
The Act further authorizes the Federal Trade
Commission to log and acknowledge reports of
identity theft, provide information to victims,
and refer complaints to appropriate consumer
reporting and law enforcement agencies.
1999
On January 19, 1999, Senate Joint Resolution
3, identical to SJR 44, is introduced and is
currently pending before the 106th Congress.
The Victim Restitution Enforcement Act of
1999 (S. 145), sponsored by Senator Abraham
Spencer and introduced in the Senate Judiciary
Committee on January 19, 1999 is officially
titled a Bill to Control Crime by Requiring
Mandatory Victim Restitution. Components of
the proposed bill include establishment of
procedures regarding the court's ascertaining of
the victim's losses; requirement that restitution
to victims be ordered in the full amount of their
losses without consideration of the defendant's
economic circumstances; and authorization of the
court, upon application of the United States, to
enter a restraining order or injunction, require
the execution of a satisfactory performance bond,
or take any other action necessary to preserve
the availability of property or assets necessary to
satisfy the criminal restitution order.
On January 20, 1999, Senator Joseph Biden
introduced the Violence Against Women Act II,
a bill that extends and strengthens the original
1994 Violence Against Women Act. Key
provisions of this bill would: (1) strengthen
enforcement of "stay away" orders across state
lines; (2) boost spending for more women's
shelters; (3) end insurance discrimination against
battered women; (4) extend the Family and
Medical Leave Act to cover court appearances
by battered women; and (5) target the "date rape
drug," Rohypnol, with maximum federal
penalties.
The Fifth National Victim Assistance
Academy was held June 20-25, 1999, at five
university locations across the United States,
bringing the total number of Academy graduates
to nearly 1,000.
Compiled by the National Center for Victims of Crime with the support and assistance of the U.S.
Department of
Justice Office for Victims of Crime, Victims' Assistance Legal Organization, Inc. (VALOR), and
the many national,
state and local victim service providers who offered documentation of their key victims' rights
landmark activities.
Victims' Rights
Constitutional Amendments
"When someone is a victim, he or she should be at the center of the criminal
justice process, not on the outside looking in. Participation in all forms of
government is the essence of democracy. Victims should be guaranteed the right
to participate in proceedings related to crimes committed against them. People
accused of crimes have explicit constitutional rights. Ordinary citizens have a
constitutional right to participate in criminal trials by serving on a jury. The press
has a constitutional right to attend trials. All of this is as it should be. It is only
the victims of crime who have no constitutional right to participate, and that is not
the way it should be."
President William Jefferson Clinton
Remarks at Announcement of the Victims' Rights
Constitutional Amendment, June 25, 1996
The issue of federal constitutional protection of victims' rights was first raised in the landmark
President's Task Force on Victims of Crime Final Report published in 1982. Its authors
proposed augmenting the Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution to provide that ". . . the
victim, in every criminal prosecution, shall have the right to be present and to be heard at all
critical stages of judicial proceedings."
Prior to the 1998 elections, a total of 29 states had passed state victims' rights constitutional
amendments. In the Fall of 1998, the voters in four additional states approved state victims'
rights constitutional amendments Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana and Tennessee. Also in
1998, the Oregon Supreme Court overturned that state's victims' rights constitutional amendment,
citing structural deficiencies. Thus, with one loss and four gains, a total of 33 states have
amended their constitutions, but a total of 32 states enjoy current constitutional protection for
victims, guaranteeing an array of rights, including notification, participation, protection and
input. A handful of states applies these constitutional rights to victims of juvenile, as well as
adult, offenders.
In April of 1996, and again in the opening session of the new Congress in January of 1997, a
Victims' Rights Constitutional Amendment was introduced by Senators Jon Kyl (R-AZ) and
Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) in the U.S. Senate and by Henry Hyde (R-IL) in the House of
Representatives. In June of 1996, President Clinton endorsed the concept of a federal
constitutional amendment for crime victims' rights in a special ceremony held at the White
House. His moving words are quoted above.
The Judiciary Committees in the Senate and House of Representatives have held hearings on the
federal constitutional amendment. Attorney General Janet Reno testified to the need for
constitutional rights for crime victims at hearings held in 1997.
On April 1, 1998, Senators Jon Kyl and Dianne Feinstein introduced a new version of the
constitutional amendment, Senate Joint Resolution 44. In order to gain key Senate Judiciary
Committee support, this new version of the proposed federal Victims' Rights Constitutional
Amendment incorporates two significant language changes to the previous version: (1) the
amendment is limited to victims of violent crime; and (2) Section 2 now includes language stating
that a violation of crime victims' rights pursuant to the Amendment gives no grounds to overturn
a sentence or negotiated plea agreement. In July 1998, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted
11-6 in favor of SJR 44. No further action was taken on SJR 44 during the 105th Congress.
On January 19, 1999, Senate Joint Resolution 3, identical to SJR 44, was introduced and is
currently pending before the 106th Congress.
The proposed federal Victims' Rights Constitutional Amendment continues to receive strong
bipartisan support, as well as support from organizations representing national, state and local
victim services, law enforcement, criminal justice, and community and institutional corrections.
For additional information about the federal constitutional amendment, contact your elected
representative. You may also wish to contact:
National Victims' Constitutional Amendment Network
789 Sherman Street, Suite 670
Denver, Colorado 80203
1-800-529-8226
History of State Victims' Rights
Constitutional Amendments
State
Year
Passed
Electoral
Support
State
Year
Passed
Electoral
Support
Alabama
1994
80%
Nebraska
1996
78%
Alaska
1994
87%
Nevada
1996
74%
Arizona
1990
58%
New Jersey
1991
85%
California
1982
56%
New Mexico
1992
68%
Colorado
1992
86%
North Carolina
1996
78%
Connecticut
1996
78%
Ohio
1994
77%
Florida
1988
90%
Oklahoma
1996
91%
Idaho
1994
79%
Oregon
1996
59%
Illinois
1992
77%
OVERTURNED
1998
Indiana
1996
89%
Rhode Island
1986
*
Kansas
1992
84%
South Carolina
1996
89%
Louisiana
1998
69%
Tennessee
1998
89%
Maryland
1994
92%
Texas
1989
73%
Michigan
1992
84%
Utah
1994
68%
Mississippi
1998
93%
Virginia
1996
84%
Missouri
1992
84%
Washington
1989
78%
Montana
1998
71%
Wisconsin
1993
84%
* Passed by Constitutional Convention.
Twenty Tips for Community Outreach
The following twenty tips are designed to highlight this year's theme "Dare to Dream" and can
also commemorate the 20th anniversary of National Crime Victims' Rights Week. Many of the
concepts presented here have been successfully sponsored in past years by state and local victim
service organizations and coalitions.
Each of these ideas should be tailored to fit the specific needs of the sponsoring agency,
coordinating committee, or community. The ultimate key to success is to involve as many
different individuals and organizations from the criminal and juvenile justice systems, victim
services, and the community in planning and implementing your 2000 National Crime Victims'
Rights Week activities.
1. To commemorate the 20th anniversary of NCVRW, review the most significant
accomplishments for victims' rights and services in your state since 1980. For each year,
designate one major success that highlights the fact that "dreams can come true" for
victims' rights and services. Print up a summary of "20 dreams that came true" "the
dream, the reality" in your state since 1980, utilizing the camera-ready artwork in this
Resource Guide
2. At any of your public awareness and community outreach events, ask participants to
consider ways in which they are "doing your community justice" by helping victims,
working with at-risk youth, promoting safety in our homes and schools, etc. Participants'
answers can be recorded on cards that can be displayed on a bulletin board or shared with
others in a public forum.
3. Coordination is key to any NCVRW initiative. In eastern Missouri, a Regional Planning
Committee is formed each year, comprised of all victim-related organizations (both
system- and community-based) and allied professionals who come together months in
advance of April to coordinate each group's individual activities, as well as to organize
one or two "united front"-type commemorative events. The many materials in this
Resource Guide can be utilized by your Planning Committee to coordinate and implement
successful events.
4. In 1998, the Office of Attorney General Betty Montgomery in Ohio published a handsome
"calendar of events" handbook that highlighted NCVRW commemorative activities
sponsored throughout the state, including a brief description of events, logistics, and
personal contacts for additional information. This is an excellent coordination document
and can also be utilized to alert local and state media to victim and community outreach
efforts.
5. Consider initiatives that highlight victims' rights across state borders. For example, in
1999, Parents of Murdered Children held a march and memorial service on the Chain of
Rocks Bridge across the Mississippi River, linking Missouri and Illinois. The bridge was
the site of a murder of two sisters several years ago. Proclamations from both Illinois and
Missouri were read at this moving event.
6. Identify a special site that can be used for NCVRW commemorative events not only in
2000, but in the future as well. In 1999 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the NCVRW
Coordinating Committee started the week's events in a park that had been named after a
police officer who was killed in the line of duty, located next to a police station. Key
leaders in criminal and juvenile justice addressed the crowd, emphasizing what they have
done in the past, and plan to do in the future, for victims and the community to promote
safety. The Coordinating Committee plans to have offenders help with the maintenance of
flower gardens and build a gazebo to focus on Cedar Rapids' commitment to community
justice principles. Trees have been planted to honor victims, and a walkway made of
bricks that memorialize homicide victims is in the planning stages.
7. Brainstorm ways to incorporate victim assistance and victim services into allied
professions, such as justice, corrections, education and mental health. In 1999, the
California Youth Authority (CYA) published a Technical Assistance Bulletin during
NCVRW entitled "Workplace Violence for Correctional Personnel." It covers types of
workplace violence; warning signs of danger; prevention strategies; safety planning; and
victim assistance and other referral resources. The Bulletin was distributed to CYA
employees, as well as to other state correctional agencies for training and staff
development. The "bulletin" concept could be incorporated for topics such as school
safety, the mental health needs of victims (for mental health professionals), and cycle of
violence (for a wide variety of audiences).
8. In urban communities, your Coordinating Committee can contact the managers of tall
buildings with lots of windows. During NCVRW, lights can be left on all night in
offices to spell out "VICTIMS' RIGHTS" or a short theme. A press release can alert the
news media to a "kickoff" event the first night the lights are turned on. (Submitted by the
St. Louis NCVRW Coordinating Committee).
9. Coalition and agency web sites offer excellent opportunities for victim and community
outreach not only during NCVRW, but also throughout the year. A calendar of events,
photographs and video footage of prior NCVRW events, and list serves that keep
coordinating committee members updated of key activities are but a few examples of how
to utilize web sites for NCVRW. The Missouri Victim Assistance Network (MOVA) site
, averages 800 visits a day and provides information
and referrals to supportive services for crime victims, as well as opportunities for
professional development, training, and technical assistance for victim service providers.
10. Create a crime victims advocacy tree. Provide victims, advocates, allied professionals,
and community members with card stock imprinted with this year's commemorative
artwork and theme, "Dare to Dream." Ask each individual to write down his or her
"dream" for victims' rights and services or community safety. Tie the cards with colorful
ribbons onto a tree near the courthouse, city hall, or a victim services organization.
11. Sponsor an essay contest for elementary, junior high, and/or high school students based
upon the theme "Dare to Dream." Ask students to submit essays that describe their
"dream" for: safety in our homes, safety in our schools, and/or safety in our community.
Create a panel of esteemed judges that include representatives from the criminal and
juvenile justice systems, victim services, and community leaders. Sponsor an award
ceremony during NCVRW that honors the winning submissions.
12. One of the most effective ways to promote victims' voices is through Victim Impact
Panels, which can be sponsored at a variety of forums (such as community outreach
sessions, schools, civic organizations, and institutional or community corrections settings).
Ask victim participants to address this year's theme "Dare to Dream" by discussing
their dreams and vision for an America where victims' rights and services meet the needs
of all people who are hurt by crime.
13. At public gatherings, lead participants in a "moment of silence" to honor victims,
followed by a song or poetry reading that symbolizes the hopes and dreams of crime
victims and those who serve them for justice and individual/community safety.
14. Ask local domestic violence organizations/shelters or children's advocacy organizations to
provide artwork from children who have been victims of or witnesses to violence.
Then sponsor a display at a public forum (such as the library, mall, or courthouse) that
includes educational information about the impact of violence on children, utilizing this
year's theme to emphasize the importance of a shared dream for safety in our homes,
schools, and communities.
15. Lapel buttons commemorating NCVRW in Ohio were designed and produced by inmates
of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. In addition, the Department
published a book of poetry written by victims and survivors, as well as a calendar that
depicts the Department's vision and programs for restorative justice that addresses the
interests and needs of crime victims, offenders, and the community. Both of these
creative ideas lend a visual voice to victims and communities hurt by crime, and offer
offenders the opportunity to perform community service that helps crime victims and those
who serve them.
