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CO M
M ON
VICTIM R E A CTIO N S
Vict
im sexperiencea broa dra ng eof em ot
ionsin
t
h ea ft
erm a t
h of a crim e. Th eseem ot
ionsa rea
norm a la ndna t
ura lrea ct
ion t
o a st
ressfulsit
ua t
ion
ort
ra um a t
ic event
. Th ereisno rig h torw rong w a y
t
o feel— ea ch vict
im experiences uniqueem ot
ions a t
differentpoint
sduring t
h eirrecoveryprocess.
Vict
im sm a yfeelsh ocka ndnum bness
im m edia t
elya ft
ert
h ecrim e. Th eym a yÞ
ndit
difÞ
cultt
o rea ct
,t
h inkclea rly,m a kedecisions,
int
era ctw it
h ot
h ers,org o a boutt
h eirda ilylives.
Vict
im sm a ybeÞ
lledw it
h denia la nddisbelief
a boutt
h eincident
. Th esh ocka ndlossof
cont
roloverlifea ndpersona lsa fet
ym a ylea ve
vict
im st
roubled,confused,a nduna bleor
unw illing t
o fa cet
h erea lit
yof t
h ecrim eordea l
w it
h it
scom plica t
ions.
A ng erisa com m on rea ct
ion. Vict
im soft
en feel
a ng ryw it
h t
h eoffender,t
h ecrim ina lj
ust
ice
syst
em ,a ndsom et
im esw it
h t
h oseclosestt
o
t
h em . Th eym a yh a vet
h oug h t
sof w a nt
ing t
o
“g eteven” w it
h t
h eoffendera ccom pa niedby
feeling sof sh a m e.
Grief a nddepression frequent
lyfollow inj
ury
orloss. Vict
im sw h o a redepressedoft
en
loseint
erestin t
h eirlivesa ndst
rug g lew it
h
feeling sof h elplessnessa ndh opelessness. It
isim port
a ntt
o seekprofessiona lh elp if t
h ese
feeling sla stfora n ext
endedperiodof t
im e.
Guiltisa norm a lrea ct
ion a svict
im st
endt
o
second-g uess t
h em selves,sa ying ,“Ish ould
h a ve… ,” or“If onlyIh a d… ” Crim ina lj
ust
ice
syst
em personnela ndot
h ersw h o focuson h ow
t
h evict
im couldh a vea voidedorprevent
edt
he
crim em a ya ddt
ot
h issenseof g uilt
.
F ea ra nddistrustca n beh a rdt
o overcom e.
Crim eissudden a ndoft
en life-t
h rea t
ening .
O ncevict
im sh a veexperiencedit
,feeling sa fe
a g a in ca n bedifÞ
cult
. Vict
im sm a yfea rst
a ying
a th om eorlea ving h om ea ndm a yÞ
ndit
im possiblet
ot
rusta nyone.
A nxietym a yca usevict
im st
o a voidcert
a in
pla ces,people,a ndsit
ua t
ionst
h a trem indt
h em
of t
h ecrim ea ndt
h eirvulnera bilit
y. A nxiet
yca n
lea dt
o ph ysica lproblem s,such a sh ea da ch es,
ch a ng esin a ppet
it
e,a ndsleep difÞ
cult
ies.
F rustra tion,loneliness,a nddespa irm a ysetin
w h en vict
im sa reuna blet
o recovereven a ft
er
a sig niÞ
ca ntperiodof t
im e. Vict
im sm a yno
long erw ish t
o “burden” t
h oseclosestt
ot
h em
w it
h t
h eirt
roubles,ort
h oseindividua lsm a yno
long erh a vet
h et
im eorpa t
iencet
o cont
inuet
o
provideem ot
iona lsupportt
ot
h evict
im .
D ea ling w it
h a llof t
h eseem ot
ionsca n be
overw h elm ing forvict
im s. F a m ilya ndfriends
closestt
ot
h evict
im m a ya lso beexperiencing t
h ese
em ot
ionsa sw ell. Ta lking a boutt
h eim pa ctof t
he
crim ea nddeveloping coping st
ra t
eg iesca n a ssistin
t
h erecoveryprocess.
