I WAS VICTIM OF CRIME: CONSEQUENCES AND REACTIONS

A victim of crime is anyone who suffered physical, moral or emotional harm or financial loss as a direct aftermath of a crime. Members of families who suffer consequences of a crime are also considered to be victims.

Being a victim may involve a number of negative consequences, such as damage to your body or physical problems, psychological reactions, financial loss, family problems, social problems or those related to your work.

The scale of damage depends on several factors and vary from person to person.
Those factors include the type of crime and its circumstances, such as venue, relations with the perpetrator (close person, someone we do not know), family, and social situation of a victim as well as his/her personality traits. Each victim has the right to individual assessment of his/her needs and assistance matching those needs. Victims who are considered to have special needs include elderly people, children, disabled people, foreigners, victims of sexual crime, domestic violence, and other.

Victims who try to overcome damage caused themselves or with the help of their relatives, as well as victims who need special support may contact to specialist centres (see list of specialist centres -http://www.pokrzywdzeni.gov.pl/siec-pomocy/)
Here you can find a short description of possible emotional consequences of crime.
Remember locations where you and your relatives may seek assistance.

VICTIM REACTIONS

Experiencing crime may have a number of emotional and physiological reactions and behaviours. You can expect strong emotions and thoughts difficult to cope with. Although such emotions are natural they may lead to a sense of helplessness and loss of control, which in turn may cause fear. Remember that in the majority of cases you will eventually overcome those feelings and in time you regain the sense of control over your life. You may find several reactions described above in you or none at all. It is important to understand that there are no fixed ways you feel or react. Crime may influence us in many different ways. We have our own strategies of dealing with difficulties in our lives. Usually, those strategies are quite efficient and helpful in various circumstances. However, as a victim we react differently and our usual strategies may not be sufficient. We often feel that our personal integrity was harmed and we are in shock. Additionally, we may encounter problems such as sleep disorder, depression, uneasiness and sense of guilt. We may even feel guilty ourselves although we know that it was not our fault. This disagreement to a situation and lack of understanding are difficult for most of us. In fact, our completely normal reaction to abnormal situations make us feel as if we lost control over our lives. Then, the world may seem a very dangerous place for us.

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TRAUMA

Victims of crime reveal a wide range of psychological reactions. But also physical and financial consequences of crime are known and noticeable. Traumatic sensations and their consequences are less known and understood since they are more difficult to spot. People who suffer psychological damage caused by an incident, e.g. crime, frequently describe such a situation by saying: ‘Nothing is like before’. When your physical and psychological integrity has been attacked or threatened, an incident can be a source of trauma. When exposed to an unpredictable situation you may feel desperate and helpless, and this feeling of helplessness may last for long and influence your understanding of the world and yourself. Frequently, victims lose trust towards others permanently. Some victims may become suspicious towards other people which can lead to complete alienation from family, friends and society. Some victims of crime suffer psycho-somatic sensations, i.e. physical reactions to stress. Specific factors, for instance noise, can remind them of a crime and generate physical reactions, such as palpitation or excessive blood pressure. This may lead to a number of diseases, e.g. chronic hard disorders. Another characteristic symptom in victims of crime is chronic/lasting pessimistic vision of the future. This results in passive behaviour, reduced self-esteem during everyday tasks and duties.

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TESTIMONIES

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TIPS FOR DEALING WITH THE IMPACT OF CRIME

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