Personal Experience: Volunteering at Victim Support

I chose to volunteer at Victim Support (VS) because it is a 38 year old charity organization that gives free and confidential support to victims of things like burglary, assault, sexual assault, domestic violence, fraud, robbery, etc., as well as anyone else who has been affected by crime in England and Wales. VS was set up because victims of crimes were often overlooked in a justice system that focused more on the criminal than those affected (Elias, 1993). Evidence suggests that community well-being is best served when the needs of crime victims, information, truth telling, empowerment, and restitution, which are typically neglected, are met (Zehr, 2002). VS tries to meet the victim's needs when the government’s heath or legal services fail (Campbell, 2006). The government supplies the charity with some funding because research shows that counselling decreases social isolation, increases understanding, and aids in the recovery process (Zerman, 2004). VS represents victims in campaigns for change. VS attempts to widely disseminate their contact details to make themselves as readily available and convenient as possible. The existence of VS hinges on its ability to help people find the strength to continue improving until they are back to normal after a crime. With practical and emotional support, I tried to be a source of strength and comfort.

VS maintains five basic rights for all victims: 1) The right of respect, recognition and support, 2) The right to information and updates about the progress of their cases as well as the financial, physical and emotional effects of their crime, described by themselves, to be considered when decisions are made about them, 3) The right to be protected in any way necessary, 4) The r...

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...illed out official reports, chased people for feed back, follow up meetings, opinions and recommendation, and have performed safety checks and fairly stocking police in attempt to get updates for victims waiting to hear from them.

I experienced, first hand, the necessity of considering the cultural and ethnic views and requirements of a variety of victims. Each victim remembered their experience from a viewpoint that included their age, sex, religion, family background, and the emotions that affected the stories they had about the crime (D’Argembeau & Van der Linden, 2004). This can make messy complexity of what could have been a simple recovery process. These things necessitate humility on the part of the counsellor, an open mind, and continual self reminders that I do not know everything and that I must listen attentively or I will miss something important.