Crime Victim Compensation, Essay Example

Victim compensation is a valuable resource because it helps people who have been the target of violence or crimes to recover from this traumatic situation (Wilson, 2009). The particular compensation provided to these individuals is dependent upon the type of crime committed, but may include medical and dental expenses, counseling costs, funeral or burial expenses, and lost wages or support. While the requirements for this program vary from state to state, most state’s programs provide this compensation to the victims or to their families. In some instances, this program is used as incentive for these individuals to report crimes that they may have been previously too afraid to come forward about. This allows individuals to not worry about the repercussions for reporting the crime because they understand that they will be protected for sharing this vital information.

The social policy of victim compensation derived from the belief that the government should provide security and protection for society’s vulnerable elements. In addition, many proponents of this social policy believed that to benefit society, the government should act using utilitarian principles as a guiding means of actions. Ultimately, the United States is only as strong as the sum of its parts. This means that there is a societal interest in protecting the rights of victims because these individuals often need psychological and financial support to recover (Crime Victim Compensation, n.d.). It can be assumed that victimization is in part the fault of the society from which the victim derives due to an inability for law enforcement and legislation to work in a manner that prevents individuals from becoming harmed all of the time. In order to compensate for this inability, it is therefore essential to support these victims using other means.

In addition, utilitarianism dictates that the government and individuals should take actions that lead to the greatest benefit for the greatest amount of people. Allowing victims to be provided with necessary monetary and medical treatment is beneficial to society as a whole, because this prevents these individuals from needed to engage in similar criminal activities to support themselves. Furthermore, a large number of people are victims or know individuals who have been victims and it is necessary to support a large portion of society on this basis. Overall, social policies are needed to provide support to those are victimized in order to allow them to return to normal functionality. This also helps show criminals that despite their harmful actions, their targets have had the power to overcome.

Overall, victim compensation programs are beneficial to society. These programs arose from a need to support the most vulnerable members of the population and remain supported due to the understanding that the government should take actions that support a majority of the members of society. It is important to continue to promote these programs in order to ensure that health and stability of the individuals that have been impacted by violent crimes.

References

Crime Victim Compensation. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.victimsofcrime.org/help-for-crime-victims/get-help-bulletins-for-crime-victims/crime-victim-compensation

Wilson, Janet K. (August 25, 2009). The Praeger Handbook of Victimology. Praeger.