Help Crime Victims Overview

Advocacy is as old as humans. Any time we seek to affirm the needs of people and seek to facilitate meaningful services to them, we are advocating. You don’t need a license to do that.

In 1984, Congress enacted the Victims of Crime Act that affirmed victims’ rights and services at a federal level and opened the door for the role of Crime Victim Advocate.

Victims of crime can have layers of needs that require a variety of skill-based competencies for Victim Advocates. These skills relate to an understanding of the justice system and the specialized needs for various types of crime victims. Many states have victim assistance academies to provide basic training. Professionalization of the field has also resulted in academic degrees as well as the National Advocate Credentialing Program.