Victim's Movement - Essay Example

Victims’ Rights Movement: It’s Status Victim’s Rights Movement: It’s Status In my opinion, the victim’s movement reached its full potential albeit the long process and setbacks brought about by lack of funding and issues on professionalism and training. Continued efforts as the movement evolved and strove for public awareness and professionalism, resulted not in the establishment of organizations which deal with the welfare of victims in terms of psychological and emotional assistance.

Increased public awareness resulted to a growing concern by the public to the victims’ rights. Increased government support, like President Reagan’s Task Force on Victims of Crime in 1982 and Crime Victims’ Fund in 1984 provided funds to assist with victim services. Laws like Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) established the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), the Victims’ Bill of Rights in 1990, Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 which includes the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and the subsequent Constitutional Amendment in 1996, were passed by government and promoted.

Universities also expanded and established victim-related courses with the U.S. Department of Justice sponsoring the first National Victim Assistance Academy in 1995 (Wallace and Roberson, 2010).Undeniably, the movement succeeded, but an increase in crime rate and severity of crimes today need more educated and trained professionals for support and intervention. One goal the movement should strive for in the next ten years is to develop a plan to maximize government and the universities’ support with regard to intervention.

Next, establish permanent information exchange with universities, regarding the changing needs of victims, modus operandi of criminals based on victims’ stories, and other information which may help universities update and improve victim services curriculum, aimed at skills and competency improvement of students when they graduate and practice. Lastly, an organization composed of representatives from the US Attorney’s office, FBI, military and other federal agencies, university and leaders of the different organizations involved in victims assistance and intervention, doctors, psychologists and psychiatrists and other such professionals need to be established.

The organization shall serve as a coordinating body dealing with data and information on changing needs of victims and modus operandi of criminals. From the data, the organization can come up with a standardized manual dealing on victim assistance and intervention. All the goals mentioned above will surely make a big difference in terms of victims’ rights and welfare.ReferenceWallace, H. & Roberson, C. (2010). Victimology: Legal, Psychological, and Social Perspectives (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.