|
|
When you experience a crime it can make you respond in ways that you might not understand. In that crisis situation you may react in ways that conflict with the assumptions you have created about your self. At the time of the crime you may feel a sense of helplessness, fear and anger. Afterward you may have a hard time relating the experience to the context of the assumptions of your life. A conflict often develops between your idea of the world before the crime and your idea of the world after the disaster.
On top of this the victims and their relatives often experience financial problems, and time is often lost from work to handle the legal, insurance and personal problems associated with being a victim. The trauma associated with any crime often makes it hard for victims to cope with normal daily routines. And the victims of crime are frequently blamed by their friends for not being more careful. The trauma continues as victims of crime often find themselves ignored by law enforcement, and confused by the court system
Approximately thirteen million people (approximately 5% of the U.S. population) are victims of crime every year. Approximately one and a half million are victims of violent crime.
Plan on helping your friends if they become a victim of crime.
Never pass judgment on a crime victim.
Under no circumstances should a victim of crime be made to feel
responsible
for the crime. They did nothing wrong. Sometimes a crime could have
been
avoided. Yet, no crime is a justification for the condemnation of it's
victim.
Be there for the victim. Even if the victim is reluctant to accept your presence, being there means that you care. Consider that if you were the victim of a trauma that made you feel helpless; that guilt and isolation can be quite harmful for the victim.
Listen to the victim of the crime. Don't pass judgment.
Allow the victim to express their feelings about the crime. Support the victim's expression of his or her feelings.
Stay with the victim. Go with them to the hospital, police station and back home. Help them with their daily routines.
Many victims never come to terms with how the experience has
effected
their life.
In the event that the victim is showing signs of emotional stress,
find out what help is available in your community. The victim of a
crime,
or their relatives, may need to seek professional or group support in
helping
to coping with the problems that occur as the result of the experience.
| The Disaster Center | Contact the Disaster Center | The Rothstein Cataloge on Disaster Recovery | What
Code Do You Need? |
||
| Administration | Plan Review | Residential Code | Fire Code | Building Code | Plumbing Code | Mechanical Code |
| Electrical Code | Fuel Gas Code | Private Sewage Code | Energy Conservation Code |
Existing Building Code | |
| Performance Code | Wildland-Urban Code | Property Maintenance Code | State and
International Codes |
||
| Masonry and Steel Codes | Alternative Construction | Storm Shelters | Building for Disasters | Green Home | |
| Legacy Codes: | Southern Building Congress | International Conference of Building Officials | Building Officials and Code Administrators International | ||