Help for Serious Crime Victims Not Extensive

A new study by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) finds that few crime victims use services designed to provide them with counseling, help to navigate the criminal justice system, or help to get restitution. The study found that from 1993 to 2009, only 9% of violent crime victims received help from a victim service agency and only about one in five rape victims received such help. Among the study’s other highlights:

1. victims were more likely to receive services if they reported the crime to law enforcement (14% compared to 4%),
2. victims who received direct services from an agency were more likely to see an arrest made,
3. female victims were more likely than male victims to receive services (15% compared to 6%),
4. a greater percentage of serious intimate partner violence victims (23%) received assistance that other serious crime victims (8%), and
5. a greater percentage of serious violent crime victims living in rural areas (12%) than in urban areas (8%) received assistance.