Transitioning Times

On Friday, we heard Michelle Knight speak in court at her perpetrator’s sentencing.  This young woman is courageous, strong, and compassionate.  The bravery that it takes to face a perpetrator in court is remarkable.  I am grateful that our country believes in the impact of allowing victims to provide input to the court system.  Providing input can help a victim’s recovery in many ways, including giving her/him  a sense of power, having her/his voice heard and having an opportunity to face her/his attacker.  The victim/survivor did not have power in the moments that the crime was being committed; therefore, regaining that power may be a constructive part of the healing process. The rights of crime victims and survivors have not existed for that long .  In fact, the crime victims’ movement in the United States started in the 1960’s and 1970’s.  The crime victims’ movement was an outgrowth of the fields of victimology, the women’s movement, st...

April 22-18, 2012 is National Crime Victims’ Rights Week.   Every April since 1981, one week has been designated as National Crime Victims’ Rights Week .   This year’s theme is “Extending the Vision: Reaching Every Victim.” It is necessary to take this opportunity to remember that every victim may not feel that he or she has rights.   This year’s campaign video focuses specifically on minors who are victims of sex trafficking ,    LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay,Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning) youth ,   migrant workers , and   victims of crimes using technology .   A person who is being told, by an offender or their culture, that no one will listen, no one will believe you, may not feel that he or she has rights.   A 14 year old person who has run away from their home may not know that he or she can even report a crime, let alone receive free and confidential support.   He may be told that he cannot report a cr...