16. Utilize the camera-ready artwork in this Resource Guide to create bulletin boards,
bumper stickers, bookmarks, grocery bags, and other visual depictions of dreams and
visions for victim services and justice for all. Ask local printers or correctional work
programs to donate printing services.
17. Sponsor a discussion group for victims, service providers and concerned citizens that
addresses how victims and service providers who have "dared to dream" of victim justice
have had a positive impact on your community.
18. Solicit a meeting with your local newspaper's editorial board, focusing on how victims'
rights and services have made your community a safer and better place to live. Ask
victims who have had a positive influence on public policy or community safety to
accompany you. Provide editorial board members with this year's theme, along with
supportive resources from this year's Resource Guide, and encourage them to write an
editorial about the importance of victims' rights and services, and the contributions
they have made to your community.
19. In many states, flags are lowered at half-mast in commemoration of National Crime
Victims' Rights Week. You can request this important public service by writing a letter to
your mayor or city council, county or parish board of supervisors, or governor,
coordinating one day during 2000 NCVRW during which all flags will be lowered to half-
mast to honor people who have been hurt by crime.
20. Invite adult and youth choral groups to perform at commemorative events, providing
them with this year's theme to select songs that reflect the power of dreams and visions
for equal justice for all.
Sample Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CONTACT: [Name/Title/Agency]
[Date] [A/C-Telephone #]
"Dare to Dream"
America Commemorates the 20th Anniversary of
National Crime Victims' Rights Week
[City/State] During the week of April 9 to 15, 2000, crime victims, service providers,
criminal and juvenile justice and allied professionals will join together across America to
commemorate the 20th anniversary of National Crime Victims' Rights Week. This year's theme,
"Dare to Dream," reflects on the tremendous strides that have been made toward victim justice
that emerged from victims who dared to share their personal pain so that others might learn from
their experiences; from victim service providers who dared to push for significant reforms that
have resulted in more consistent and comprehensive assistance for crime victims; and from justice
officials who dared to pursue a system of justice that balances the rights of accused and convicted
offenders with the rights of crime victims.
When National Crime Victims' Rights Week was first proclaimed in 1980, crime victims
had few participatory rights in our nation's criminal and juvenile justice systems. Assistance and
services were limited, and countless victims endured their trauma and pain alone. Today, over
10,000 national, state and local organizations provide quality services and assistance to victims of
crime, including over [#] in our [state/community]. Thirty thousand laws have been passed at the
federal, state and local levels that articulate and protect victims' rights, including constitutional
amendments in 32 states [including yours, if applicable] that offer a range of participatory rights
for victims.
According to [spokesperson], the true dream of "victim justice" relies on people who
believe that crime victims deserve fair treatment and assistance to help them cope with the
devastating trauma of crime and victimization. more
America Commemorates the 20th Anniversary of National Crime Victims' Rights Week
[Date]
Page Two
"We must continue to dare to dream of individuals and communities who embrace crime
victims as friends and neighbors who need and deserve our assistance," [spokesperson] said.
"It's important to remember that every time we reach out to a victim, and every time we
offer help to someone who has been hurt by crime, we're doing our community justice."
Here in [city/county/state], numerous activities have been planned to recognize victims of
crime and those who serve them during the 20th anniversary commemoration of National Crime
Victims' Rights Week. Included are: [cite examples of special events].
Kathryn Turman, Director of the Office for Victims of Crime within the U.S. Department
of Justice, encourages people across America to join the Justice Department in saluting the
achievements of America's crime victims, service providers, and justice professionals.
"Because of so many individuals who have dared to dream of a world where victims are
informed, involved and treated with respect by our justice system and by society, we are
beginning to see doors open, and attitudes change, and services provided to victims on a
widespread basis," Turman noted. "We will continue to rely on individuals' and communities'
sense of true justice to guide the fair treatment of crime victims in the new millennium."
Members of our community are encouraged to join together during 2000 National Crime
Victims' Rights Week and honor those who bring honor to victims of crime. For additional
information about National Crime Victims' Rights Week, please contact [name], [title], or
[agency/organization] at [area code/telephone number], or visit [name of agency's] Web site at
[Web site address].
END
Type your press release double-spaced on the sample letterhead included in this Resource Guide.
If
your press release is more than one page, type " more " in the bottom right corner of the front
page, and paper clip the second page to the first page. Add the title and date of the press release,
plus "Page Two", in the top left corner of the second page.
Sample Public Service Announcements
:60 Seconds: During the week of April 9 to 15, people across our nation will be commemorating
the 20th anniversary of National Crime Victims' Rights Week. The past two decades have
resulted
in tremendous progress for victims of crime. In 1980, most victims were not allowed to
participate
in justice processes; today, there are over 30,000 laws nationwide that define and protect victims'
rights. In 1980, supportive services for victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse,
elder abuse, homicide, drunk driving and hate crimes were very limited. Today, there are over
10,000 national, state, and local organizations that provide assistance to people who have been
hurt
by crime.
If you are a victim of crime, there is assistance available to help you. We can provide assistance
with counseling and advocacy throughout the criminal and juvenile justice systems. Victim
compensation is available to help violent crime victims recover some of the financial losses
resulting from crime. We're here to help . . .
If you are concerned about crime and violence in our community, now is your chance to get
involved. Join us during National Crime Victims' Rights Week to salute the countless individuals
and agencies who have made our communities safer, and who have lent a helping hand to victims
in need. Join us in daring to dream of an America where "justice for all" includes victims of
crime. For additional information about 2000 National Crime Victims' Rights Week and victim
services in our community, please call [agency] at [area code/telephone number].
:30 Seconds: Victims of crime do not have to suffer alone. Here in [name of community], there
are many programs that provide support and assistance to people who have been hurt by crime.
April 9 to 15 is National Crime Victims' Rights Week a time to honor crime victims and all they
endure, as well as the countless individuals who serve them. If you are a victim of crime, please
call us for assistance. And if you are a community member concerned about safety in our homes
and neighborhoods, join us in our efforts to do our community justice by helping victims of crime.
For additional information about victim services in our community or about 2000 National Crime
Victims' Rights Week, please call [agency] at [area code/telephone number].
:15 Seconds: April 9 to 15 marks the 20th anniversary of National Crime Victims' Rights Week,
a
time to commemorate the many accomplishments made by crime victims and those who serve
them
to make our community safer, and to make our justice system more responsive to victims in need
of help. Please join us in our efforts to do our community justice by helping victims of crime. To
get help or give help, call [agency] at [area code/telephone number].
If your agency has a web site or e-mail address,
incorporate it into the text of your public service announcements.
Sample Opinion/Editorial Column
Imagine a world where you are hurt by crime, your life falls apart, and nobody is there to help
you put it back together. Imagine that nobody tells you anything about the criminal case that
arises out of your victimization, or about the status of the offender. You are barred from the
courtroom; you have no opportunity to tell the judge about the devastating impact that the crime
has had on you and your family. Imagine feeling totally terrified, with no significant protections
offered to increase your feelings of security. Financial restitution? not a chance!
Such an imaginary scenario was the painful reality that crime victims in America endured a mere
twenty years ago. This week marks the 20th anniversary of National Crime Victims' Rights
Week, and yet it marks so much more. Today in America, victims of crime are afforded both
rights and respect that they so richly deserve. They are, for the most part, informed about and
involved in criminal and juvenile justice processes that determine not only the fate of their
offender, but their very future as people who have been hurt by crime.
This year's National Crime Victims' Rights Week theme, "Dare to Dream," reflects on the
tremendous strides that have been made toward victim justice that emerged from victims who
dared to share their personal pain so that others might learn from their experiences; from victim
service providers who dared to push for significant reforms that have resulted in more consistent
and comprehensive assistance for crime victims; and from justice officials who dared to pursue a
system of justice that balances the rights of accused and convicted offenders with the rights of
crime victims.
If, as Henry David Thoreau said, "Dreams are the touchstones of our character," the dreams that
crime victims and those who serve them have of a nation that is truly just and a justice system that
is truly fair are indicative of our strength of character. The many significant accomplishments of
America's victims' rights discipline have been built upon pain and perseverance, fear and
frustration, hope and help. So many victims have made the commitment to help other victims,
and to help prevent crime from ravaging our communities and homes, knowing that it will not
change the harm they have suffered but will, indeed, prevent the same sort of pain and indignities
from happening to somebody else.
During National Crime Victims' Rights Week, we take a break from the hubbub of our hectic
lives to say "thank you." To the police officer who spoke to that rape victim with kindness and
concern, we say "thank you." To the prosecutor who insisted upon a restitution order from the
"indigent defendant" who could "not afford to pay," because s/he knew the victim who suffered
financial losses could not afford to pay either, our gratitude is yours. To the probation officer
who ensured that the victim was able to define the harm caused by the crime and tell the court
about the devastating impact the offense had on his/her family, we appreciate your diligence.
And to anybody, anywhere in our community who has taken the time to help a victim who
needed support both at the time of the crime and in the weeks, months, and years after we
salute you. We thank you all for sharing our dream of a world where "justice" includes crime
victims, and where every time we help a victim of crime, we know we are doing our community
justice.
This new century of ours offers an opportunity for reflection about our shared past, and the hopes
and visions we share together for our future. As Eleanor Roosevelt said, "The future belongs to
those who believe in the beauty of our dreams." The beauty of our dream for victim justice is
one that requires a renewed commitment to a sense of justice that refuses to ignore any child,
woman or man who is hurt by crime. Their pain and suffering are our incentives to continue
efforts to prevent crime, and to help those who are harmed by violence. Their tremendous losses
are our collective gain in understanding that when one person in our community is hurt by crime,
we all feel the pain.
This is our pledge. This is our hope. This is our dream that we dare to share not only during
National Crime Victims' Rights Week, but throughout the year.
Provide a two-to-three sentence description of the author's title, agency, and relevant role at the
end
of this opinion/editorial column.
Sample Proclamation
Whereas, year 2000 marks the twentieth anniversary of the commemoration of National
Crime Victims' Rights Week; and
Whereas, the victims' rights discipline in America has, for nearly three decades, dared to
dream of a nation that is free from violence and an America where crime victims
are consistently provided supportive services to help them cope with the trauma of
crime and victimization; and
Whereas, while the rate of most crimes continues to decrease, U.S. residents still
experience
nearly 31 million criminal victimizations, including nearly 8.1 million violent
crimes; and
Whereas, over 30,000 federal and state laws have been passed that define and protect the
rights of crime victims; 32 states have passed constitutional amendments that afford
victims important participatory rights throughout the criminal and juvenile justice
systems; and a federal constitutional amendment is currently pending in the U.S.
Congress; and
Whereas, important partnerships have been formed among criminal and juvenile justice
agencies, allied professionals, and victim services to ensure that crime victims are
treated with dignity and respect; and
Whereas, our nation's commitment to victim assistance, crime prevention, and public safety
has resulted in countless individuals and collaborative initiatives that truly do our
community justice; and
Whereas, the new millennium affords us the opportunity to continue to dare to dream of a
nation where liberty and justice for all includes each and every person who has
been touched by crime; therefore, be it
Resolved, that [individual or entity] proclaims the week of April 9 to 15, 2000 to be
[city/county/parish/state] Crime Victims' Week; and be it further
Resolved, that our individual and collective efforts reflect the dreams we dare to have of a
nation where no crime victim goes unserved, and every crime victim is afforded
rights and services, and fair treatment by the justice system and by society; and be
it further
Resolved, that a suitably prepared copy of this proclamation be presented to [your
organization].
Child Abuse and Victimization
In 1997, child protective service agencies
investigated 3 million reports of child abuse,
of which just under 1 million cases were
substantiated. In addition, 2,200 children
are reported missing to law enforcement
agencies every day. (Connelly, H. June 1999.
"Children Exposed to Violence: Criminal Justice
Resources." Office for Victims of Crime Bulletin.
Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice.)
Nationally, child protective service agencies
received reports on more than three million
maltreated children in 1996 a 161 percent
increase from 1980. Of these reports, 35
percent were found to be substantiated while
more than half (58%) were closed for lack of
substantiation. The remaining 7 percent were
closed without any finding at all. (National
Center for Juvenile Justice. September 1999. Juvenile
Offenders and Victims: 1999 National Report. Washington,
DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice
and Delinquency Prevention, 45.)
