U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

Victims of Crime

aldomurillo/iStockphoto LP (see reuse policy).
Description

Millions of Americans become crime victims every year. The rights of vi​ctims are every bit as important as those of alleged criminals are, and in recent decades government agencies have strengthened services to crime victims. NIJ's research has supported efforts to guarantee the rights of victims in a variety of ways.

Victims of crime may be any gender, age, race, or ethnicity. Victimization may happen to an individual, family, group, or community; and a crime itself may be to a person or property. The impact of crime on an individual victim, their loved ones, and their community depends on a variety of factors, but often crime victimization has significant emotional, psychological, physical, financial, and social consequences.

On this page, find links to articles, awards, events, publications, and multimedia related to victims of crime.