Experiences and Needs of Victims

THE EXPERIENCES AND NEEDS OF VICTIMS OF CRIME IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA: REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE CRIME VICTIMS' SUPPORT UNIT

by Meredith Wilkie, Anna Ferrante, Nini Susilo

CONTENTS

1. Services for Victims of Crime
   1. Traditional Attitudes to Victims of Crime
   2. The Impact of the Crime
   3. Secondary Victimisation
   4. Service Needs of Crime Victims
   5. Victim Service Models
   6. Victim Support Services
   7. Effectiveness of Services
   8. Summary
2. Victim Support in Western Australia
   1. Introduction
   2. Victims of Crime Working Party
   3. Crime Victims' Support Unit
   4. Research Method
      • The Focus of the Evaluation
      • The Objectives and Methodologies of the CVSU
      • The Evaluation Methodology
3. Surveys of Victims - The Samples
   1. Who are Victims of Crime?
   2. Western Australia Victims of Crime: 1991-92
   3. CVSU Clients
   4. Our Samples
   5. Summary
4. Surveys of Victims - The Results
   1. Profile of Survey Respondents
   2. Respondents' Experiences
   3. General Attitudes to Crime and Safety
   4. Satisfaction with Police
   5. Satisfaction with CVSU
   6. General Comments
   7. Summary
5. Interviews with Victims - The Findings
   1. Profile of Interview Respondents
   2. The Offence
   3. The Consequences
   4. Recovery
   5. CVSU Services
   6. Referrals by CVSU
   7. Satisfaction with Police
   8. Overall Attitudes tot he Criminal Justice System
   9. The Trial and Sentence
   10. Attending Court
   11. Talking with the Offender
   12. Summary
6. Survey of Service Providers
   1. Local Service Providers
   2. Victims' Organisations
   3. Summary
7. Conclusions and Recommendations
   1. The CVSU Model
      • Viable and Effective
      • Victims' Needs for Information
      • Long-Term Support
      • Initiation of Contact
   2. Administration
   3. Client Group
   4. Referrals and Access
   5. Networks
   6. Role of Police
   7. The Trial
   8. Victim Offender Mediation
   9. Victim Impact Statements

Appendix A - Victims of Crime Surveys: Clients and Non- Clients
Appendix B - Covering Letters
Appendix C - Interview Schedule
Appendix D - Survey of Service Providers
Appendix E - Matching Non-Client Victims to the Client Sample
Appendix F - Seventh United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders: Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice Relating to Victims of Crime - 1985
Appendix G - Western Australian Charter of Victims' Rights &127

Published November 1992

Price AUD $16.50 (incl gst)
ISBN 0-86422-226-2

Please send orders to crime.research@uwa.edu.au or post to The Crime Research Centre, C/- The University of Western Australia, 14 Parkway, Nedlands, Western Australia, 6907