If You Were a Victim of Crime, What Services Would You Expect to Receive - Essay Example

Considering the fact that numerous types of criminal acts fall under these categories mentioned above, the victims of crimes also vary with regard to the extent and kind of criminal act they were exposed to or witnessed to.
The kind of services that are offered to victims of crime vary from one place to another, or in other words, the services offered to victims of crime are related to the legal and institutional practices associated with the territory inhabited by the crime victim. For instance, in the USA, the services offered would differ from one state to the other. Also, the compensation packages that are offered to crime victims vary with regard to the nature of crime perpetrated upon them along with the variation in laws from state to state.

Since the experience of having been victim to a crime leaves behind stress and trauma which differs according to the type of crime, one has been victim to, the level and kinds of services required also differ. For instance, the victim of domestic abuse will need a lot of emotional counseling as will the victim of rape. However, the victim of property theft may require insurance assistance.

As the victim of a crime, I would expect to receive services tantamount to the nature of the crime I have been a victim of. In addition to counseling and other such guidance measures, in certain cases, I do believe that monetary compensation is also called for. For instance, the victim of domestic abuse may have to leave her household and in such a case, financial help would be necessary. Also, in the case of property theft, insurance benefits are required to compensate for the loss of material goods.

The offenders of the crime should be made to pay compensation to the victims. However, if the perpetrators of the crime are not identified and caught or arrested, or otherwise punished, they will be available to be made to pay. In such cases, there can be legal procedures or institutions which could enforce a process whereby the state or institutions and organizations dealing with the victims of crime would provide financial assistance to these victims. Hence, if the offenders of the crimes cannot pay financial compensation, the State or organizations such as NGOs that deal with victims of crime can step in to provide the monetary help required by the victim.

In conclusion, therefore, keeping in mind the fact that dealing with victims of crime can be a sensitive issue, adequate measures in relation to the victims need to be undertaken.