Victim advocate training guide.

1. Introduction

A victim advocates are a very important part of the justice system and are found in different areas of the criminal justice system. They are trained as a support system for crime victims (victim support services, n.d.). they work with others like the police and social services in order to help the victims and witnesses of crime.

            This section will focus on:

1. Qualifications of becoming a victim advocate
2. Functions of a victim advocate
3. Child victim’s vs adult victims.
4. LGBTQ victims
5. Victim advocate and restorative justice
6. Certification to become victim advocate in Virginia.
7. Must have a degree in sociology. Psychology or in criminal justice
8. Must have working experience three to five years in human services.

1. Function of victim advocate in cases involving a victim of elder abuse.
2. To connect the victims with a safe meeting places i.e. elder shelters
3. To provide counseling as the May have anxiety or undergoing depression
4. Help in arranging transportation to and from court.
5. Arrange for medical help as they may be sick or suffering from a mental disorder.

1. Functions of victim advocate in a criminal matter
2. Support the victim emotionally
3. Guide the victim through the criminal justice system.
4. Inform the victim of their legal rights and protections
5. Intervenes for the victim with creditors landlords and employers (Kil, 2019).
6. Help victim with safety planning
7. Help the victim to get compensation
8. Help victim access safety shelter

• Comparing functions of a victim advocate criminal matters in child victim’s vs adult victims

      Depending on the case a victim’s advocate function can be very similar when dealing with children and adults. But children need more follow ups because they may not be able to speak up for themselves therefore making them more vulnerable.

• Concerns when dealing with sexual violence and domestic violence
• That the victim is removed from the environment of the abuser and that they are not able to reach them or intimidate them
• That the victim receives adequate counselling
• That the victim feels safe to talk about their ordeal.

• Challenges assisting LGBTQ victims of crime
• Can be hard to find shelter or housing due to homophobia.
• Some may not want to reveal their sexual orientation for fear of being judged.
• Not being completely open for fear that it may reflect on their community (Rainn, n.d.).

• Role of the victim advocate in restorative justice
• They guide the victim through the mediation process with the offender.
• Counselling the victim to help them when they meet their offenders and other members of the community.
• Help the victim by being there with them and also by choosing safe places for the victim for mediation.

A profession in victim advocacy can be very rewarding, but this work has a lot of challenges too as it involves hearing a lot of violent crimes and can be very traumatizing. Victim advocates should be able to be non-biased and must have empathy for their clients.

References

Kil. E. (2019). Role of the victim advocate in the criminal justice system. https://ecobear.co/knowledge-center/role-of-the-victim-advocate/

Rainn. (n.d.). Barriers to reporting sexual violence in LGBTQ. https://ecobear.co/knowledge-center/role-of-the-victim-advocate/

Victim support services. ( n.d.). What is a victim advocate? https://victimsupportservices.org/help-for-victims/what-is-a-victim-advocate/