[Note: I was not here on Friday and didn't see the law & order episode. As such, I am basing my statements on my personal understanding and sources such as this documentation.]
We all know that crime has a large impact on the victim. What may not be obviously apparent is that a crime will usually have some lasting impact on the victim for the rest of their lives. Immediately, once the initial shock of the crime on the victim wears off, the victim is likely to experience a vast range of emotions. Victims can feel anger, fear, confusion, frustration, guilt, shame, grief, or really any strong emotion. The emotions the victim feels will depend on the type and circumstance of the crime, as well as the type of person the victim is. The victim may feel difficulty getting the help they need to understand and process these emotions, as they may be unsure of who they can trust and rely on. Long term, the victim is likely to suffer from episodes of PTSD and revictimization. The victim may be prone to intrusive thoughts relating to the crime, and may seek to numb these thoughts through substance abuse and other socially deviant behaviour.
Victims are also likely to have a physical reaction to the crime, some short term and some long term. Immediately they will likely have an increase in adrenaline and heart rate. Long term, they may suffer effects such as insomnia, loss of appetite, muscle tension, nausea, lethargy or headaches. Depending on the severity of the crime, and on the victim, these effects may last for a few months or for the rest of the victim's life. Victims may obviously also sustain physical injuries in the event of an assault or attempted murder. In the event of disfigurement or disability, victims may suffer additional prolonged psychological effects.
The physical and psychological effects that crimes have on victims can also easily lead to financial and social issues for the victim. Because victims are likely to suffer from insomnia and emotional outbursts, they will likely need to take time off work, and will lose money as a result of their time spent away from work. Victims may also need to pay for legal, medical, or property fees. The victim's social life is also likely to suffer due to their unstable emotional state.
Tl;dr, crime can affect just about every aspect of a victim's life, sometimes permanently. Short term the victim will suffer mentally, physically, financially and socially. It ultimately depends on the severity of the crime and how the victim responds to it, but the emotional distress and physical damage may last the victim the rest of their life.
Now let's look at an actual crime and think about how it would have impacted the victim. This article details a woman's struggles with losing her husband to a stabbing weeks before their wedding. Note that while she is not the direct victim of the crime, she is still a victim, as she was negatively impacted by the crime. In her interview she brings up the devastation she felt seeing the casket being carried. These effects also clearly lasted, as they are still mentioned four years later at the perpetrator's sentencing. It should also be mentioned that she had to quit her studies due to her inability to focus, effectively derailing her entire life plan. She states that she hasn't wanted to be alive since his murder, suggesting possible depression and suicidal thoughts.
This article interestingly also demonstrates the "cycle of violence"; that a victim of a crime is more likely to be a criminal themselves. Apparently, the criminal in this case had also been a survivor of a shooting at age 17, and was acting out of fear due to being reminded of his own victimization. This perfectly demonstrates the long term effects of victimization, as the perpetrator of this case was suffering from PTSD from being shot years ago. His reaction to a crime that happened to him at age 17 was strong enough to cause him to take the life of another human being. Supposedly, he also showed sincere deep remorse for his actions.
This article perfectly highlights the short and long term mental effects on two victims of crime, as well as the cycle of violence that these effects contribute to.
To mitigate these effects, victims need to be able to feel safe. They need a healthy way to express and understand their emotions. They need to be reassured that it wasn't their fault, and to understand what will come next. Victims should be assisted by family and friends in getting the help they need from people such as therapists and doctors to professionally mitigate the psychological and physical effects of the crime on the victim.
No comments:
Post a Comment