F orm ostvict
im s,t
h esefeeling sw illdim inish
overt
im ew it
h t
h esupportof fa m ilya ndfriends.
Crisisint
ervent
ion a ndprofessiona lt
h era pya lso
pla ya keyrolein recovery,especia llyforvict
im s
w h o a rest
rug g ling t
o recoveron t
h eirow n. Such
professiona lsca n h elp vict
im slea rn h ow t
o m a na g e
t
h eirem ot
ionsa ndreg a in a senseof cont
rolover
t
h eirlives.
E ven vict
im sw h o feelt
h eyh a verecoveredm a y
experiencedifÞ
cultem ot
ionsa g a in a tcert
a in t
im es.
E vent
st
h a tm a yt
rig g era n em ot
iona lresponse
includeseeing som eonew h o looksliket
h ecrim ina l,
h ea ring soundst
h a ta reliket
h osesurrounding
t
h ecrim e,orm a rking a da t
et
h a th a sspecia l
sig niÞ
ca nce,such a st
h ea nniversa ryof t
h ecrim e.
In som einst
a nces,especia llya ft
ert
h em urderof a
lovedoneorot
h ercrim eof violence,vict
im s’lives
m a yneverbet
h esa m e. Inst
ea d,vict
im sm ustw ork
t
oÞ
nda “new norm a l” w h eret
h eyh a vea ccept
ed
a ndincorpora t
edt
h elossint
ot
h eirlives.
SUGGE STIO N SF O R SUP P O RTIN G P E O P LE
• E ncoura g evict
im s t
o express t
h eirfeeling s a nd
providea sa fe,nonj
udg m ent
a l,a ndcom fort
ing
environm entfordoing so.
• Va lida t
evict
im s’feeling s a ndconÞ
rm t
h a tt
h eir
confusing ort
roubling em ot
ionsa renorm a l.
• T
ellt
h em you a resorrya boutt
h eincident
.
• A sk h ow you ca n h elp.
• E m ph a sizet
h a tt
h eya renott
o bla m eforw h a t
h a ppened.
• A llow vict
im s t
o respondin t
h eirow n w a ya ndin
t
h eirow n t
im e.
• Ch eck in w it
h t
h evict
im on a reg ula rba sis
a ndpa ya t
t
ent
ion t
o a nyissuest
h a trequire
int
ervent
ion,such a ssubst
a ncea buseorm ent
al
h ea lt
h concerns.
• P rovidem ut
ua lsupportt
ot
h evict
im ’s fa m ilya nd
friends,w h o m a ya lso beexperiencing a w ide
ra ng eof dist
ressing feeling s.
• O ffert
oat
t
endcrim ina lj
ust
iceproceeding s w it
h
t
h evict
im orh elp w it
h a nyneededpa perw ork.
• Ga t
h erinform a t
ion a boutot
h erresources t
he
vict
im ca n cont
a ctfora ddit
iona lsupporta nd
a ssist
a nce.
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±³ ¬¸» ·³°¿½¬ ±º ¿ ½®·³»ò
SUGGE STIO N SF O R VICTIM
S
• T
a lka boutt
h ecrim ew it
h a pa t
ienta nd
sym pa t
h et
ic list
ener. F a m ilym em bers,friends,
a ndspirit
ua llea dersca n oft
en providet
he
neededt
im e,support
,a nda ssura ncet
o a ssist
you in recovering a tyourow n pa ce.
• Cont
a cta vict
im a dvoca t
ew h o ca n offersupport
,
a sw ella sinform a t
ion a boutt
h ecrim ina l
j
ust
icesyst
em ,a ndreferra lst
o ot
h erresources.
Th eO fÞ
ceof Just
iceP rog ra m sW ebsit
ea t
dps.m n.g ov/divisions/oj
p h a sa sea rch a blevict
im
serviceproviderdirect
oryforM innesot
a.