Neglect was the most common form of
maltreatment found among all age groups of
victims; however, children eight years of age
and younger experienced 65 percent of all
neglect in 1996. (Ibid., 46)
1996 data on substantiated maltreatment
found that 52 percent of victims were
female; 55 percent were white, 28 percent
black, 12 percent Hispanic, and 5 percent of
other races. Nineteen percent of victims
were aged two or younger, 52 percent seven
or younger, and 7 percent sixteen or older.
Eighty percent of perpetrators were the
parents of the victim. (Ibid., 45)
The FBI's National Incident-Based Reporting
System data indicate that between 1991 and
1996, persons under the age of twelve were
the victims of 5.5 percent of all violent
crime incidents reported to a law
enforcement agency. (Ibid, 29)
Female victims were three times more likely
than males to have experienced sexual abuse
(16% vs. 5%) and less likely to have
experienced neglect (54% vs. 62%); white
youth were more likely than black youth to
be victims of sexual abuse (13% vs. 7%).
(Ibid., 46)
Between 1991 and 1996, children under the
age of twelve were the victims in 5.5 percent
of all violent crimes reported to law
enforcement agencies. These crimes included
kidnapping (21%), sexual assault (32%),
robbery (2%), aggravated assault (4%), and
simple assault (4%). Thirty-seven percent of
these victims were younger than seven and
about half (47%) were female. (Ibid., 29)
An estimated 1,077 children died as a result
of maltreatment in 1996, with over half
(56%) of all victims being male and under
the age of four (76%). (Ibid., 45-46)
Females were identified as the perpetrator of
maltreatment in three of four reported cases;
however, males were identified as
perpetrators in 91 percent of reported cases
of sexual abuse. (Ibid., 46)
Professionals accounted for slightly more
than half (52%) of all reports of abuse and
neglect in 1996; family and community
members reported 25 percent of the cases;
and 23 percent of the reports were made
either anonymously or from other sources.
Victims self-reported in only 1 percent of all
abuse and neglect cases. (Ibid., 46)
Cost of Crime
During 1998, losses estimated at nearly $446
million were attributed to robberies. The
value of property stolen averaged $998 per
robbery, ranging from $546 taken during
robberies of gas or service stations to $4,516
per bank robbery. (Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI). 17 October 1999. Crime in the United States,
Uniform Crime Reports, 1998. Washington, DC: U.S.
Department of Justice, 27.)
The dollar value of property stolen in
connection with property crimes in 1998 was
estimated at over $15.4 billion. The average
loss per offense in 1998 was $1,407,
compared to the 1997 recorded figure of
$1,314. In 1997, law enforcement agencies
nationwide reported a 37 percent recovery
rate for dollar losses in connection with
stolen property. (Ibid., 36)
Based on information from 11,377 law
enforcement agencies, 66,508 arson offenses
were reported in 1998. The average dollar
loss of property damaged due to reported
arsons was $12,561. The overall average
loss for all types of structures was $22,683.
(Ibid., 55)
During 1998, the estimated value of motor
vehicles stolen nationwide was nearly $7.5
billion. The average value per vehicle at the
time of theft was $6,030. In relating the
value of vehicles stolen to those recovered,
the recovery rate for 1998 was 65 percent.
(Ibid., 50)
During 1998, the average value of property
stolen due to larceny-theft was $650, up
from the 1997 value of $585. Applying the
average value to the estimated number of
larceny-thefts nationally, the loss to victims
was nearly $4.8 billion for the year. (Ibid.,
44)
Allowing just one youth to leave high school
for a life of crime and drug abuse costs
society approximately $2 million. (National
Center for Juvenile Justice. September 1999. Juvenile
Offenders and Victims: 1999 National Report. Washington,
DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice
and Delinquency Prevention.)
Total state correctional expenditures reached
over $27 billion dollars in FY 1996, a 115
percent increase from $12.7 billion in 1985.
(Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). August 1999. State
Prison Expenditures, 1996. Washington, DC: U.S.
Department of Justice.)
In 1996, the average cost to house each of
the nation's one million plus state inmates
per year was $20,142 compared to $18,400
in 1990. (Ibid.)
The cost for all crime offenses declined in
1997 when compared to 1996 estimated
costs. Robbery on streets or highways saw
the highest cost reduction percentage per
offense (13%), while larceny-theft from
buildings saw the lowest (1.1%). (Bureau of
Justice Statistics. 1999. Sourcebook of Criminal Justice
Statistics 1998. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of
Justice, 284, table 3.124.)
In 1997, the cost of arson-related structural
damage within the U.S. was just over $782
million. The cost of arson-related vehicular
damage added another $103 million in losses
in the arson category. (Ibid., 324, table 3.187)
Losses for telemarketing and direct personal
marketing fraud schemes alone are estimated
to be more than $40 billion annually. (Miller,
T., M. Cohen, and B. Wiersema. February 1996. Victim
Costs and Consequences: A New Look. Washington, DC:
U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice,
13.)
Crime and Education
For the school year, July 1, 1997 through
June 30, 1998, there were 58 school-
associated violent deaths (student and non-
students) that resulted from 46 incidents.
Forty-six of these violent deaths were
homicides, 11 were suicides, and one
teenager was killed by a law enforcement
officer in the course of duty. (1999 Annual
Report on School Safety, Joint Report. Washington, DC:
U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of
Justice, 2.)
Thirty-two (70%) of the homicides at school
occurred on school property, one (2%)
occurred at a school-sponsored event, and 13
(28%) occurred in transit to or from school
or a school-sponsored event. (Ibid., 3)
Since the 1992-93 school year, there has
been at least one multiple victim homicide
event each year (except for the 1993-94
school year). The number increased from
two events in 1992-93 to five events in 1997-
98. (Ibid.)
Students ages twelve through eighteen were
more likely to be victims of serious violent
crime away from school than at school. In
1997, about 24 of every 1,000 these students
were victims of serious violent crimes away
from school (a total of 635,900 serious
violent crimes). In contrast, only eight of
every 1,000 students were victims of serious
violent crimes at school or going to and from
school (201,800 total). (Ibid.)
In 1997, there were 63 thefts for every 1,000
students (ages twelve to eighteen) at school.
Theft accounted for about 61 percent of all
crime against students at school that year.
(Ibid., 4)
The overall crime school crime rate between
1993 and 1997 declined, from about 155
school-related crimes for every 1,000
students ages twelve to eighteen in 1993 to
about 102 such crimes in 1997. Crime
victimization outside of school declined from
about 139 crimes for every 1,000 students in
this age group in 1993 to 117 such crimes in
1997. (Ibid.)
In 1997, 5 percent of all 12th graders
reported that they had been injured on
purpose with a weapon such as a knife, gun,
or club during the prior twelve months while
they were at school. (Ibid., 5)
On average, each year from 1993 to 1997
there were 131,400 violent crimes against
teachers at school and 222,800 thefts from
teachers at school. This translates into a rate
of 31 violent crimes for every 1,000 teachers
and a rate of 53 thefts for every 1,000
teachers. (Ibid.)
Gangs reportedly operate in 41 percent of
urban schools, 26 percent of suburban
schools, and 20 percent of rural schools.
(Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
February 1999. Promising Strategies to Reduce Gun
Violence. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice.)
Serious violent crime appears to be prevalent
in only a minority of the nation's public
schools. Only 13 percent of high schools
and 12 percent of middle schools contact
police about incidents of attacks or fighting
involving weapons. (National Center for Juvenile
Justice. September 1999. Juvenile Offenders and Victims:
1999 National Report. Washington, DC: U.S. Department
of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention, 33.)
Crime and Victimization
In 1998, U.S. residents aged twelve or older
experienced approximately 31.3 million
crimes. Types of victimization are as
follows: 73 percent (22.9 million) were
property crimes, 26 percent (8.1 million)
were crimes of violence, and 1 percent were
personal thefts. (Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS).
July 1999. Criminal Victimization 1998: Changes 1997-98
with Trends 1993-98. Washington, DC: U.S. Department
of Justice.)
Victims reported about half of all violent
crime (46%) and about a third (35%) of
property crimes to the police in 1998.
Among violent crimes, victims reported
robberies most often (62%) and rape or
sexual assaults least often (32%). Among
property crimes, motor vehicle thefts
continued to be the property crime most
often reported (80%). (Ibid.)
Offenders used a weapon in about one fourth
of violent victimizations in 1998. (Ibid.)
In 1998, law enforcement agencies
nationwide made an estimated 14.5 million
arrest for all criminal infractions excluding
traffic violations. More specifically, drug
abuse violations accounted for 1.6 million
arrests, driving under the influence
registered approximately 1.4 million arrests,
and larceny-thefts and simple assaults each
accounted for 1.3 million arrests. (Federal
Bureau of Investigation (FBI). 17 October 1999. Crime in
the United States, Uniform Crime Reports, 1998.
Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, 209.)
The 1998 rate for Crime Index
offenses 4,616 for each 100,000 inhabitants
in the U.S. was the lowest reported rate
since 1973. (Ibid., 6)
Crime Index Offenses for 1998 include the
following crimes and prevalence of
occurrence: larceny-theft (59.1%); burglary
(18.7%); motor vehicle theft (9.9%);
aggravated assault (7.8%); robbery (3.6%);
forcible rape (0.7%); and murder (0.1%).
(Ibid., 8, figure 2.3)
Even though total Crime Index arrests fell 12
percent, with violent crime arrests decreasing
8 percent and property crime arrests by 14
percent, data used to establish five-year
trends show total arrests were up 4 percent in
1998. From 1994 to 1998, juvenile arrests
increased 1 percent, and adult arrests rose 5
percent. (Ibid., 209)
Victim characteristics for violent crime in
1998 are as follows: 76 percent were
reported to be aged eighteen and over, 15
percent juveniles twelve to seventeen, and 6
percent children under the age of twelve.
Males accounted for 42 percent of victims
and females, 58 percent. Seventy-two
percent of victims were white, 25 percent
black, and the remaining victims of other
races or unknown race. (Ibid., 279)
Of the 21 percent Crime Index clearance rate
(excluding arson), murder offenses were
cleared most often (69%) and larceny-theft
offenses cleared the least (14%). (Ibid., 199)
Of the 421,493 victims of violent offenses,
112,042 (27%) were reported to have been
related to one or more of their offenders.
(Ibid., 280)
In 1998, simple assault was the most
common offense of all reported violent
crimes (58.2%). (Ibid., 279)
Domestic Violence
According to the FBI's Uniform Crime
Report, spousal abuse (including
common-law spouses) comprised 43 percent
of all family violence incidents reported to
police in 1998. (Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI). 17 October 1999. Crime in the United States,
Uniform Crime Reports, 1998. Washington, DC: U.S.
Department of Justice.)
Victims of family violence are
overwhelmingly female 71 percent for
family violence versus 58 percent for all
other types of violence. (Ibid., 281)
A slightly larger percentage of family
violence victims are white compared to
victims of overall violence, 74 percent and
72 percent, respectively. (Ibid.)
In 15.1 percent of family murders, the
offender used his/her feet, hands, or fists to
kill his/her intended victim. (Ibid., 282)
In 1996, women experienced an estimated
840,000 rapes, sexual assaults, robberies,
aggravated assaults, and simple
victimizations at the hands of an intimate
down from 1.1 million in 1993. (Bureau of
Justice Statistics (BJS). 18 February 1999. "Characteristics
of Crime." Summary Findings. Washington, DC: U.S.
Department of Justice.)
Intimate violence is primarily a crime against
women. In 1996, females were the victims
of three out of every four murders of
intimates and about 85% of the victims of
nonlethal intimate violence. (Ibid., 1)
About 10 percent of all handgun purchase
applications were rejected in 1998 because
the applicant had been convicted of a
domestic violence offense, and 3 percent
were rejected because the applicant was the
subject of a domestic violence protection
order. (Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). Presale
Handgun Checks, The Brady Interim Period, 1994-98.
Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, 1.)
Among women victimized by a violent
intimate in 1996, about two-thirds of black
females reported the abuse to law
enforcement professionals, but only about
one-half of white female victims did. (Bureau
of Justice Statistics (BJS). March 1998. Violence by
Intimates, Analysis of Data on Crimes by Current or
Former Spouses, Boyfriends, and Girlfriends. Washington,
DC: U.S. Department of Justice, 19.)
Nearly six in ten female domestic violence
victims in 1996 report that police responded
within ten minutes of receiving the report of
abuse. (Ibid., 20)
Data from the National Violence Against
Women Survey indicate that violence against
women is predominantly intimate partner
violence. Of the women who reported being
raped and/or physically assaulted since the
age of eighteen, three-quarters were
victimized by a current or former husband,
cohabiting partner, date, or boyfriend.
