Retrospective of the 1982 President's Task Force on Victims of Crime. A Component of the Office for Victims of Crime Oral History Project

摘要

The crime victims movement is an outgrowth of the rising social consciousness of the 1960s that unleashed the energies of the idealistic, 20-something generation of the 1970s. Its continued strength is derived not just from the social forces through which it began, but also from the leadership of extraordinary individuals, some of whom have personally survived tragedy, and others who have brought extraordinary compassion and insight as witnesses to such tragedy. In retrospect, one can say that the victims movement in the United States involved the confluence of five independent activities: (1) The development of a field called victimology. (2) The introduction of state victim compensation programs. (3) The rise of the womens movement. (4) The rise of crime that was accompanied by a parallel dissatisfaction with the criminal justice system. (5) The growth of victim activism.