Advocating for Victim Services
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Application: Advocating for Victim Services
Only about 9% of serious violent crime victims received direct assistance in terms of help or advice from a victim service agency from 1993 to 2009 (U.S. Department of Justice, 2011). Although social scientists and mental health professionals have done a great deal of work to identify victims’ needs and develop treatment strategies, in the majority of victimization cases no services are provided, either because they are not available or the victim does not seek help.
This week you assessed the needs of victims and researched services that might help their situation. The next step is for you to write a letter to your governor or local lawmakers, articulating those needs and services to policy makers in such a way that they can and will develop a plan of action to make modern victim services a reality. You can use real life examples of victim’s sufferings, a cost benefit model, or both, but your letter should make a convincing case on behalf of victims.
For this Assignment, consider the following crime:
In the local Gruffson district of Peopletown, evidence of a hate crime has surfaced. A 21-year-old recent immigrant from Haiti was found in an alley with severe wounds to his head and body. When the victim was found by garbage collectors early yesterday morning, swelling had rendered his face almost unrecognizable.
Police believe that the man spent the night lying in the alley following a ruthless beating at the hands of a group. Based on early reports, the man heard the attackers yelling, “Go home go home!” as they kicked, punched and pelted him with rocks. The man’s limited English prevented him from understanding the other words of his attackers. Police are treating the incident as a hate crime.
Anti-immigrant graffiti has appeared throughout the neighborhood in recent months and residents indicate that a group of young local men has drawn attention from the authorities for disturbances and harassment of immigrants in public parks in at bus stops
Then read the sample letters on the link
http://www.hrw.org/news/2011/03/28/coalition-letter-support-student-non-discrimination-act
and consider the most effective arguments you can use to persuade lawmakers to support victim services.
The Assignment (3 pages):
• Explain the services currently available in your state (New Jersey) for the victim of hate crime above.
• Explain services not available in your state that might be beneficial for the victim, or recommend revisions or enhancements to existing services.
• Using the sample provided, create a letter to the governor of your state (New Jersey) or local lawmakers explaining what services should be available and explain why.
Support your Assignment with specific references to all resources used in its preparation. You are to provide a reference list for all resources
SAMPLE ANSWER
Advocating For Victims Services
Hate crimes are ideally traumatizing to the victims. Victims facing such forms of anti-social behavior live with fear, uncertainty and tension. Hate crimes and other social as are confrontational and do promote social hostility within the community. Such acts jeopardize active and open pursuit of opportunity and freedom. Hate crimes mirror a rotten behavior on the society which compromise religious, ethnic and racial heritage of community members. Hate crime can be defined as any unlawful act done in a way to suggest that there is an intention to victimize an individual because of his perceived or actual race, religion, gender ethnicity or sexual orientation (Turpin-Petrosino, 2015). Unlawful act can present itself in form of criminal mischief, harassment, aggravated assault or in any other form of crime punishable by law. In New Jersey, hate crimes suspect are tried under State’s Bias Intimidation Statute.
However this paper provides insights of both existing and no-existing services that might for victims of hate crimes in New Jersey. On the same note, create a letter to the gorenor of New Jersey explaining services that should be available and the underlying reason why such services are imperative in helping victims of Hate Crimes.
Even though it is imperative to punish and educate those involved in hate crimes. Consequently, it is quite important to provide services to the victims of hate crimes. Such services help the victims to cope with many physical, emotional and financial losses incurred as a result of such crimes. And as such helps the victims overcome the trauma of the hate crime.
In New Jersey, victims of hate crimes are helped by religious groups, outreach groups and community organizations who offer guidance and counseling. To help such victims of hate crimes overcome the trauma and psychological torture after being beaten and robbed by hate crime perpetrators. These organizations are also in the forefront in educating hate crime target groups on safety from law enforcement agencies or community based organizations, violence prevention and discrimination. Such education programs help suggest ways of handling hate crimes if they occur and also prepare target groups of victimization to avoid confrontation and thus preventing the occurrence of hate crime.
Law enforcement agencies also play a central role in preventing victims of hate crimes from being victimized all over again. They inform community members through education and awareness visibility. Law enforcement agencies also punish the perpetrators of such crimes in order to discourage such acts from occurring again.
Volunteer groups offer financial aids to the victims of hate crimes to help them overcome their psychological torture and collect the pieces to start life afresh. The victim’s medical bills are settled and a competitive lawyer is hired to help them in their case in the court of law. Such community services help the victims feel appreciated in the community despite the racial, gender or ethnic differences.
The district attorney provides a witness aid services for victims of hate crimes. Such aids help to gather for court related services, social services in addition to counseling services for crime victims, families and witnesses (Turpin-Petrosino, 2015). The District attorney also provides valuable information relating to the prosecution of the case. On the other hand, they help the victims to understand the criminal justice system. Finally, they also inform the victims of their rights in the case.
However, be as it may, victims of hate crimes require many services than the existing services. Individual assistance in providing comfort, education and open discussion still need o be enhanced. Such services help the victims and the families of such victims cope with the situation faster and in the most appropriate manner.
Letter of support for victims of hate crimes covered under state’s bias intimidation statute
Dear Governor
As a resident of your district, Gruffson, peopletown. I am writing this letter to urge you to provide services that are quite essential and can help prevent hate crimes within the neighborhood. It is of profound interest that the state should provide policing services to help prevent hate crimes based on a resident perceived or actual race, ethnic group or their religious background. Such vulnerable group needs explicit police protections. Regular policing within the district is quite important to prevent the underlying crimes and also hate crimes.
The resident of my district who are not natives are living in constant fear of being harassed based on their race and ethnic groups. Ethnic tension is on the rise and people have fear of walking in the night because of insecurity. Recently, a 21-year-old immigrant of Haiti was severely beaten at the hands of a group and left him with severe wounds to his head and body. The immigrant was a victim of hate crime and the perpetrators yelled at him to “go home”. And as such, immigrants living in Gruffson district are seeped with fear and are requesting increase in patrol. Especially in the night to prevent them from being victimized based on their ethnic groups.
We are requesting also that, Perpetrators of hate crimes should also be punished more severely to discourage resident from engaging in hate crimes within the district. We therefore, urge you to support us and help combat these heinous hate crimes by increasing support in our district
Sincerely,
(Insert Name)
References
Turpin-Petrosino, C. (2015). Understanding Hate Crimes: Acts, Motives, Offenders, Victims, and Justice. Routledge.
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