(National Institute of Justice and U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention. 1998. Prevalence, Incidence, and
Consequences of Violence Against Women: Findings From
the National Violence Against Women Survey. Washington,
DC: U.S. Department of Justice, 12.)
When raped or physically assaulted by a
current or former intimate partner, women
were significantly more likely than men to
sustain injuries and to report the assault,
whether the time frame considered was the
person's lifetime or the twelve months
preceding the survey. (Ibid.)
Drunk Driving
A total of 15,935 persons, or 38 percent of
all traffic fatalities, died in alcohol-related
crashes in 1998 an alcohol-related fatality
every 33 minutes. (National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration. 1999. Traffic Safety Facts 1998, Alcohol.
Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Transportation, 1.)
In 1998, more than 305,000 persons were
injured in alcohol-related crashes an
average of one person injured approximately
every two minutes. (Ibid.)
The rate of alcohol involvement in fatal
crashes in 1998 was about four times as high
at night as during the day (60% versus 17%)
and almost twice as high on weekends as
during the week (52% versus 29%). (Ibid., 2)
Intoxication rates for vehicle operators
involved in fatal crashes in 1998 were
highest for motorcycles (31%), followed by
light trucks (20%), passenger cars (18%),
and large trucks (1%). (Ibid.)
More than one-third (34%) of all pedestrians
sixteen years of age or older killed in traffic
crashes in 1998 were intoxicated.
Pedestrians thirty-five to forty-four years old
represented the category of victims' age most
often intoxicated at the time of death (48%).
(Ibid., 3)
The intoxication rate for male drivers
involved in fatal crashes was 20 percent,
compared with 10 percent for female drivers.
(Ibid., 5)
Older drivers (over sixty-four) involved in
fatal crashes in 1998 had the lowest
intoxication rate (5%) of all adult drivers.
(Ibid.)
In 1998, 21 percent of young drivers, ages
fifteen to twenty, killed in crashes were
intoxicated. (National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration. 1999. Traffic Safety Facts 1998, Young
Drivers. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of
Transportation, 4.)
Twenty-five percent of young male drivers
(fifteen to twenty years old) involved in fatal
crashes in 1998 had been drinking at the time
of the crash, compared with 12 percent of
young female drivers. (Ibid., 5)
Twenty percent of child fatalities under the
age of fifteen were killed in alcohol-related
crashes almost half of these were in
vehicles where the driver had a BAC level of
at least 0.01. (National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration. 1999. Traffic Safety Facts 1998, Children.
Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Transportation, 2.)
In 1998, there were an estimated total of
968,868 arrests for driving under the
influence of alcohol. (Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI). 17 October 1999. Crime in the United
States, Uniform Crime Reports, 1998. Washington, DC:
U.S. Department of Justice, 211.)
In 1997, drunk driving offenders accounted
for nearly 14 percent of probationers, 7
percent of local jail inmates, and 2 percent of
state prisoners a total of 513,200 offenders.
(Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). June 1999. DWI
Offenders Under Correctional Supervision. Washington,
DC: U.S. Department of Justice, 1.)
Drunk driving is the nation's most frequently
committed violent crime. (Summary of Statistics:
The Impaired Driving Problem. 1996. Irving, TX:
Mothers Against Drunk Driving National Office.)
Note: OVC makes no representation concerning the
accuracy of data from non-Department of Justice sources.
Economic Crime
In 1998, the total estimated arrests (based on
all reporting agencies and estimates for
unreported areas) included: 394,600 arrests
for fraud; 114,600 arrests for forgery and
counterfeiting; 17,100 arrests for
embezzlement; and 137,900 arrests for
buying, receiving, and possessing stolen
property. (Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). 17
October 1999. Crime in the United States, Uniform Crime
Reports, 1998. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of
Justice, 210.)
In 1998, 220,262 persons were arrested for
fraud crimes. An additional 70,678 were
arrest for forgery and counterfeiting
offenses, and 10,585 persons were arrested
for embezzlement. (Bureau of Justice Statistics
(BJS). 1999. Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics,
1998. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, 214,
table 32.)
The U.S. Department successfully
prosecuted 2,613 cases of financial
institution fraud in 1998. These convictions
netted $62.4 million in recovered assets and
$491 million in court-ordered restitution to
the victims of these frauds. (Ibid., 305, table
3.159)
According to the Federal Bureau of
Investigation, senior citizens are targeted at a
rate of 34 percent of U.S. residents in fraud
schemes. The general public is targeted for
telemarketing fraud at a rate of 30 percent,
small businesses at 12 percent, and investors
at 7 percent. (Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
March 1998. Law Enforcement Bulletin: Telemarketing
Fraud. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, 13.)
Federal prosecutors filed 322 new criminal
health care fraud cases in 1998 a 14 percent
increase over the previous year. During this
same time period, federal courts ordered
convicted offenders to pay over $480 million
in fines, judgments, and settlements. (Health
Care Fraud and Abuse Control Program Annual Report for
FY 1999. February 1999. Washington, DC: U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services; U.S.
Department of Justice.)
According to the General Accounting Office
and Trans Union, one of the three major
credit bureaus, two-thirds of all consumer
inquiries received in 1997 related to identity
fraud a total of 522,922, up from a total of
35,235 in 1992. (Robinson, M. 24 July 1998.
Associated Press.)
The Secret Service reports that financial
losses relating to identity fraud totaled
$745 million in 1997, while only two years
earlier, such losses amounted to $442
million. (Mannix, M. 1 June 1998. "Stolen Identity."
U.S. News and World Report.)
Each year, more than 24 million persons
become victims of more than 38 million
completed and attempted fraud crimes.
(Miller, T., M. Cohen, and B. Wiersema. February 1996.
"Victim Costs and Consequences: A New Look." National
Institute of Justice Research Report, 7. , Washington, DC:
U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs.)
On-line auction complaints were the number
one fraud complaint in 1998. Auctions were
first in consumer complaints in 1997 at 26
percent, but grew to 68 percent in 1998 a
600 percent increase. (Internet Fraud Watch, press
release. 2 February 1999. Washington, DC: National
Consumers League.)
Note: OVC makes no representation concerning the
accuracy of data from non-Department of Justice sources.
Elder Abuse and Neglect
The first-ever National Elder Abuse
Incidence Study estimates that a total of
551,011 elderly persons, aged sixty and
over, experienced abuse, neglect, and/or self
neglect in domestic settings in 1996. Of this
total, 115,110 (21%) were reported to and
substantiated by adult protective service
agencies, with the remaining 435,901 (79%)
not being reported to APS agencies. These
figures indicated that almost four times as
many new incidents of elder abuse, neglect,
and/or self-neglect were unreported than
those that were reported in 1996. (National
Center on Elder Abuse. September 1998. National Elder
Abuse Incidence Study: Final Report. Washington, DC:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
Administration for Children and Families and
Administration on Aging.)
Neglect of the elderly was the most frequent
type of elder maltreatment (48.7%);
emotional/psychological abuse was the
second (35.5%); physical abuse was the third
(25.6%); financial/material exploitation was
fourth (30.2%); and abandonment was the
least common (3.6%). (Ibid.)
Adult children comprised the largest
category of perpetrators (47.3%) of
substantiated incidents of elder abuse;
spouses following second by 19.3 percent;
other relatives were third at 8.8 percent; and
grandchildren following last with 8.6
percent. (Ibid.)
Three out of four elder abuse and neglect
victims suffer from physical frailty. About
one-half (47.9%) of substantiated incidents
of abuse and neglect involved elderly persons
who were not physically able to care for
themselves, while 28.7 percent of victims
could care for themselves marginally. (Ibid.)
Some experts estimate that only one out of
fourteen domestic elder abuse incidents
(excluding self-neglect) comes to the
attention of authorities. Based on these
estimates, somewhere between 820,000 and
1,860,000 elders were victims of abuse in
1996, indicating that the majority of cases
went unreported to state protective agencies.
(Tatara, R. November 1997. "Reporting Requirements and
Characteristics of Victims." Domestic Elder Abuse
Information Series #3. Washington, DC: National Center
on Elder Abuse, 1.)
From 1986 to 1996, there was a steady
increase in the reporting of domestic elder
abuse nationwide, from 117,000 reported
cases in 1986 to 293,000 reported cases in
1996 a 150.4 percent increase. (Ibid., 2)
According to the National Center on Elder
Abuse, 66.4 percent of victims of domestic
elder abuse were white, 18.7 percent were
black, 10.4 percent were Hispanic, and 1
percent each were Native Americans and
Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders for the
reporting year 1996. (Ibid., 2)
Sixty-four percent of all reported elder abuse
cases in 1996 were substantiated after
investigation. (Ibid., 2)
In 1996, 22.5 percent of all domestic elder
abuse reports came from physicians and
other health care professionals; 15.1 percent
from other care service providers; 16.3
percent from family members and relatives;
and the remainder from other reporting
sources: police, friends, neighbors, clergy,
banks/business institutions, etc. (Ibid, 1)
Note: OVC makes no representation concerning the
accuracy of data from non-Department of Justice sources.
Hate and Bias Crime
The Federal Bureau of Investigation reports
that 7,755 hate crime incidents were reported
to law enforcement agencies nationwide in
1998. The 7,755 incidents involved 9,235
separate offenses, 9,722 victims, and 7,489
known offenders. (Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI). 17 October 1999. Crime in the United States,
Uniform Crime Reports, 1998. Washington, DC: U.S.
Department of Justice, 58.)
In 1998, racial bias represented the largest
percentage of bias-motivated offenses. Of
the 9,235 reported offenses, 5,360 were
motivated by racial bias. (Ibid.)
Crimes against persons accounted for over
68 percent of hate crime offenses reported.
Crimes against property accounted for over
31 percent, while less than one percent were
crimes against society. (Ibid., 60)
Of the hate crimes against persons,
intimidation accounted for 55 percent, while
simple assault and aggravated assault
represented 27 percent and 17 percent,
respectively. (Ibid.)
Of the 7,755 hate crime incidents reported,
4,321 were motivated by racial bias; 1,390
by religious bias; 1,260 by sexual orientation
bias; 754 by ethnicity/national origin bias;
25 by disability bias; and 5 by multiple
biases. (Ibid., 58)
In 1998, 65 percent of the 9,722 victims
were targets of crimes against persons, as
opposed to property or society. Nearly six
of every ten victims were attacked because of
their race, with bias against blacks counting
for 38 percent of the total. (Ibid., 60)
Of those offenses motivated by bias by
ethnicity/national origin, over half of the
incidents were reported as anti-Hispanic.
(Ibid., 58)
Of those offense motivated by bias against
religious orientation, over three-fourths were
based upon anti-Jewish bias. (Ibid.)
Fifteen percent of all victims of hate/bias
crimes were victims of crimes motivated by
bias against sexual orientation; 67 percent of
these were victims of specifically anti-male
homosexual bias, and 18 percent specifically
anti-female homosexual bias. (Ibid.)
In terms of incidents in 1998, 2,901 were
anti-black; 792 were anti-white; 1,081 were
anti-Jewish; 293 were anti-Asian/Pacific
Islander; 52 were anti-American
Indian/Alaskan native; 850 were anti-gay
men; and 223 were anti-gay women. (There
were no anti-Hispanic numbers in this year's
report.) (Ibid.)
Of the known offenders, 66 percent were
white and 17 percent black. (Ibid.)
Law enforcement agencies reported 7,489
known offenders associated with the 7,755
incidents recorded in 1998. Of the known
offenders, 6,474 were connected with crimes
against persons, and 1,376 were associated
with crimes against property. (Ibid., 60)
Thirty-five percent of the 7,489 known
offenders were involved with the offense of
intimidation. (Ibid.)
Homicide
In 1998, the estimated number of persons
murdered in the United States was 16,914.
The 1998 figure was down 7 percent from
1997, and 28 percent from 1994. (Federal
Bureau of Investigation (FBI). 17 October 1999. Crime in
the United States, Uniform Crime Reports, 1998.
Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, 14.)
The national murder rate in 1998 was six per
100,000 inhabitants, the lowest since 1967.
Five- and ten-year trends show the 1998
murder rate was 30 percent lower than in
1994, and 28 percent below the 1989 rate.
(Ibid.)
