Crime Survivors - First 24 Hours

IN THE FIRST 24 HOURS

The following information is provided courtesy of Witness Justice, a national organization providing help and healing for victims of violent crime.

If you or someone you know has just been victimized, there are some important steps you should take in protecting yourself, treating any injuries and making sure you have the support you need. Below are some things to think about immediately following a violent encounter.

Establish Safety for Yourself
First and foremost, get to a safe place, away from danger. If you need help getting there, ask someone to help you.

Care for Injuries
Go to a hospital or physician to have physical injuries treated. It will also be important to tell medical personnel that your injuries are the result of a crime before you are treated so that DNA can be collected and photographs can be taken of your injuries. Do not shower or wash because doing so may remove or compromise physical evidence needed to apprehend and convict the person(s) who hurt you.

Get Help
Call the police as soon as possible, so that they can provide assistance. Remember to preserve the crime scene - don't clean up or move anything so that detectives can collect evidence that will be helpful in bringing your assailant(s) to justice. Then call a trusted friend or family member who can be with you as you interact with the police, physicians and investigators and make personal decisions. In the days following, you should consider finding a counselor to help you cope with the trauma and the affects of PTSD.

Document the Crime
While it may be the last thing you want to do, it is very important to write down exactly what happened as soon as possible following your incident. The best way to protect your memory is to document the event before being interviewed. Writing down what has taken place will be a source you can revisit to remember details. This will be very important if you need to testify later. A written account also can help to validate your feelings as you walk through the healing process. Following are some things you should include in your written description:

The nature of the incident — Step by step, record what happened, whether you were assaulted and what was said by whom, as well as how it was said. Include how you came to a place of safety and which direction your perpetrator(s) may have been headed.
Stolen items — A detailed list of any items that were stolen from you will help the police in their investigation and may be needed for insurance purposes.
The location and context of the crime — Write down where the crime occurred as well as important landmarks or other notable information, such as the presence of any potential witnesses.
The time of the crime — As accurately as possible, record when the crime took place, as well as any warning signs you may recall.
A description of your assailant(s) — Describe hair color and style, eye color, shape of face, height, weight, voice, clothing, tattoos or other identifying marks.
Description of other items — Recall any items that may have been used during the crime, such as a handgun or a car.

Protect Yourself Against Further Harm
If your home was robbed or if you had your wallet or purse stolen, you may feel the need to have your home checked before returning to it. Ask the police to check your home for you and to make sure that you arrive there safely. You may want or need to have someone with you when you arrive home for a while, especially if your perpetrator isn't caught immediately.
It will be important for you to reestablish a sense of safety in your life again, which may not come easily at first. Some survivors of violent crime feel the need for security devices or weapons. Generally, the best protection you have is to be aware of your surroundings and what your "gut" is telling you. It is important for you to know what you feel comfortable with and what will really help you to be and feel safe.

Short-term Planning
You may feel bombarded with countless details and decisions in the aftermath of a violent encounter — and to make matters worse, you are probably in shock. It will take time to deal with everything, but here are a few suggestions for the short-term:

Call your employer or have a friend call if you cannot return to work right away. Remember that you just survived a serious trauma and even if you weren't physically hurt, you may need some time away from work to cope.
Notify your health insurance company or primary care provider so that you will be covered for your medical care and counseling needs. If you have lost a loved one, you or a friend should notify the life insurance company.
Cancel your credit cards if they were stolen. This will hopefully prevent some headaches with your bills and can also lead to the apprehension of the person who may be using them.
Learn about the investigation of your case from law enforcement. Ask them what they will be doing, what the process is, how you will be notified and anything else that you may want to know about the process of trying to find your perpetrator(s).
Let family and friends know what has happened so that they can understand that you've been through a trauma and that you will need their support. It is often difficult for others to understand what living through such a trauma is like. More information for family and friends can be found in the For Loved Ones section.

Find Support
Surviving a violent crime is difficult, and while the crime may only have taken seconds or minutes, the healing process can take quite a while. The road traveled in the aftermath is slightly different for everyone, but we all need help and understanding along the way. It will be important for you to find support during your healing process. Talk with friends, family, a therapist, a support group or other survivors in the Connect with Others section of the Witness Justice site.
If you need immediate help, you may want to call a hotline for anonymous support. Some hotlines include:

National Center for Victims of Crime — 24-hour hotline and link to local resources
800-FYI-CALL (800-394-2255)
National Domestic Violence Hotline
800-799-SAFE (800-799-7233) and 800-787-3224 (TDD)
National Hopeline Network
800-SUI-CIDE (800-784-2433)

Steps to Healing
Healing won't happen quickly, but it will happen. It is within your power to facilitate the process and begin your journey to a new place of happiness and peace. Here are some suggestions:

Recognize your loss.
Honor your feelings and recognize your right to feel the way you do.
Talk about your feelings to those you trust.
Connect with other survivors of violence and talk about your experience.
Don't be afraid to seek out professional help if you are struggling. None of us can go it alone.
Recognize triggers that take you back to the memory and the fear.
Be patient and don't make rash decisions — it takes time to figure out where you are, where you want to be and how to get there.
Take care of yourself — try to exercise, eat right and sleep well.
Don't abandon hope — believe that healing can and will take place.

What Next?
As you start to return to work and life, you'll probably have questions about how you feel and what you're going through. Visit our Just Get Over It? section to learn more about some of the common struggles that survivors encounter following their experiences. You may also have questions about the Criminal Justice Systems or other questions that Witness Justice will help you answer. If you have a question and can't find an answer on our Web site, please contact us and we'll do our best to provide you with the information, support and referrals you need.