Social Workers' Perspectives on the Victim Impact Statements in Cases of Sexual Assault in Canada

摘要

The victim impact statement (VIS) is a written account of the physical, psychological, and economic harms experienced by a victim as a result of crime. This paper describes a qualitative study conducted in Ontario, Canada with 15 hospital-based sexual assault care and treatment centre social workers (SWs) who had supported victims through the process of producing a VIS for criminal court. It was found that while SWs' formal knowledge of VIS legislation and legal practice was often poor, they were mindful of its implementation in the courts and concerned with assisting women in avoiding inciting ire in judges through the use of inappropriate or inadmissible VIS commentary. The practice of many SWs was guided by a firm belief in the intrinsic expressive function of the VIS, which contrasted with most victims' motivation to complete a VIS due to its perceived instrumental value. The authors conclude with recommendations for future research.