2022 Victim Needs Assessment

Background

Each year, a staggering number of people are impacted by violence and crime. Exposure to violence and crime can have a detrimental impact on society (e.g., health care, criminal legal, and child welfare costs) and individual impacts (e.g., mental health concerns, physical injury). Victimization can not only impact the victim or target, but also the one perpetrating the violence or crime, those witnessing or exposed to the violence and crime, and people connected to those involved (e.g., family members, peers, community members). These compounding outcomes highlight the urgency of understanding the current needs among victims and people impacted by violence and crime.

Victim-centered services include hotlines and text services, crisis intervention and counseling, advocacy (e.g., legal, medical, educational), law enforcement and criminal-legal services, and access to resources and programs within the community. Researchers and service providers have long emphasized victim or survivor choice, as well as trauma-informed care, as foundational components of effective intervention. Victimization and other experiences of trauma can undermine feelings of safety and control; thus, empowerment reinstates choice and emphasizes victim-centered processes throughout the help-seeking process, including effective safety planning and advocacy that begins with victims’ expressed wants, needs, and priorities.

This report examined the need, access, use, and barriers of victim-centered services among Illinois residents. With a focus on feelings of empowerment and help-seeking behaviors, we surveyed and interviewed diverse groups of Illinois residents who themselves, or their family members, have been victimized or exposed to violence and crime.

Method

We conducted online surveys from Illinois residents (ages 15-70) and conducted in-depth interviews with youth (ages 18-25). First, surveys were collected via REDCap, a secure, online data collection platform. Invitations were mailed and emailed to community partners throughout the State of Illinois, including public libraries and community-based organizations. We asked these partners to share a recruitment flier on bulletin boards, on their social media pages, in newsletters, or via listservs. If interested, individuals completed a screening survey, which verified their Illinois residency and age. All participants provided online informed consent before completing the survey. If participants were between the ages of 15-17, parental/guardian informed consent was also obtained before the youth could participate.

A total of 1,114 participants completed this survey. Participants were compensated with a $25 Amazon e-code upon completion of the survey. Participants were from 518 Zip Codes within 84 counties across Illinois. Participants were diverse in terms of educational attainment, household income, and other socio-demographic factors:

• Between the ages of 15 and 70
• 54% Cisgender Female, 42% Cisgender Male, 4% Transgender or Gender Expansive
• 91% Heterosexual, 9% Sexual Minority
• 46% White, 37% Black, 7% Native American, 4% Multiracial; 7% Hispanic or Latin ethnicity
• 12% reported a disability

Second, we utilized purposive sampling methods to recruit youth participants to participate in an in-depth interview. We recruited youth who indicated that they had experienced at least one form of victimization or crime and were from an underrepresented population (e.g., Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, or another sexual or gender minority identity (LGBTQ+), racial/ethnic minority, reported a disability, or lived in a rural part of the state). Interviews took place via Zoom by trained graduate student research assistants. These interviews lasted approximately 45 minutes. Participants (n = 17) were compensated with a $25 Amazon e-code upon completion of the interview. All interviews were recorded and audio was transcribed for analyses.

Results

Surveys

From the surveys, participants indicated high levels of experiencing crime and victimization in their lifetime (Table 1). For example, 3 out of 4 participants experienced intimate partner violence, and a staggering 69% reported a physical assault. One out of five participants had been shot or shot at and/or had witnessed a murder or homicide.

Table 1

Depending on the crime or experience, participants sought help from different sources (Table 2). For example, if participants experienced a physical assault, they were most likely to report to the police or law enforcement. For most other crimes, social services or community-based organizations were the most common help-seeking response. Finally, participants reported high levels of help-seeking from their family or friends if they experienced intimate partner violence.

Table 2

Help-Seeking Following a Direct Crime or Victimization Experience

Participants selected reasons for not reporting crimes or experiences with victimization to the police and medical care. Participants indicated that they may have not reported to the police because they felt that previously reporting to the police did not help them, they were concerned they would be blamed, and were worried the police would notify Child Protective Services (CPS). Participants also indicated reasons for not seeking medical care, including not requiring medical care, concern that they would be blamed, and not wanting to get involved.