Firearms were used in approximately six out
of every ten murders committed in the nation
in 1998. (Ibid., 17)
Sixty-one enforcement officers were
feloniously slain in the line of duty during
1998. (Ibid., 291)
In 1998, 48 percent of murder victims were
black, 50 percent were white, and the
remaining 2 percent of murder victims were
other races. Seventy-six percent of murder
victims were male and 44 percent were
between the ages of 20 and 34. (Ibid., 14)
Handguns were used in 52 percent of all
murders committed in 1998. Knives were
used in 13 percent of the cases; blunt objects
in 5 percent; and personal weapons in 7
percent of all murders. (Ibid., 282)
A total of 16,019 murder offenders were also
reported in 1998, of which 89 percent of
those for whom sex and age were reported
were male. Of those offenders for whom
race was known, 49 percent were black and
49 percent were white. (Ibid., 14-17)
Males are over nine times more likely than
females to commit murder, and male and
female offenders are more likely to target
males as victims. (Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS).
January 1999. Homicide Trends in the United States,
Bureau of Justice Statistics Crime Data Brief. Washington,
DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice
Programs.)
Of all persons murdered in 1997, 11 percent,
or 2,100, were under the age of eighteen. Of
these, 33 percent were under the age of six,
50 percent were ages fifteen through
seventeen, 30 percent were female, 47
percent were black, 56 percent were killed
with a firearm, 40 percent were killed by
family members, 45 percent by
acquaintances, and 15 percent by strangers.
(National Center for Juvenile Justice. September 1999.
Juvenile Offenders and Victims: 1999 National Report.
Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 17.)
In 1997, juvenile homicide rates were the
lowest in the decade but still 21 percent
above the average of the 1980s. In 27
percent of homicides by juveniles, the victim
was also a juvenile. (Ibid., 53 and 54)
A firearm killed 70 percent of victims
murdered by juveniles. Of all victims killed
by juveniles, 14 percent were family
members, 55 percent were acquaintances,
and 31 percent were strangers. (Ibid., 54)
In 1997, an estimated 2,300 murders
(approximately 12 percent of all murders) in
the United States involved at least one
juvenile offender. In 31 percent of
homicides involving juvenile offenders, an
adult offender was also involved. (Ibid.)
Juvenile Crime and Victimization
Juvenile violent crime is at its lowest level
since 1987 and has fallen 30 percent from
1994 to 1998. The juvenile murder arrest
rate has dropped 50 percent from 1993 to
1998. Other drops include: forcible rape
down 25 percent from 1991 to 1998;
aggravated assault down 20 percent from
1994 to 1998; robbery down 45 percent from
1995 to 1998; and motor vehicle theft down
39% from 1989 to 1998. (Office of Juvenile
Justice Delinquency and Prevention. 1999. "Juvenile
Arrests 1998." Bulletin. Washington, DC: U.S.
Department of Justice.)
In 1998, 18 percent of all persons arrested
nationally were juveniles (ages eighteen and
under). (Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). 17
October 1999. Crime in the United States, Uniform Crime
Reports, 1998. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of
Justice, 210.)
Juvenile males are much more likely than
females to be victims of serious violent
crimes. In 1997, serious violent crime
victimization rates were 33 per 1,000 male
youth, compared to 21 per 1,000 female
youth. (America's Children: Key National Indicators of
Well-Being. 1999. Washington, DC: Federal Interagency
Forum on Child and Family Statistics, 40.)
In 1997, the serious violent juvenile
crime-offending rate was 31 crimes per
1,000 juveniles ages twelve to seventeen
years old, or a total of 706,000 such crimes.
(Ibid., 41.)
Juveniles are more likely to be the victim of
a violent crime in the four hours following
the end of the school day (roughly 2 p.m. to
6 p.m.) than at any other time of the day.
(National Center for Juvenile Justice. September 1999.
Juvenile Offenders and Victims: 1999 National Report.
Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 34.)
On a typical day in 1997, nearly 106,000
juveniles were being held in a residential
facility as a result of a law violation.
(Ibid., 31)
One in five juvenile arrestees carried a gun
all or most of the time. (Ibid., 69)
Law enforcement agencies in the U.S. made
2.8 million arrests of persons under the age
of eighteen in 1997, or in other words, one
in five arrests made by law enforcement
agencies involved a juvenile. (Ibid., 115-116)
Male juvenile offenders were involved in
about three-quarters of all person, property,
and public order offense cases and 86
percent of all drug violation cases handled by
juvenile courts in 1996 although they
constitute only half of the juvenile
population. (Ibid., 148)
The 1996 National Youth Gang Survey
estimates there were approximately 31,000
gangs operating in 4,800 U.S. cities in 1995.
These gangs had more than 846,000
members, half of whom were under the age
of eighteen. (Ibid., 77)
Half of all persons arrested for arson are
juveniles. Eighty-nine percent of juvenile
arson arrest involved males; 79 percent were
white, 67 percent were under the ages of
fifteen, and 35 percent-involved children
ages twelve or under. (Office for Juvenile Justice
and Delinquency Prevention. February 1999. OJJDP Fact
Sheet: Juvenile Arson, 1999. Washington, DC: U.S.
Department of Justice.)
Note: OVC makes no representation concerning the
accuracy of data from non-Department of Justice sources.
Rape and Sexual Assault
In 1998, law enforcement agencies received
reports of an estimated 93,103 forcible
rapes. (Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). 17
October 1999. Crime in the United States, Uniform Crime
Reports, 1998. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of
Justice, 24.)
The highest percentage of rape offenses are
those committed by force, or 89% of rapes
reported in 1998. Attempts or assaults to
commit forcible rape accounted for the
remaining 11 percent. (Ibid.)
In 1998, participating law enforcement
agencies made an estimated 31,070 arrests
for forcible rape. Of those forcible rape
arrestees, 45 percent were under age twenty-
five, and 60 percent of those arrested were
white. (Ibid.)
Nationally, 11 percent of the total clearances
for forcible rape involved only juveniles
(persons under the age of eighteen). (Ibid.)
An estimated 67 of every 100,000 females in
the country were reported rape victims in
1998, a decrease of 4 percent from the 1997
rate, and 13 percent from the 1994 rate.
(Ibid., 24)
Females eighteen years of age and over
comprise the largest category of women
forcibly raped in 1998 (45.6%). Forty
percent of rape victims were ages twelve to
seventeen and 12.4 percent were ages zero to
eleven. Of these victims, 78.6 percent were
white, 18.3 percent were non-white, and in
the remaining 3.1 percent cases, the race was
unknown. (Ibid., 283)
Children under twelve were more often
victims of familial rape compared to all other
age groups 36 percent versus 12 percent.
(Ibid., 282)
Personal weapons (hand, fists, feet, etc.) are
the most frequently used weapons in all
forcible rapes. In 35 percent of family rape
and 29 percent of all other rapes, no
weapon, including personal weapons, knives,
guns or other identified weapons, was used.
(Ibid., 283)
One-third of all sexual assaults reported to
law enforcement agencies involve a victim
under the age of twelve; one in four of these
victims is male. (National Center for Juvenile Justice.
September 1999. Juvenile Offenders and Victims: 1999
National Report. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of
Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention.)
In sexual assaults of adults, the offender was
a stranger in 25 percent of incidents, a
family member in 12 percent of incidents,
and an acquaintance in 63 percent of
incidents. (Ibid., 30)
In 1998, females sustained rape or sexual
assault at a rate 14 times that of males (2.7
versus 0.2 victimizations per 1,000 persons).
(Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). July 1999. Criminal
Victimization 1998: Changes 1998-98 with Trends 1993-
98. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice.)
In 1998, 74 percent of rape or sexual assault
victims knew their offenders. Eighteen
percent of victims were victimized by an
intimate. (Ibid.)
Nine percent of rape or sexual assaults were
committed by an offender with a weapon.
(Ibid.)
Sentencing
In 1996, state courts convicted 997,970 adult
offenders on felony charges, an average
growth of approximately 5 percent every
year since 1988. (Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS).
May 1999. "Felony Sentences in State Courts." Bulletin.
Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of
Justice Programs.)
Of felons convicted, 54 percent were white,
44 percent were black, and 2 percent were
other races; the average age was 31. (Ibid., 1)
Sixty-nine percent of all convicted felons
were sentenced to a period of confinement
38 percent to state prisons and 31 percent to
local jails. The remaining 31 percent were
sentenced to straight probation with no jail or
prison time to serve. (Ibid., 3)
Under the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984,
the proportion of defendants sentenced to
prison increased from 54 percent during
1988 to 71 percent during 1998. (Bureau of
Justice Statistics (BJS). September 1999. Federal Criminal
Case Processing, 1998. Washington, DC: U.S.
Department of Justice.)
During 1998, 92,813 offenders were under
federal community supervision. Supervised
release has become the primary form of
supervision in the federal system: 59.1
percent of offenders were on supervised
release compared to 34.7 percent on
probation, and 6.3 percent remaining on
parole. (Ibid.)
On September 30, 1998, 107,912 offenders
were serving a prison sentence in federal
prison; 58 percent were incarcerated for a
drug offense; 11 percent for a violent
offense; 8 percent for a weapons offense; 8
percent for a property offense, 7 percent for
an immigration offense; and 8 percent for all
other offenses. (Ibid.)
Nearly seven in ten state prison admissions
for a violent crime in 1997 were in states
requiring offenders to serve at least 85
percent of their sentence. (Bureau of Justice
Statistics (BJS). January 1999. "Truth in Sentencing in
State Prisons." Special Report. Washington, DC: U.S.
Department of Justice.)
In 1996 the mean prison sentence for murder
and non-negligent manslaughter was 21+
years; the median was 25 years. (Bureau of
Justice Statistics (BJS). May 1999. "Felony Sentences in
State Courts, 1996." Bulletin. Washington, DC: U.S.
Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, 3.)
Between 1986 and 1997, prison sentences for
federal offenses increased 39 months, on
average, to 54 months. (Bureau of Justice
Statistics (BJS). June 1999. "Time Served in Prison by
Federal Offenders, 1986-97." Special Report. Washington,
DC: U.S. Department of Justice.)
In 1986, 38,156 offenders were sentenced to
federal prisons. In 1997, these numbers had
increased to 98,944. (Ibid., 1)
Time to be served in federal prisons
increased from 23 to 75 months for weapons
offenses, and from 30 to 66 months for drug
offenses. (Ibid., 1)
The average prison sentence for those who
victimized a spouse or other intimate appears
similar to the average sentences for
victimizing strangers or acquaintances.
(Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). March 1998. Violence
by Intimates, Analysis of Data on Crimes by Current or
Former Spouses, Boyfriends, and Girlfriends. Washington,
DC: U.S. Department of Justice, vi.)
Stalking
Data from the National Violence Against
Women Survey, a nationally representative
telephone survey of 8,000 men and 8,000
women ages eighteen and older indicates that
2.2 percent of males and 8.1 percent of
females report being stalked during their
lifetime. The survey defines stalking as a
course of conduct directed at a specific
person that involves repeated (two or more
occasions) visual or physical proximity;
nonconsensual communication; verbal,
written, or implied threats; or a combination
thereof, that would cause a reasonable person
fear. (Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). 1999.
Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics 1998.
Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice. Citing
National Institute of Justice, 1998, Stalking in America:
Findings from the National Violence Against Women
Survey, Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice.)
Four out of five stalking victims are women.
By comparison, 94 percent of the stalkers
identified by female victims and 60 percent
of the stalkers identified by male victims
were male. (Violence Against Women Grants Office.
July 1998. Stalking and Domestic Violence: Third Annual
Report to Congress Under the Violence Against Women
Act, citing the National Violence Against Women Survey.
Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, 10.)
With respect to stranger and acquaintance
stalking, 1.8 percent of all U.S. women,
compared with 0.8 percent of all U.S. men,
have been stalked by strangers; and 1.6
percent of all U.S. women, compared with
0.8 percent of all U.S. men have been
stalked by acquaintances. (Ibid., 12)
Researchers estimated that approximately 1
million women and 400,000 men are stalked
each year in the United States. (National
Institute of Justice. (1997, November). "The Crime of
Stalking: How Big is the Problem?" Bulletin, citing The
National Violence Against Women Survey, sponsored by
National Institute of Justice & Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention.)
About half of all female stalking victims
reported their victimization to police and
about 25 percent obtained a restraining
order. Eighty percent of all restraining
orders were violated by the assailant. About
24 percent of female victims, as compared to
19 percent of male victims, said their cases
were prosecuted. Of the cases in which
criminal charges were filed, 54 percent
resulted in a conviction. About 63 percent of
convictions resulted in jail time. (Ibid.)
Most victims knew their stalker. Women
were significantly more likely to be stalked
by an intimate partner a current or former
spouse, co-habitating partner, or date. (Ibid.)
