To the editor:

Victimization and its aftermath may be one of the most difficult periods in a person’s life — and victims’ families, friends, and communities often face their own challenges as well. Loved ones may struggle to understand what kind of support victims need, or even how to talk to them about what happened.

Many times people tend to stray away, afraid of saying the wrong thing or not knowing what to say. Justice can take different forms for each individual victim. Each crime victim’s healing process will be different, but one way you can help is to help elevate the voices of crime victims in your own community.

April 19-25th is National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. This year’s theme–Seek Justice | Ensure Victims’ Rights | Inspire Hope–focuses on the rights of all victims of crime. A great place to start learning about crime victims’ rights is www.dsaoc.com. There you can find information about supporting victims in our community and what services are available to those affected by crimes. When victims feel understood and supported, they are more likely to seek services, which leads to a stronger and more resilient community.

Join us throughout the week as we raise awareness for victims’ rights. There will be various awareness posts on our Facebook page you can find by searching Domestic Sexual Assault Outreach Center. There will also be awareness posts on twitter, @DSAOCIA or @OtherViolent. Please help us to share information and elevate crime victim’s voices.

Marie Harvey

Homicide/other violent crimes

specialist program director

Domestic/Sexual Assault

Outreach Center