Reactions of people close to the victim


Sometimes people close to the victim may blame him/her for what happened. This may be because of the fear they feel because someone close to them has been the victim of a crime and they think about how it could have happened to them. Unfortunately, this can make the victim of the crime feel guilty or ashamed, even though there is no reason to do so. People may even subconsciously blame the victim in order to find an explanation for the incident.

Another possible reaction from those close to the victim is avoidance. Many of us are not trained and are largely unprepared to talk about such events and that leads to a misguided conclusion that if one is not sure as to how to talk to a victim, they should avoid them to not make things worse. Of course, such avoidance is never the answer as it may lead victims to further believe that the crime they survived changed or even damaged them.

I was a victim of crime: consequences and reactions The rights of victims of crime Criminal proceedings Who’s who in criminal proceedings


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