Stalkers made overt threats to about 45
percent of victims; spied on or followed
about 75 percent of victims; vandalized the
property of about 30 percent of victims; and
threatened to kill or killed the pet(s) of about
10 percent of victims. (Ibid.)
Stalking episodes typically lasted one year or
less, but sometimes continued for five or
more years. When asked why the stalking
stopped, about 20 percent of the victims said
it was because they moved away. Another
15 percent said it was because of police
involvement. (Ibid.)
About one-third of stalking victims reported
they had sought psychological treatment. In
addition, one-fifth lost time from work, and
7 percent of those never returned to work.
(Ibid.)
Substance Abuse and Crime
A total of 1,108,788 arrests were reported in
1998 for drug abuse violations, or a rate of
596 arrests per 100,000 inhabitants. (Federal
Bureau of Investigation (FBI). 17 October 1999. Crime in
the United States, Uniform Crime Reports, 1998.
Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, 211.)
Substance abuse occurs only slightly more
frequently in murders committed by family
members when compared to all other murder
types (22% versus 19%). (Ibid., 281)
In 1998, 26 percent of 12th graders reported
using illicit drugs in the previous thirty days,
as did 22 percent of 10th graders and 12
percent of 8th graders. (America's Children: Key
National Indicators of Well-Being. 1999. Washington, DC:
Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family
Statistics.)
High school seniors who used drugs were
more likely than those who did not to be the
victims of violence. Eleven percent of
students using drugs other than marijuana
three or more times reported they had been
injured with a weapon and 21 percent had
been injured on purpose without the use of a
weapon. (Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency and
Prevention. Juvenile Offenders and Victims: 1999 National
Report. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, 36.)
One-half of all state inmates and a third of
convicted jail inmates serving time for a
violent against an intimate reported that they
had been drinking for six or more hours
prior to the offense. (Bureau of Justice Statistics
(BJS). March 1998. Violence by Intimates, Analysis of
Data on Crimes by Current or Former Spouses,
Boyfriends, and Girlfriends. Washington, DC: U.S.
Department of Justice, 28.)
It is estimated that nearly 14 million U.S.
residents, aged twelve and older, used illicit
drugs in 1997. Of that number, 4 million
were thought to be chronic drug users 3.6
million chronic cocaine users and 810,000
heroin users. (Office of National Drug Control
Policy. National Drug Control Strategy, 1999.
Washington, DC: Executive Office of the President of the
United States.)
The rate of drug-related murders declined
from 1,302 in 1992 to 786 in 1997. (Ibid.)
In 1997, 62.5 percent of the federal inmate
population were sentenced for drug offenses,
up from 53 percent in 1990. (Ibid.)
The National Institute of Justice's Arrestee
and Drug Abuse Monitoring drug-testing
program found that more than 60 percent of
adult male arrestees tested positive for drugs
in 1997. (Ibid., 24)
Researchers estimate that one-fourth to
one-half of men who commit acts of
domestic violence also have substance-abuse
problems. (Ibid., 25)
One-third of state prisoners and one in five
federal prisoners said they had committed
their current offense while under the
influence of drugs. (Ibid.)
A survey of state child welfare agencies by
the National Committee to Prevent Child
Abuse found substance abuse to be one of
the top two problems exhibited by 81 percent
of families reported for child maltreatment.
(Ibid.)
Note: OVC makes no representation concerning the
accuracy of data from non-Department of Justice sources.
Victims with Disabilities
The FBI's Uniform Crime Reports show that
in 1998, of the 9,235 reported bias-
motivated offenses, twenty-seven were
motivated by disability bias, fourteen of
which were motivated by anti-physical
disability bias and 13 by anti-mental
disability bias. (Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI). 17 October 1999. Crime in the United States,
Uniform Crime Reports, 1998. Washington, DC: U.S.
Department of Justice, 60.)
Approximately 54 million Americans live
with a wide variety of physical, cognitive,
and emotional disabilities. (Tyiska, C. September
1998. "Working with Victims of Crime with Disabilities."
Office for Victims of Crime Bulletin. Washington, DC:
U.S. Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime.)
Estimates indicate that at least 6 million
serious injuries occur each year due to
crime, resulting in either temporary or
permanent disability. The National
Rehabilitation Information Center has
estimated that as much as 50 percent of
patients who are long-term residents of
hospitals and specialized rehabilitation
centers are there due to crime-related
injuries. (Ibid.)
Children with any kind of disability are more
than twice as likely as nondisabled children
to be physically abused and almost twice as
likely to be sexually abused. (Ibid., citing
Petersilia, J. Report to the California Senate Public Safety
Committee Hearings on Persons with Developmental
Disabilities in the Criminal Justice System.)
Research conducted by the National Center
on Child Abuse and Neglect (NCCAN) in
1993 found that of all children who are
abused, 17.2 percent had disabilities. Of all
children who were sexually abused, 15.2
percent had disabilities. (Crosse, S., E. Kaye, and
A. Ratnofsky. 1993. A Report on the Maltreatment of
Children with Disabilities. Washington, DC: U.S.
Department of Health, Administration for Children and
Families, Administration on Child, Youth, and Families,
National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect.)
Of the children with maltreatment-related
injuries, child protection case workers
reported that maltreatment directly
contributed to, or was likely to have led to,
disabilities for 62 percent of the children
who experienced sexual abuse, for 48
percent of children who experienced
emotional abuse, and for 55 percent of
children who experienced neglect. (Ibid.)
Research consistently shows that women
with disabilities, regardless of age, race,
ethnicity, sexual orientation, or class, are
assaulted, raped, and abused at a rate of two
times greater than non-disabled women.
(Sobsey, D. 1994. Violence and Abuse in the Lives of
People with Disabilities. Baltimore, MD: Paul H.
Brookes; Cusitar, L. 1994. Strengthening the Links:
Stopping the Violence. Toronto: DisAbled Women's
Network (DAWN).
The risk of being physically or sexually
assaulted for adults with developmental
disabilities is likely four to ten times as high
as it is for other adults. (Sobsey, D., supra.)
People with developmental and other severe
disabilities represent at least 10 percent of
the population of the United States. Of this
population group: 1.8 percent of individuals
have developmental disabilities; five percent
of individuals have adult onset brain
impairment; and 2.8 percent of the
individuals have severe major mental
disorders. (Sorenson, D. November 1996. "The
Invisible Victim," The California Prosecutor, XIX (1).)
Note: OVC makes no representation concerning the
accuracy of data from non-Department of Justice sources.
Workplace Violence and Crime
In 1997 there were 856 homicides in the
workplace, down from 927 in 1996. Of this
number, 630 victims (74%) were wage and
salary workers and 226 were self-employed
(26%). (Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). 1999.
Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics 1998.
Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, 298, table
3.145.)
In 82 percent of workplace homicides in
1997, a firearm was used to kill the victim.
The remaining murder victims were either
stabbed (9%), beaten (5%), or killed with
another type of weapon (4%). (Ibid.)
One-half of victims of all victims killed in
the workplace were between twenty-five and
forty-four years of age. Twenty percent of
victims were forty-five to fifty-four years of
age; 14 percent were fifty-five to sixty-four
years of age; 10 percent were sixteen to
twenty-four years of age, and 6 percent were
sixty-five and older. (Ibid.)
In 1997, 85 percent of victims died during
robberies of their workplace. Ten percent
were killed by work associates (7 percent by
current and former co-workers and 3 percent
by clients) and the remaining 5 percent were
killed by personal acquaintances (2 percent
by husbands or ex-husbands, 1 percent by
boyfriends, ex-boyfriends, and 2 percent by
other family member. (Ibid.)
Eighty-three percent of workplace violence
victims in 1997 were male and 17 percent
were female. Sixty-eight percent of these
victims were white, 18 percent were black,
12 percent were Hispanic, and the remaining
4 percent were of other or unspecified races.
(Ibid.)
Of selected occupations examined from 1992
to 1996, law enforcement officers were the
most vulnerable to be victims of workplace
violence. Other occupations with high rates
of victimization included private security
guards, taxi drivers, prison and jail guards,
and bartenders. (Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS).
July 1999. Criminal Victimization 1998: Changes 1997-98
with Trends 1993-98. Washington, DC: U.S. Department
of Justice.)
Currently, one out of every six violent
crimes experienced by U.S. residents age
twelve or older occurs in the workplace,
including 20.5 percent of all reported
assaults, 10.8 percent of all reported rapes,
and 6.5 percent of all reported robberies.
(Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). July 1998. "Workplace
Violence, 1992-96: National Crime Victimization Survey."
Special Report. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of
Justice.)
The National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health reports that murder is the
leading cause of death for women at work,
and the third leading cause of death for men.
(Office for Victims of Crime (OVC). 1998. New
Directions from the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for
the 21st Century. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of
Justice.)
Each year, between 1992 and 1996, more
than 2 million U.S. residents were victims of
a violent crime while they were at work or
on duty. (Bureau of Justice Statistics. July 1998.
Workplace Violence, 1992-96. From data gathered by the
National Crime Victimization Survey. Washington, DC:
U.S. Department of Justice.)
More than 1,000 workplace homicides
occurred annually between 1992 and 1996.
(Ibid.)
Accessing Information:
OVC Resource Center and Other Services
VICTIMS' RESOURCES IN THE INFORMATION AGE
The development of new information technologies most notably the growth of the Internet has
dramatically changed the way in which information about crime victims' issues is being made
available to researchers, advocates, and practitioners. As recently as a dozen years ago, the
availability of this information was greatly limited by the lack of centralized collection and
distribution. Moreover, the form of the information was generally limited to paper documents
that
required considerable effort to locate and obtain. Today, however, victims and victim service
providers can instantly access an enormous store of information specific to the entire range of
their
personal and professional concerns information that includes statistics; model programs and
protocols; grant funding sources; and local, state, and national referrals to professional
organizations in the victim-serving community. Importantly, this information is available
wherever
and whenever it is needed in homes, shelters and offices; in the middle of a trial; or in the middle
of the night. For victims and victim service providers, this new information access begins with the
Office for Victims of Crime Resource Center and the National Criminal Justice Reference Service.
Established in accordance with recommendations of the 1982 President's Task Force on Victims
of
Crime, the United States Department of Justice's Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) serves as the
chief advocate for our nation's crime victims, promoting fundamental rights and comprehensive
services for victims of crime throughout the United States. OVC's information clearinghouse, the
Office for Victims of Crime Resource Center (OVCRC), a component of the National Criminal
Justice Reference Service (NCJRS), is on the forefront of these new information technologies,
and
is aggressively using them, as well as the NCJRS Catalog of publications and videotapes, to
deliver
timely and relevant information to the victim-serving community. Since coming "online" in 1994,
NCJRS and OVCRC have developed a variety of online services to benefit the victim assistance
professional World Wide Web page; Justice Information (JUSTINFO) Electronic Newsletter; and
E-Mail Information and Help Line. Together with other electronic access features including
telephone and online document ordering, and fax-on-demand NCJRS and OVCRC have truly
made a "quantum leap" forward in fulfilling their mission of "bringing the right information to the
right people . . . right now."
ACCESSING NCJRS AND OVCRC ONLINE
NCJRS Online can be accessed in the following ways:
NCJRS World Wide Web Homepage. The homepage provides NCJRS information, as well as
links to other criminal justice resources from around the world. The NCJRS Web page provides
information about NCJRS and OJP agencies; grant-funding opportunities; full-text publications;
key-word searching of NCJRS publications; access to the NCJRS Abstracts Database; the current
NCJRS Catalog; and a topical index. The address for the NCJRS Homepage is
.
Justice Information (JUSTINFO) Electronic Newsletter. This free, online newsletter is
distributed to your Internet e-mail address on the 1st and 15th of each month. JUSTINFO
contains
information concerning a wide variety of subjects, including news from all Office of Justice
Programs (OJP) agencies and the Office of National Drug Control Policy; criminal justice
resources on the Internet; criminal justice funding and program information; and announcements
about new NCJRS products and services. To subscribe, send an e-mail to
with the message subscribe justinfo [your name].
E-Mail: Information and Help. Users requiring technical assistance or having specific questions
on criminal and juvenile justice topics can send an e-mail to . To place an
order for publications, users may send an e-mail to .
OTHER NCJRS ELECTRONIC INFORMATION SERVICES
Fax-on-demand. NCJRS has established a "fax-on-demand" service that allows the user to obtain
copies of selected NCJRS documents directly through their own fax machine, using a toll-free
telephone number. To access the fax-on-demand menu, simply call 1-800-851-3420, and follow
the prompts.
