Crime Survivors
& Victims Family
Overview
Crime Survivors Are Changed Forever Sharyn Williams survived a beating last year. The cartilage in one ear was exposed and the other eardrum burst. She bled from every opening in her head, and her teeth were cracked or had come out of her broken jaw. ... Now, with her face held together with titanium plates and screws, she is struggling to survive mounting medical bills. One of her bills alone was almost $35,000. ... Cries for help have increased 94 percent in recent years. The Victims' Compensation Fund provides financial help (up to $15,000) to those without other resources who need medical care, to replace their income, mental health services, funeral expenses and other out-of-pocket expenses. ... The director of the fund says, "But no victim will ever be whole again. They haven't printed enough money to ever make crime survivors whole again."
Excerpted from The Gainesville Sun (FL) – 04 February 2002 Hurricanes, tsunamis, and other natural disasters wreak havoc and leave grief in their wake. Car wrecks, fires, and freakish mishaps also ruin lives. Illnesses, too, break countless hearts.
Victims of Violent Crimes
Trauma caused by hostile intent rather than by accident or illness adds insult to injury: the memory of another human willfully harming you. Survivors usually suffer some degree of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) which may cause haunting memories, emotional blunting, behavioral problems, and suicidal tendencies. You can find help through Resources in the Recap and at Rape-Escape-Options - Survivors.
Victim's Family and Loved Ones
One way or another, everyone eventually meets their end, with any luck leaving behind only fond memories for their loved ones. It’s heartbreaking to lose a loved one to accident or illness, but it’s worse when a loved one is lost to a killer’s cruel whim. The killer's evil amplifies the grief of the surviving loved ones and forever scars their memories of the beloved victim. When people die a violent death, they are remembered for how they died, not how they lived. The victim's family and loved ones don't have to suffer alone; there are many experts at coping with grief – and recovering. Start your search with your local police or sherrif's department. Ask them if they can connect you with a local victims services grief counselor. You can also use a Google, Yahoo, or Bing search. Type in "victim services (add your town or county)" to find one that can connect you with a grief counselor. There are also thousands of support groups worldwide. Of the handful listed below, some are located in the US, some in the UK, and one in Australia. But it doesn’t matter where you’re located. Contact any or all of them. They’ll be happy to help crime survivors from the other side of the globe – and also refer you to a group near you for face-to-face counseling. See: • Crime Survivors - Overview of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and grieving the loss of a loved one to crime (YOU’RE NOW ON THIS PAGE).
• Parents of Murdered Children help parents who’ve lost a child to murder.
• Survivors of Homicide and Witness Justice help the loved ones of murder victims with the legal system and financial aid.
• Michigan Victim Alliance help murder victims' loved ones try to heal.
• Compassionate Friends help murder victim's loved ones help each other.
• Recap of this section.
• Rape Survivors Go to:
Parents of Murdered Children |
Survivors of Homicide |
Michigan Victim Alliance |
Compassionate Friends |
Recap
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