Monday, May 3, 2010

Victim of Crime: Effects

Being a victim of crime results in many different devastating effects, long term and short term that may or may not affect the rest of your life. In most cases however they will affect your life and perhaps control it in other circumstances. For instance, in a rape/sexaul assault the victim will feel as if they can't go out anymore, insomnia will plague their nighttimes, or perhaps even the distrust of anyone getting close to them.

Short term effects
  • loss of property/money
  • re-victimization by justice system
  • anger/resentment

Long term effects

  • long term stress
  • fear
  • antisocial behaviour
  • cycle of violence
  • adjustment problems
  • PTSD
  • paranoia
  • insomnia

The sexual assault that happened in the Law and Order episode was fiction but the pain, suffereing and trauma was quite real. This episode depicted the devastating problems during and after the investigation. A more real example of this is the Mount Cashel Orphanage incident in which a bishop was charged with sexual assault on young boys. However, these charges did not arise until approximately 40 years later in which the men finally admitted and brought up this painful event. Throughout the years after they were victimized they had problems with relationships, social behaviours etc. and they didn't know why. They had subconciously made the decision to cope with this event by blocking it out of their memory and temporairly forgetting it. Something later on in their life brought it back up however and finally one by one the men admitted what the bishop had done.

How could we soften the impacts done on individuals in crimes such as rape or sexual assault? In some cases there are small things that could be done but overall what the victimes are experiencing cannot be changed unfortunately. However, therapy and counseling may temporarily ease the pain and suffering but it will be a long road to recovery. Also, even though the revictimization by the Justice System helps solve the crime, the endless questions must be kept to a minimum to save the sanity of the individual. Any amount of careful, well planned questions can assist in not only figuring out the details but also helping stop the revictimization of the person.

Mount Cashel Incident:

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/100408/national/nl_lahey_accused

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