CD-ROM and Online Access to the Abstracts Database. Users with CD-ROM capability can also
obtain the NCJRS Abstracts Database on CD-ROM. This disc features citations and abstracts of
more than 140,000 criminal justice books, research reports, journal articles, government
documents, program descriptions, program evaluations, and training manuals contained in the
NCJRS Research and Information Center library collection. The disc also contains search
software
that supports retrieval, using any combination of words to search individual fields or all fields
globally. The disc can be searched using "free text" methods, or in combination with the National
Criminal Justice Thesaurus. In addition, the NCJRS Abstracts Database is available on the
NCJRS
Homepage at . Details are available by calling NCJRS at
(800) 851-3420.
VICTIM-RELATED INTERNET SITES
Crime victims and victim service providers have witnessed a remarkable growth in the amount of
information available to them, through the continued development of the Internet especially the
World Wide Web. Now, victim-serving agencies and advocacy organizations have the ability to
reach around the corner or around the world with information about new issues, services, and
promising practices designed to improve the welfare of victims of all types of crime. In an effort
to present the most comprehensive and timely information available through this vast medium, the
Office for Victims of Crime has substantially revised its World Wide Web homepage. OVC
encourages crime victims and victim service providers alike to visit this comprehensive resource,
located at .
Many other agencies and organizations are now providing victim-related information through the
World Wide Web. The following is a list of sites on the Web that contain information on selected
crime victimization topics. Please note that this list is intended only to provide a sample of
available resources, and does not constitute an endorsement of opinions, resources, or statements
made therein.
Federal Agencies/Resources
Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA
Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov
Community-Oriented Police Office (COPS) http://www.justice.gov/cops/
Dept. of Health and Human Services Grantsnet
http://www.os.dhhs.gov/progorg/grantsnet/index.html
Department of Justice http://www.justice.gov/
Department of the Solicitor General http://www.gov.nb.ca/solgen/index.htm
FBI Uniform Crime Reports Statistical Data http://www.lib.virginia.edu/socsci/crime
Federal Judicial Center http://www.fjc.gov/
Government Information Online, GovBot http://bacchus.fedworld.gov/Search_Online.html
Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other
Drug Prevention http://www.edc.org/hec/
National Archive of Criminal Justice Data http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/NACJD/home.html
National Domestic Violence Hotline http://www.justice.gov/vawo/newhotline..htm
NCJRS Justice Information Center http://www.ncjrs.org
National Institute of Corrections (NIC) http://www.bop.gov/nicpg/niccd.htm/
National Institute of Justice (NIJ) http://www.ncjrs.org/nijhome.htm
Nonprofit Gateway http://www.nonprofit.gov
Office of Justice Programs (OJP) http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov
Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency and
Prevention http://www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org
Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/
Office of National Drug Control Policy Information
Clearinghouse http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov
THOMAS: Federal Legislation http://thomas.loc.gov
U.S. Department of Education - Campus Security
and Safety http://www.ed.gov/offices/OPE/index.html
U.S. Parole Commission http://www.justice.gov/uspc/parole.htm
Violence Against Women's Office (VAWO) http://www.justice.gov/vawo/index.html
Violence Against Women Grant Office (VAWGO) http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/vawgo/
National Victim-related Organizations
American Bar Association Center on Children
and the Law http://www.abanet.org/child/
American Professional Society on the Abuse
of Children http://www.apsac.org/
Anti-Defamation League http://www.adl.org/hate-patrol/main.html
Child Abuse Prevention Network http://child.cornell.edu
Childhelp USA http://www.childhelpusa.org
Childquest International http://www.childquest.org/
Concerns of Police Survivors (COPS) http://www.nationalcops.org
Family Violence Prevention Fund http://www.fvpf.org/
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) http://www.madd.org
National Alliance of Sexual Assault Coalitions http://www.connsacs.org/alliance.htm
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
(NCMEC) http://www.missingkids.org
National Center for Victims of Crime http://www.ncvc.org
National Center on Elder Abuse http://www.gwjapan.com/NCEA/
National Children's Alliance http://www.nncac.org
National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse
and Neglect Information http://www.calib.com/nccanch
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence http://www.ncadv.org
National Coalition Against Sexual Assault (NCASA)
http://www.ncasa.org
National Coalition of Homicide Survivors http://www.mivictims.org
National Commission Against Drunk Driving http://www.ncadd.com
National Court Appointed Special Advocates
(CASA) Association http://www.nationalcasa.org/
National Crime Victims Research and
Treatment Center http://www.musc.edu/cvc/
National Fraud Information Center http://www.fraud.org
National Insurance Crime Bureau http://www.nicb.org
National Victims Constitutional Amendment
Network (NVCAN) http://www.nvcan.org
National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA)
http://www.try-nova.org
National Victim Assistance Academy (OVC) http:ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/assist/vaa.html
National Victim Assistance Academy (VALOR) http://www.nvaa.org
Neighbors Who Care http://www.neighborswhocare.org
Parents of Murdered Children (POMC) http://www.pomc.com
Safe Campuses Now http://www.uga.edu/~safe-campus/
Security on Campus http://www.campussafety.org/
Victims' Assistance Legal Organization (VALOR) http://www.valor-national.org
National Criminal Justice- and Public Policy-related Associations
American Correctional Association (ACA) http://www.corrections.com/aca
American Correctional Health Services
Association http://www.corrections.com/achsa/
American Jail Association (AJA) http://www.corrections.com/aja
American Probation and Parole Association
(APPA) http://www.appa-net.org
Association of State Correctional
Administrators (ASCA) http://www.asca.net
Center for Restorative Justice & Peacemaking http://ssw.che.umn.edu/rjp/default.html
Correctional Education Association http://metalab.unc.edu/icea
Council of State Governments (CSG) http://www.csg.org
International Association of Campus Law
Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA) http://www.iaclea.org/
National Association of Counties (NACo) http://www.naco.org
National Center for State Courts (NSSC) http://www.ncsc.dni.us
National Conference of State Legislatures
(NCSL) http://www.ncsl.org
National Consortium for Justice Information
and Statistics http://www.search.org
National Council of Juvenile and Family
Court Judges http://www.ncjfcj.unr.edu/
National Criminal Justice Association (NCJA) http://sso.org/ncja/ncja/htm
National Governors Association http//www.nga.org/
National Judicial College http://www.judges.org
National Juvenile Detention Association http://www.corrections.com/njda/top.html
National Indian Justice Center http://www.nijc.indian.com/
National Sheriffs Association http://www.sheriffs.org/
Office of Correctional Education http://www.ed.gov/offices.OVAE/OCE/
Restorative Justice Project http://www.fresno.edu/dept/pacs/rjp.html
Southern Poverty Law Center http://splcenter.org
Victim Offender Mediation Association (VOMA) http://www.voma.org/
State-level VOCA Victim Assistance Agencies & Crime Victim Compensation Programs
Alabama http://www.agencies.state.al.us/crimevictims/
Alaska http://www.dps.state.ak.us/vccb/
Arizona http://www.dps.state.az.us/voca/
Arkansas http://www.ag.state.ar.us/crimevictims/
California http://www.boc.cahwnet.gov/victims.htm
Colorado http://cdpsweb.state.co.us/ovp/ovp.htm
Connecticut http://www.jud.state.ct.us/
Delaware http://www.state.de.us/cjc/index.html
Florida http://legal.firn.edu/victims/index.html
Georgia http://www.ganet.org/cjcc
Hawaii http://www.cpja.ag.state.hi.us
Idaho http://www2.state.id.us/iic/index.htm
Illinois http://www.ag.state.il.us/
Indiana http://www.state.in.us/cji/
Iowa http://www.state.ia.us/government/ag/cva.html
Kansas http://www.ink.org/public/ksag/contents/crime/cvcbrochure.htm
Louisiana http://www.cole.state.la.us/cvr.htm
Maine http://www.state.me.us/ag/victim.htm
Maryland http://www.dpscs.state.md.us/cicb/
Mississippi http://www.dfa.state.ms.us/crime/letter/letter1.html
Missouri http://www.dolir.state.mo.us/wc/dolir6f.htm
Montana http://www.doj.state.mt.us/whoweare.htm
Nebraska http://www.nol.org/home/crimecom/
New Hampshire http://www.state.nh.us/nhdoj/index.html
New Jersey http://www.state.nj.us/victims/
New Mexico http://www.state.nm.us/cvrc/
New York http://www.cvb.state.ny.us/
North Carolina http://www.nccrimecontrol.org/vjs/
Ohio http://www.ag.ohio.gov/crimevic/cvout.htm
Oklahoma http://www.dac.state.ok.us/
Oregon http://www.doj.state.or.us/CrimeV/welcome1.htm
Pennsylvania http:///www.pccd.state.pa.us/
Rhode Island http://www.state.ri.us/treas/vcfund.htm
South Carolina http://www.state.sc.us/governor/
South Dakota http://www.state.sd.us/social/cvc/cvc.htm
Tennessee http://www.treasury.state.tn.us/injury.htm
Texas http://www.oag.state.tx.us/victims/victims.htm
Utah http://www.crimevictim.state.ut.us/
Vermont http://www.ccvs.state.vt.us/
Virginia http://www.dcjs.state.va.us/victims/index.htm
Washington http://www.wa.gov/lni/workcomp/cvc.htm
West Virginia http://www.legis.state.wv.us/coc/victims/main.html
Wisconsin http://www.doj.state.wi.us/cvs/cvc.htm
Wyoming http://www.state.wy.us/~ag/victims/index.html
Federal and State Corrections
Federal Bureau of Prisons http://www.bop.gov
Alaska Department of Correction http://www.correct.state.ak.us/
Alabama Department of Corrections http://agencies.state.al.us/doc/
Arizona Department of Correction http://www.adc.state.az.us:81/
Arkansas Department of Correction http://www.state.ar.us/doc/
California Department of Correction http://www.cdc.state.ca.us/
Colorado Department of Correction http://www.state.co.us/gov_dir/DOC_dir/index.html
Connecticut Department of Correction http://www.state.ct.us/doc/
Delaware Department of Corrections http://www.state.de.us/correct
Florida Department of Correction http://www.dc.state.fl.us/
Georgia Department of Correction http://www.ganet.org/corrections
Hawaii Department of Public Safety http://www.hawaii.gov/icsd/psd/psd.html
Idaho Department of Correction http://www.corr.state.id.us/
Illinois Department of Correction http://www.idoc.state.il.us/
Indiana Department of Correction http://www.ai.org/indcorrection/
Iowa Department of Correction http://www.sos.state.ia.us/register/r4/r4corre2.htm
Kansas Department of Correction http://www.ink.org/public/kdoc/
Kentucky Justice Cabinet http://www.jus.state.ky.us/
Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement
& Criminal Justice http://www.cole.state.la.us/
Maine Department of Correction http://janus.state.me.us/corrections/homepage.htm
Maryland Department of Correction http://www.dpscs.state.md.us/doc/
Massachusetts Department of Correction http://www.magnet.state.ma.us/doc/
Michigan Department of Correction http://www.state.mi.us/mdoc/
Minnesota Department of Corrections http://www.corr.state.mn.us/
Mississippi Department of Corrections http://www.mdoc.state.ms.us/
Missouri Department of Corrections http://www.corrections.state.mo.us/
Montana Department of Corrections http://www.state.mt.us/cor
Nebraska Department of Correctional Services http://www.corrections.state.ne.us/
Nevada Department of Corrections http://www.state.nv.us/inprog.htm
New Hampshire Department of Corrections http://www.state.nh.us/doc/nhdoc.html
New Jersey State Department of Correction http://www.state.nj.us/corrections
New Mexico Department of Correction http://www.state.nm.us/corrections/
New York State Department of Correctional
Services http://www.docs.state.ny.us/
New York City Department of Correction http://www.ci.nyc.ny.us/html/doc/
North Carolina Department of Correction http://www.doc.state.nc.us/
Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction http://www.drc.ohio.gov/
Oregon Department of Correction http://www.doc.state.or.us/
Oklahoma Department of Correction http://www.doc.state.ok.us/
Pennsylvania Department of Correction http://www.cor.state.pa.us/
Rhode Island Department of Correction http://www.doc.state.ri.us/
South Carolina Department of Correction http://www.state.sc.us/scdc/
South Dakota Department of
Correctionhttp://www.state.sd.us/state/executive/corrections/corrections.html
Tennessee Department of Correction http://www.state.tn.us/correction
Texas Department of Correction http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/
Utah Department of Correction http://www.cr.ex.state.ut.us/home.htm
Vermont Criminal Justice Services http://170.222.24.9/cjs/index.html
Virginia Department of Correction http://www.cns.state.va.us/doc/
Washington State Department of Correction http://access.wa.gov/
West Virginia Division Of Corrections http://www.state.wv.us/wvdoc/default.htm
Wisconsin Department of Correction http://www.wi-doc.com/
Wyoming Department of Correction http://www.state.wy.us/~corr/corrections.html
State Coalitions and Related Resources
Iowa Organization for Victim Assistance (IOVA) http://www.netins.net/showcase/i_weaver/iova/
Michigan Crime Victim Rights http://www.gop.senate.state.mi.us/cvr/
Missouri Victim Assistance Network http://www.mova.missouri.org/
New York: Victim Services Agency http://www.victimservices.org
North Carolina: Citizens Against Violent
Crime (CAVE) http://www.webserve.net/iandi/org/cave
South Carolina Victim Assistance Network http://www.scvan.org/
Texans for Equal Justice http://www.tej.lawandorder.com/index.htm
Other Victim Resources
Action Without Borders - Nonprofit Directory http://www.idealist.org
Alliance for Justice http://www.afj.org
American Humane Association http://www.americanhumane.org
APA - American Psychological Association http://www.apa.org/
Trauma-related Stress http://www.apa.org/ptsd.html
http://www.apa.org/kids.html
Cecil Greek's Criminal Justice Page http://www.fsu.edu/~crimdo/law.html
Children's Institute International http://www.childrensinstitute.org/
Communities Against Violence Network
(CAVNET) http://www.asksam.com/cavnet/
The Compassionate Friends http://www.compassionatefriends.com/
Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence http://www.caepv.org/main.htm
Elder Abuse Prevention http://www.oaktrees.org/elder
International Society for Traumatic Stress
Studies http://www.istss.org/
Jewish Women International http://www.jewishwomen.org/
Justice for All http://www2.jfa.net/jfa/
MSU Victims and the Media Program http://www.journalism.msu.edu/victmed/
National Coalition of Homicide Survivors http://www.mivictims.org/nchs/
Out of the Blue (Domestic Violence in the
Jewish Community) http://members.aol.com/blue10197/index.html
Post Trauma Resources http://www.posttrauma.com
Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network
(RAINN) http://www.rainn.org/
Rape Recovery Help and Information http://www.geocities.com/HotSprings/2402/
Safe Campuses Now http://www.uga.edu/~safe-campus/front.html
Search Yahoo for Victims' Rights http://www.yahoo.com/Society_and_Culture/Crime/
Victims__Rights/
Sexual Assault Information Page http://www.cs.utk.edu/~bartley/saInfoPage.html
The Stalking Victim's Sanctuary http://www.stalkingvictims.com/
Stephanie Roper Committee and Foundation http://www.stephanieroper.org
Victim Assistance Online http://www.vaonline.org
Violence Policy Center http://www.vpc.org
Workplace Violence Research Institute http://www.noworkviolence.com/
Legal Research/Resources
Findlaw http://www.findlaw.com/
State Law and Legislative Information http://www.washlaw.edu/
U.S. Supreme Court Decisions http://supct.law.cornell.edu/supct/
News Resources
Am. Journalism Review Newslink http://www.newslink.org/
News Index http://newsindex.com
Newspapers Online http://www.newspapers.com
Special thanks is extended to Steve Derene, Program Manger for the Office of Crime Victim
Services at the
Wisconsin Department of Justice, and Promising Strategies and Practices in Using Technology to
Benefit Crime
Victims, sponsored by the National Center for Victims of Crime with support from the Office for
Victims of Crime,
U.S. Department of Justice, for providing much of the Web site information included in this
section.
