Law Enforcement’s First Response to Crime Victims
Author: Timothy Woods, J.D., M.A., LL.M..
Source: Volume 10, Number 02, February/March 2009 , pp.25-26(2)
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Abstract:
The way people cope as victims of crime depends largely on their experiences and on how others treat them immediately after the crime. Although victims of sex crimes have particular needs because of the particularities of their trauma, law enforcement officers are in a unique position to help victims cope with the immediate trauma of the crime and help them regain a sense of security and control over their lives. As first responders, the police have the responsibility of meeting victims at a time when their trauma is heightened, and their sense of vulnerability is most tender. It is important for police officers to address victims with sensitivity and compassion, as the article below emphasizes, especially victims of sex crimes.Keywords:
Affiliations:
1: National Sheriffs’ Association.