Victim Assistance Checklists

• Safety and Security
• Ventilation and Validation
• Prediction and Preparation
• Other Victim Assistance Checklists

Victim service providers responding to the needs of U.S. citizens who have been victimized overseas rely heavily on effective case management to help them identify the unique needs of these victims and ensure timely access to the services they require. This guide includes four comprehensive checklists to help ensure that victim service providers cover key issues in assessing and responding to the needs of U.S. citizens victimized abroad.

These checklists, in conjunction with early collaboration with resources in the United States and abroad, are helpful tools for serving U.S. citizens who have been victimized, no matter where they currently reside or where the crime took place.

The first checklist is organized by the following three important categories of victim needs:

• Safety and security: Because victims often are physically and emotionally devastated by the crime, service providers should first address their physical needs, including medical care and basic daily necessities.
  
  
• Ventilation and validation: Victims of crime often need to talk to someone about what has happened to them. Service providers can listen to victims and help them understand that their feelings are normal and justifiable.
  
  
• Prediction and preparation: Victims, particularly those who are affected by a crime overseas, often are not sure what will happen next. By providing timely information, service providers can help offset the feelings of powerlessness and loss of control victims often experience after a crime.

Safety and Security

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