NCVRW Resource Guide Co-Sponsors
American Correctional Association, Victims
Committee
4380 Forbes Boulevard
Phone:
301-918-1800/800-ACA-JOIN
Lanham, MD 20706-4332
Fax:
301-918-1900
Contac
t:
Trudy Gregorie and Chiquita Sipos, Co-chairs
Website:
http://www.corrections.com/aca
American Probation and Parole Association
c/o The Council of State Governments
Phone:
606-244-8215
P.O. Box 11910
Fax:
606-244-8001
Lexington, KY 40578-1910
Website:
http://www.appa-net.org
Contac
t:
Tracy Godwin, Victim Services Specialist
E-mail:
tgodwin@csg.org
California State University-Fresno, Center for Victim Studies
2225 East San Ramon
Avenue
Phone:
559-278-4021
Fresno, California 93740-0104
Fax:
559-278-7265
Contac
t:
Steven D. Walker, Ph.D., Director
E-mail:
stevend@csufresno.edu
Center for the Study of Crime Victims' Rights, Remedies, and Resources
University of New Haven
Phone:
203-932-7041
300 Orange Avenue
Fax:
203-931-6030
West Haven, CT 06516
E-mail:
mgaboury@charger.newhaven.e
du
Contac
t:
Mario Thomas Gaboury, J.D., Ph.D., Director
Childhelp USA/Virginia
311 Park Avenue
Phone:
703-241-
9100
Falls Church, VA 22046
Fax:
703-241-9105
Contac
t:
Iris Beckwith, Director
Website:
www.childhelpva.org
Abuse Prevention Programs
National Headquarters:
Phone:
480-922-8212
Childhelp USA
Fa
x:
480-922-7061
15757 North 78th Street
Hotline:
800-4-A-CHILD
Scottsdale, AZ
85260
TDD:
800-2-A-CHILD
Contac
t:
Chuck Bolte, Executive Director
Website:
http://www.childhelpusa.org
Concerns of Police Survivors
Phone:
573-346-4911
P.O. Box
3199
Fax:
573-346-1414
Camdenton, MO 65020
Website:
http://www.nationalcops.org
Contac
t:
Suzanne F. Sawyer, Executive Director
E-mail:
cops@nationalcops.org
Family Violence Prevention
Fund
Phone:
415-252-8900/800-End-Abuse
383 Rhode Island Street, Suite 304
Fax:
415-252-8991
San Francisco, CA 94103-5133
Website:
http://www.fvpf.org
Contac
t:
Michelle Kipper
E-mail:
fund@fvpf.org
Mothers Against Drunk Driving
511 E. John Carpenter Frwy., Suite 700
Phone:
800-438-MADD
Irving, TX 75062-8187
Fax:
214-869-2206/2207
Contac
t:
Stephanie Frogge, National
Director
Website:
http://www.madd.org
Victim Services
National Association of Crime Victim Compensation Boards
P.O. Box 16003
Phone/Fax:
703-370-2996
Alexandria, VA 22302
Contac
t:
Dan Eddy, Executive Director
National Center on Elder Abuse
Phone:
202-898-2586
1225 I Street NW, Suite 725
Fax:
202-898-2583
Washington, DC 20005
Website:
http://www.gwjapan.com/NCE
A
Contac
t:
Sara Aravanis, Director
E-mail:
ncea@nasua.org
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
Charles B. Wang International Children's Building
Phone:
703-274-3900/800-843-5678
699 Prince Street
TDD:
800-826-7653 (Hotline)
Alexandria, VA 22314-3175
Fax:
703-274-2220
Contac
t:
Sherry Bailey
Websit
e:
http://www.missingkids.co
m
National Center for Victims of Crime
2111 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 300
Phone:
703-276-2880/800-FYI-CALL
Arlington, VA
22201
Fax:
703-276-2889
Contac
t:
Susan Herman, Executive Director
Website:
http://www.ncvc.org
National Children's Alliance
1319 F Street, N.W., Suite 1001
Phone:
202-639-0597/800-239-9950
Washington, DC 20004
Fax:
202-639-0511
Contac
t:
Nancy Chandler, Executive
Director
Website:
http://www.nncac.org
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
P.O. Box 18749
Phone:
303-839-1852
Denver, CO 80218
Fax:
303-831-
9251
Contac
t:
Rita Smith, Executive Director
Website:
http://www.ncadv.org
For legislative information:
119 Constitution Avenue NE
Washington, DC 20002
Phone:
202-544-7358
Contac
t:
Juley
Fulcher
Fax:
202-544-7893
National Coalition Against Sexual Assault
Phone:
717-728-9764
125 North Enola Drive, Suite 205
Fax:
717-728-9781
Enola, PA 17025
Website:
http://www.ncasa.org
National Crime Prevention Council
Phone:
202-466-6272
1700 K Street, NW, Second Floor
Fax:
202-296-1356
Washington, DC 20006-
3817
Website:
http://www.ncpc.org
National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center
Medical University of South Carolina
165 Cannon Street
Phone:
843-792-2945
Charleston, SC 29425-0742
Fax:
843-792-3388
Contac
t:
Dean G. Kilpatrick, Ph.D.,
Director
Website:
http://www.musc.edu/cvc/
National District Attorneys Association
99 Canal Center Plaza, Suite 510
Phone:
703-549-9222
Alexandria, VA 22314-1588
Fax:
703-836-3195
Contac
t:
Newman Flanagan,
Director
Website:
http://www.ndaa-apri.org
National Organization for Victim Assistance
Phone:
202-232-6682/
1757 Park Road,
NW
800-TRY-NOVA
Washington, DC 20010
Fax:
202-462-2255
Contac
t:
Marlene A. Young, Ph.D., J.D.
Website:
http://www.try-nova.org
Executive Director
The National Resource Center on Domestic Violence
6400 Flank Drive, Suite
1300
Phone:
800-537-2238
Harrisburg, PA 17112-2778
TTY:
800-553-2508
Kathleen Krenek, Director
Fax:
717-545-9456
Neighbors Who Care
P.O. Box 16079
Phone:
703-904-7311
Washington, D.C. 20041
Fax:
703-478-0452
Contac
t:
Lisa Barnes Lampman
Website:
http://www.neighborswhocare.o
rg
Parents of Murdered Children
100 East Eighth Street, Suite B-41
Phone:
513-721-5683/888-818-POMC
Cincinnati, OH
45202
Fax:
513-345-4489
Contac
t:
Nancy Ruhe-Munch, Executive Director
Website:
http://www.pomc.com
Police Executive Research Forum
1120 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 930
Phone:
202-466-7820
Washington, DC 20036
Fax:
202-466-
7826
Contac
t:
Cliff Karchmer
Website:
http://www.PoliceForum.org
The Spiritual Dimension in Victim Services
P.O. Box
821
Phone:
843-722-0082
Charleston, SC
29402
Fax:
843-723-8422
Contac
t:
Scott Beard, Executive Director
E-mail:
SBeardPAR@aol.com
Stephanie Roper Committee and Foundation
Phone:
301-952-0063/877-VICTIM-1
14750 Main Street,
1B
Fax:
301-952-2319
Upper Marlboro, MD
20772
Website:
www.stephanieroper.org
Roberta Roper, Director
E-mail:
srcf@digizen.net
Victims' Assistance Legal Organization (VALOR)
Phone:
703-748-0811
8181 Greensboro Drive, Suite 1070
Fax:
703-356-5085
McLean, VA 22101-3823
Website:
http://www.valor-national.org
Contac
t:
Morna A. Murray, J.D., Executive
Director
E-mail:
valorinc@erols.com
Resource Guide Evaluation
Please take a moment to let the Victims' Assistance Legal Organization (VALOR) and Office for
Victims of Crime know if
the 2000 National Crime Victims' Rights Week Resource Guide was useful to you and your
organization. Check the
appropriate boxes in the following chart, and also let us know any ideas you have that could be
utilized in the 2001 Resource
Guide.
RESOURCE GUIDE COMPONENT
EXTREMELY
HELPFUL
SOMEWHAT
HELPFUL
NOT AT ALL
HELPFUL
Statistical Overviews
Accessing Information: OVC Resource Center and Other Services
Sample Proclamation
Sample Press Release
Sample Public Service Announcements
Sample Opinion/Editorial Column
Twenty Tips for Community Outreach
Poster
Buttons
Bookmarks
Logos
NCVRW Letterhead
Cover/Title Page
Crime Victim Resources Brochure
Sample Certificate of Appreciation
National Toll-free Information and Referral Telephone Numbers
Crime Victims' Rights in America: An Historical Overview
Victims' Rights Constitutional Amendments
Sample Speech
Sample Sermon
Notable Quotables
Please share your comments and ideas for improving or expanding the National Crime Victims'
Rights Week Resource Guide
and attach examples of your community's activities for 2000 National Crime Victims' Rights
Week.
Return this evaluation form to: Morna Murray, Executive Director
VALOR, 8180 Greensboro Drive, Suite 1070, McLean, VA 22102
FAX: 703-356-5085 E-mail: valorinc@erols.com
Thank you for your assistance in evaluating the 2000 National Crime Victims' Rights Week
Resource Guide!