Victim Counselling and Support: A Review of Police, Community and Therapeutic Interventions

What methods or approaches are effective in providing counselling or other forms of support to victims of crime, with particular reference to serious offences including domestic abuse, rape and other sexual assault? An evidence review was conducted with the objective of locating and summarizing relevant research. Seven electronic databases covering the fields of criminal justice, healthcare and allied areas were searched for evaluations of interventions or supports provided to victims of crime. From 1983 items 58 studies was identified for full review. Studies employed a variety of research methods, and the number focusing on any single issue was comparatively small. Retained reports include the following: (1) police and criminal justice research projects evaluating the effects of initiatives taken by police and their patterns of response to victims during crisis intervention, the influence on victims of decisions taken at crime scenes or other aspects of the investigative process; (2) access to community resources which included a variety of approaches such as advocacy, helplines, support groups and a range of other services which are harnessed to provide a range of support and services to victims, with varying levels of strategic coordination; and (3) therapeutic interventions such as counselling or psychological therapy.