Survivor Voices

  • Survivor Voices

    Crime Survivor Experience & Needs Assessment

  • Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. Your voice and perspective are valued, and your responses will help improve services and support for survivors across the Commonwealth. All answers are confidential. You may skip any question you are not comfortable answering.

  • Eligibility Criteria

    Before beginning this survey, please confirm that your experience is connected to Virginia in at least one of the following ways:

    • You were victimized or experienced harm within Virginia.
    • You have sought or received victim services in Virginia, whether through community-based organizations or government agencies.
    • You have interacted with Virginia's legal or criminal justice system in connection with your experience (e.g., law enforcement, courts, prosecution, or protective orders).


    By continuing with this survey, you are confirming that your experience as a survivor is connected to Virginia in one or more of the ways described above.  

     

  • Section 1: Initial Contact & Immediate Needs

  • In the first few days after the incident, what was your MOST urgent need?
  • How soon after the incident were you connected with a victim advocate or support person? Select one.
  • How did the crime affect you? Select all that apply.
  • How long did the impacts of the crime last?

  • Section 2: Understanding Your Rights

  • In Virginia, the Victim's Bill of Rights provides crime survivors certain rights, including fair treatment, access to information and input, and notice on the outcomes of the case.

  • Did anyone explain your rights as a crime survivor?
  • Who explained them to you? Select all that apply.
  • After learning about your rights, did you understand how to exercise them?
  • Did you know what to do if your rights were not honored or were violated?
  • What would be the best way to receive information about your rights? Select all that apply.

  • Section 3: Communication & Engagement with Your Case

  • Crime survivors have the right to receive information about their case, including arrest or release of the defendant, charges filed or declined, court proceedings, case outcomes, and sentencing.

  • How would you describe the way information about your case was shared with you?
  • If you were kept informed, who was your primary source of information?
  • If English is your second language, was information offered to you in your primary language?
  • Did you feel you had a meaningful choice in your level of involvement in the judicial process (e.g., deciding to press charges, providing input, attending hearings)?
  • Did your participation in the legal process ever feel like a "job"?
  • Were you able to give input about your wishes or how the crime impacted you (for example, through a victim impact statement)?

  • Section 4: Financial Recovery (Compensation & Restitution)

  • Compensation

    The Virginia Victims Fund (VVF) provides reimbursement to survivors of violent crime for expenses such as medical care, mental health services, dental care, funeral and burial costs, crime scene clean-up, lost wages, relocation, and home safety improvements.

  • 16. Were you ever offered information and instructions for applying for victim's compensation?
  • Did you qualify for victim compensation?
  • If you qualified, which categories of expenses were covered? Select all that apply.
  • Did you have other financial resources to help with expenses? Select all that apply.

  • Restitution

    Survivors who suffer financial losses have the right to seek restitution from the person who caused the harm. Restitution should be ordered in every case with financial loss, regardless of the sentence or disposition imposed.

  • Was restitution explained to you in your case?
  • If yes, who explained it? Select all that apply.
  • Was restitution ordered in your case, and did you receive it?

  • Section 5: Access to Ongoing Support & Services

  • If you needed ongoing support months or years after the event, were you able to access it?

  • Section 6: Defining Healing & Justice

  • When you think about "healing" from what happened, which of these feels most true for you?
  • How much did the outcome of the legal process (a plea, a trial, or a dismissal, etc.) contribute to your personal healing?
  • To what extent do you feel that the punishment of the person who harmed you has contributed or would contribute to your sense of healing or closure?
  • Which of the following feels the most important to your healing process?

  • Section 7: About You

  • These questions help us understand whether services are reaching all communities equitably. All responses are optional and confidential. This information will only be reported broadly, not specifically based on individual responses.

  • What is your age?
  • What is your gender identity?
  • What is your race or ethnicity? Select all that apply.
  • What is your primary language?
  • What type of crime are you a survivor of? Select all that apply.
  • Approximately when did the crime occur?
  • At the time of the crime, did any of the following apply to you? Select all that apply.

  • Thank you for sharing your experiences. Your responses will play a meaningful role in shaping how Virginia supports and serves survivors. 

  • Part of our Survivor Voices project includes focused, one-on-one interviews with survivors. These interviews are 60-minutes with a trained, trauma-informed facilitator. If you are interested in participating in an interview, please provide your contact information below. 

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