The following information resources may offer victim assistance information, research findings, educational materials, or strategies for program and policy development specific to this topic. A general listing of all OVC publications is also available.

Attorney General Guidelines for Victim and Witness Assistance 2000 (January 2000)
This Department of Justice document presents guidelines for working with crime victims and witnesses. The guidelines are based on federal victims’ rights laws and Department of Justice policy, and include specific guidance for victims of trafficking and identity theft.

Collaboration for Victims' Rights and Services, National Victim Assistance Academy Text (2002)
The NVAA text emphasizes foundations in victimology and victims' rights and services, as well as new developments in the field of victim assistance, and contains a chapter on civil remedies.

Compensating Crime Victims: A Summary of Policies and Practices (1992)
This NIJ report (136500) highlights state efforts to develop and provide victim compensation services and to comply with VOCA's mandates. It also describes different organizational structures and operating procedures that characterize American programs.
How to Obtain Document

The Crime Victim's Right To Be Present (January 2002)
Third in the OVC Legal Series, this bulletin (NCJ 189187) provides an overview of state laws addressing the rights of victims to attend criminal justice proceedings, particularly trials, and how their presence might affect the rights of defendants.

Criminal Victimization
This Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) series, issued every year, presents violent and property victimization estimates from the National Crime Victimization Survey and homicide estimates from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program. The web page includes additional BJS publications on varying aspects of criminal victimization.

Enforcement of Protective Orders (January 2002)
Fourth in the OVC Legal Series, this bulletin (NCJ 189190) provides an overview of state laws and issues related to the enforcement of protective orders.

The Extent and Costs of Crime Victimization: A New Look (January 1996)
This NIJ Research Preview summarizes research designed to estimate the costs and consequences of personal crime for Americans, including long-term costs and the intangibles of pain, suffering, and risk of death. The summary is based on research described in NIJ's Victim Costs and Consequences A New Look (NCJ 155282).
ASCII (8 kb) or PDF (22 kb)

Guidelines on Justice for Child Victims and Witnesses of Crime (January 2003)
This document provides guidelines for victim service professionals, government and public agencies, international organizations, and nongovernmental organizations to ensure the rights of child victims and witnesses of crime are respected throughout the justice process and that children are not further victimized during this process. Produced by the International Bureau of Children's Rights (IBCR), this thematic report is available online in English, French, and Spanish. Multilingual PDF (169 kb)

I'm Going to Federal Court with Mark & Julie (1997)
This OVC activity book (PDF only) includes pages to color, games, puzzles, and information to teach child witnesses about the court experience they face. The book is a companion piece to the video Inside Federal Court (September 1995; NCJ 157156), which also instructs children and their families about the court process to build confidence and reduce anxiety about testifying.
PDF (10.35 mb)

Learning About Victims of Crime: A Training Model for Victim Service Providers and Allied Professionals (September 2003)
Fifth in a series documenting the accomplishments of the Victim Services 2000 (VS2000) project, this OVC bulletin (NCJ 199934) summarizes initiatives at the Denver VS2000 site and how participants there approached cross training victim service providers and allied professionals in faith communities, law enforcement settings, and judicial and other legal settings.

A Multimedia Program for Physically Injured Crime Victims (April 2006)
This multimedia program offers victims an educational DVD (NCJ 213709), brochure (BC 000728), and bulletin (NCJ 212974) for use during their hospitalization for crime-related injuries. The program provides victims of violent crime with information about emotional responses to victimization, elements of medical follow-up, physical rehabilitation processes, and the criminal justice system. Also available in other languages.

A Multimedia Program To Improve Criminal Justice System Participation and Reduce Distress Among Physically Injured Crime Victims (April 2006)
This OVC Bulletin (NCJ 212974) is a component of A Multimedia Program for Physically Injured Crime Victims. The bulletin outlines the theories and research that led to the creation of a DVD and brochure designed to inform physically injured crime victims about the recovery process and their rights in the criminal justice system. Also available in other languages.

OVC Help Series Brochures (March 2002)
The OVC Help Series (BC 000669) is a set of 10 brochures that address 8 categories of crime victimization: assault, child abuse, domestic violence, drunk driving, homicide, robbery, sexual assault, and stalking. Each brochure includes an overview of general crime facts, a description of what victims may experience, and suggestions for how to seek help. The brochures are intended to supplement the information victim service providers can offer and to give victims a resource they can easily refer to in a crisis. Also available in other languages.

OVC National Directory of Victim Assistance Funding Opportunities 2001 (September 2001)
This OVC resource directory (NCJ 189218) lists by state and territory the contact names and information for federally funded crime victim assistance programs and includes particulars on grant programs that help state and local agencies prepare for and respond to incidents of domestic terrorism and criminal mass casualty.
HTML, ASCII (300 kb), or PDF (969 kb)

Privacy of Victims’ Counseling Communications (November 2002)
Eighth in the OVC Legal Series, this bulletin (NCJ 192264) provides an overview of state laws and issues related to the privacy of communications between victims and their counselors.

Serving Crime Victims and Witnesses (February 1997)
This NIJ Issues and Practices report (NCJ 163174) provides a detailed discussion of strategies for planning, implementing, and refining victim assistance programs, with examples of program operations and activities as well as suggestions for resources.
Abstract and ordering information, ASCII (515 kb), or PDF (1.1 mb)

Victims of Crime Act Crime Victims Fund (October 2005)
This OVC fact sheet (FS 000310) provides information about the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Crime Victims Fund and the various grant programs (formula and discretionary) funded using VOCA dollars. Also available in other languages.

Victims of Crime—A Social Work Response: Building Skills To Strengthen Survivors (April 2006)
Social workers and students can learn about crime victim assistance and victims' rights and services by accessing this new kit of training materials. Materials include trainer and participant manuals, a discussion guide, and other resources.

Victims' Rights Compliance Efforts: Experiences in Three States (December 2004)
This OVC report (NCJ 168099) analyzes the elements of the victims' rights compliance enforcement programs in Colorado, Minnesota, and Wisconsin based on a variety of data collection techniques, including an analysis of relevant victims' rights laws and constitutional provisions and interviews with involved officials.

Victims' Rights, New Directions from the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century
This OVC Bulletin (NCJ 172812) is a reprint of a chapter in New Directions and deals specifically with promising practices and recommendations related to Victims' Rights. An executive summary and 17 other Bulletins complete the set.

Victim Costs and Consequences: A New Look (January 1996)
This NIJ report (NCJ 155282) documents the results of a 2-year multidisciplinary research effort to estimate the costs and consequences of personal crime for Americans. The report explains the nature of and how the costs were estimated for tangible (e.g., medical care and property damage) and intangible victim losses (e.g., pain and suffering). The research is summarized in a 2-page preview titled The Extent and Costs of Crime Victimization: A New Look.
ASCII (93 kb) or PDF (169 kb)

What You Can Do If You Are a Victim of Crime (November 2005)
This OVC brochure (BC 000713) explains the rights of victims of crime and the compensation and assistance resources available to them and lists national organizations that help victims find information or obtain referrals. Also available in other languages.