This course offers instruction to help students examine crime and the justice system from the victim's perspective. This course examines and analyzes the nature and extent of victimization; victims' roles through the criminal justice system; victimization theory; crime victims' rights; restorative justice; research; media impact; research and victim advocacy programs.
Any minister, lay leader, or missionally-minded believer is responsible for preventing victimization and assisting those who are or have been victims of crimes. This includes law enforcement, social workers, ministers, friends, neighbors and family. Those within the criminal justice profession seeking to live out a missional calling through their work would benefit from a structured and guided engagement about crime victimization. The topic regarding how to address and treat victims is a topic that affects all in society. Members of the community benefit from a better understanding of and knowledge of crime victimization.
Victimization neglect has far-reaching consequences. Crime victims suffer tremendous amounts of physical and psychological trauma. Victimization continues due to physical, financial and emotional hardships throughout and after the criminal justice process. Understanding, recognizing and offering services to victims helps alleviate trauma and reduce secondary victimization. This application of supporting and providing services to those who have been victimized has long been explored in the Christian faith. It benefits the mission of God for missionally-minded individuals with training in criminal justice as well as community members to become active regarding the support of victims of crimes.
Victimization involves all members of society. This course helps develop biblically-educated criminal justice providers and community members.
If criminal justice practitioners desire to live out their missional calling in the criminal justice field, they desire to understand how to assist and provide services for victims of crimes. Approximately fifty per one thousand individuals are victims of violent crime. Victimization prevention and services are a part of everyone's missional calling.
Victimization is a unique ministry context, and a course on victimization to include faith-based services helps practitioners and community members as a whole apply broader biblical principles to the communities they work and live in.
A large part of victimization tends to be the issues of culture and equity. Victimization is reportedly higher in low-poverty areas and higher among minorities and women. Criminal justice values change among differing cultures and victimization is evident.
Victim trauma is directly related to the aftermath of crime. Crime victims suffer both physical and psychological trauma. This includes physical, financial and emotional trauma long after the actual crime. Lack of support and services for victims of crimes can cause secondary injuries. Everyone needs the knowledge to recognize, understand and support those victimized by crime.
Victimization is best learned through theories and application. Cases are brought to the table for discussion and learning and learners return to their practice with the benefit of that learning.