• T
a kest
eps t
o bolst
eryoursenseof sa fet
ya nd
securit
y. W orkw it
h a vict
im a dvoca t
et
o develop
a sa fet
ypla n a nd/orobt
a in a rest
ra ining order
a g a instt
h eoffender. Inst
a llnew locks,a securit
y
syst
em ,ora ddit
iona llig h t
ing . Lea rn persona l
sa fet
yt
ech niques. Reg ist
erforrelea senot
iÞ
ca t
ion
if t
h eoffenderisin j
a ilorprison t
h roug h t
h eVIN E
syst
em .
• T
ryt
o m a int
a in a rout
inea ndm a keda ily
decisionst
o reg a in a senseof cont
rol. A void
isola t
ing yourself from fa m ilya ndfriends.
Int
era ct
ing w it
h ot
h ersca n h elp t
o speedyour
recovery. P ra ct
iceproperself-ca rebyg et
t
ing
enoug h sleep,ea t
ing h ea lt
h ya ndreg ula rm ea ls,
a ndg et
t
ing a dequa t
eexercise.
• M ent
a lh ea lt
h professiona ls a rea va ila blet
o h elp
you in t
h erecoveryprocess. Ca lla crisish ot
line
a nd/ora rra ng eforone-on-onecounseling or
g roup counseling . Som evict
im sm a ybeelig ible
forÞ
na ncia la ssist
a ncefrom t
h eM innesot
a Crim e
Vict
im Repa ra t
ionsP rog ra m t
o a ssistw it
h t
h era py
cost
s.
• Join a supportg roup t
ot
a lkw it
h ot
h ers w h o h a ve
experiencedsim ila rcrim esa ndlea rn w h a th a s
h elpedt
h em h ea l. A vict
im a dvoca t
ew illa ssist
you in Þ
nding a supportg roup,if oneisa va ila ble.
• Reca llh ow you m a yh a veovercom edifÞ
cult
iesor
ch a lleng esin t
h epa sta ndt
ryt
o usesom eof t
he
sa m ecoping st
ra t
eg iesin yourcurrentsit
ua t
ion.
• T
ryw rit
ing orkeeping a j
ourna la boutyour
feeling s. F ocuson t
h eposit
ivet
h ing sin yourlife
a ndm a kea listof rea sonst
o recover.
R E A CH O UTF O R H
E LP
UnitedW a y211
Th e24-h our,t
oll-freereferra lh ot
lineca n be
rea ch edbyca lling 211 or8 00-5 43-7 7 09 from
a nyw h erein M innesot
a.
Victim ServiceP roviderDirectory
F ora list
ing of M innesot
a vict
im serviceproviders
seet
h eO JP W ebsit
ea tdps.m n.g ov/divisions/oj
p or
ca ll8 8 8 -6 22-8 7 99.
M innesota Crim eVictim sRepa ra tions
F ina ncia la ssist
a nceisa va ila bleforvict
im sof
violentcrim e. F orinform a t
ion a ndcla im form s,see
t
h eO JP W ebsit
e:dps.m n.g ov/divisions/oj
p orca ll
8 8 8 -6 22-8 7 99.
O ffenderrelea senotiÞca tion
F orinm a t
einform a t
ion a ndrelea senot
iÞ
ca t
ion,ca ll
VIN E a t8 7 7 -6 44-8 7 6 3 org o t
o w w w .vinelink.com .
Vict
im sof offendersin prison sh oulda lso cont
a ct
t
h eVict
im A ssist
a nceP rog ra m a tD epa rt
m entof
Correct
ionsfora ddit
iona lnot
iÞ
ca t
ion form sa t
w w w .doc.st
at
e.m n.usorca ll8 00-6 5 7 -38 30.
O fÞceof Just
iceP rog ra m s
445 M innesot
a St
reet
,Suit
e2300
St
. P a ul,M N 5 5 101-15 15
E -m a il:dps.j
ust
iceprog ra m s@ st
at
e.m n.us
W ebsit
e:dps.m n.g ov/divisions/oj
p
6 5 1-201-7 300 M a in
8 8 8 -6 22-8 7 99 T
ollF ree
6 5 1-205 -48 27 TTY
6 5 1-296 -5 7 8 7 F a x
6/11
M IN N E SO TA D E P A RTM E N TO F P UBLIC SA F E TY