Participants reported various services across sectors that they have utilized and rated resources that were most helpful. Some of these helpful resources included domestic violence and sexual assault support groups and helplines/hotlines, emergency room and hospital stay visits, life skills support and crisis intervention services, assistance accessing or applying for crime victim’s compensation, civil or criminal-legal assistance, and social support from family. However, participants also reported barriers to help-seeking, including being worried about victim-blaming, not being believed, or being shamed. Participants also reflected on formal help-seeking experiences, with one out of five participants reporting that someone refused or seemed reluctant to provide services, take a report, or treat them.

Finally, participants discussed the ways in which the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic impacted services and supports. Some of the concerns raised included: transportation concerns, reluctance to physically go places, not knowing where to go, reports of fewer services with longer wait times, and difficulties with booking services.

We also examined experiences with crime and victimization, as well as help-seeking, by socio-demographic factors. Underrepresented groups reported higher levels of crime and victimization across most forms. There were also differences in help-seeking behaviors among these socio-demographic groups as well. Most underrepresented groups were more likely to seek services and supports from social services and community-based organizations, compared to other formal services. Participants living in rural counties and participants who identified as Black also reported high levels of seeking support from family and friends.

Interviews

From the in-depth interviews, participants discussed a crime or experience with victimization that affected them the most. They also discussed the various ways in which a crime or experience with victimization impacted their lives. The most common impacts were on one’s mental health, their school or work performance, and their sense of belonging and connection.

Most participants (53%) sought a mix of formal and informal supports following the crime or victimization. About 41% only sought supports from their family and/or friends. Many of them received advice or feedback from their family or friends to not seek formal services, for fear of bringing shame to their family, or for not thinking these services would be able to provide them with what they needed.

Figure 1

Help-Seeking & Supports

Participants detailed how their help-seeking process went: some participants were satisfied, finding their services helpful, satisfactory, or supportive. Others found services less than satisfactory, describing barriers (e.g., rescheduling appointments, transportation and financial barriers, long police response times) and experiences where they felt discriminated against. Among participants who only sought informal support from family or friends, participants felt some satisfaction, while others felt like the family members or friends were not supportive (e.g., did not take them seriously, were scolded, made jokes).

Only 29% of participants reported their experience to the police, though most felt supported. However, most participants did not report for fear of the police response, a family member fearing that reporting would damage family image, negative prior experiences with the police, perceived discrimination, or they did not recognize the experience as a crime. Others were told not to go to the police, or they themselves did not feel ready to report. Finally, participants provided feedback on how victim services were during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as how victim services could be improved. Overall, participants discussed ideas on how services could be more accessible, caring, and accommodating.

Literature Review

Finally, we reviewed current research and public reports examining victim needs. Similar needs and barriers regarding victim services were found. For example, similar underrepresented populations were at a higher risk for crime and experienced increased barriers to help-seeking. Recent research also documented the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on victim services. Though some improvements have been made, barriers remain, urging stakeholders to strategize and evaluate best-practices in this time period.

Conclusions & Recommendations

As seen across these surveys and interviews, as well as in review of the current literature, crime and victimization remain a public health concern. The impacts of victimization are immense. Victims are formally and informally reporting their victimization experiences in a variety of ways, but still many experiences remain underreported and victim needs unaddressed. Participants highlighted the various barriers to accessing and receiving services and supports, in addition to the ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic has made accessing these services even more difficult. Many victim needs remain unmet, urging the State of Illinois to invest in increasing the accessibility and quality of services and supports for victims.

Limitations of the current report include: 1) surveys and interviews were collected from convenience and purposive sampling methods, creating concerns around generalizability; 2) data were collected during the COVID-19 pandemic, which may have impacted participation; and 3) the survey asked self-reported, detailed items about crime and victimization. Though this may have led to participants reflecting more accurately on their experiences, it makes comparability to other crime and victimization reports difficult.

However, the current report offers important findings from surveys, interviews, and the review of current articles and reports. For example, services not only need to be more available and accessible, but the services need to be of better quality. A full list of recommendations is below.