empowering young victims of crime
TRANSCRIPT
London Oslo Rotterdam São Paulowww.liveworkstudio.com
victims with digital tools
Empowering young
PRESENTATION
1 May 2023Livework © 2015
Jan 2016
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This report describes the outcomes of a workshop with RJ practitioners, other stakeholders in criminal justice and social innovators. The aim is to understand how a digital tool could help engage young victims on Restorative Justice.
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OVERVIEW
The workshop was conducted by Livework on behalf of the Restorative Justice Council and involved participants from various backgrounds including social innovators, Ministry of Justice, NESTA, RJ practitioners and two young offenders. Discussion and activities were organised around young victims in order to understand victims’ needs after a criminal incident and opportunities for a digital tool to help them.
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BACKGROUNDEmpowering young victims with digital tools
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In previous engagements with the Restorative Justice Council, we worked with frontline youth workers and police officers to gain an understanding of the specific needs of young victims of crime and find opportunities to better engage them in Restorative Justice.
One of the primary findings from the previous engagement, was the need for better communication channels with young people and the digital tools to support them.
Digital solutions could provide a central point of reference for a victim, enabling them to understand what is going on at all times and stay in control of their case.
The aim of this workshop was to understand the role and scope of such digital tools.
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Victims’ needs
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Some of the identified needs
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BEFOREBefore or immediately after
an incident happens
BEGINWhen I start engaging with
services
DURINGDuring my engagement
with services
AFTERGetting back to
normal life
“I need to know if what I’ve been through is a crime.”
“I need to tell someone who understands.”
“I need to hear from an authentic voice.”
“I need to know what my rights are.”
“I need to know what services are available and how to access them.”
“I need to know how to contact help – where to meet, with whom.”
“I need to know what the police will do.”
“I need to know what’s happening to my case and to the offender.”
“I need to know the next steps.”
“I need to know what restorative options are available to me.”
“I need reassurance that I’m not alone.”
“I need strategies for staying safe.”
“I need training to prevent events like this in the future.”
“I need to hear from other people like me.”
“I want to talk to people who have been through similar things to me.”
VICTIM’S NEEDS
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Opportunities
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OPPORTUNITIES
Social mediaEasy-to-implementsolutions achieved by using social media channels
Self supportMore elaborate solutions that can exist independently of official organisations
Official channelTools to assist the current process that would be attached to an official organisation
as well as with systemic changes.engagement with easy-to-implement tools
There are opportunities to increase
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The main ideas generated
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BEFOREBefore or
immediately after an incident happens
BEGINWhen I start
engaging with services
DURINGDuring my
engagement with services
AFTERGetting back to
normal life
SOCIAL MEDIA 1. Education about crime
5. Education about rights 10. Peer support6. Victims’ stories
SELF SUPPORT 2. Self support web-wizard 3. Contact map 7. Emotions diary 11. Feel safe tool
OFFICIAL CHANNEL
4. SMS triage and report
8. My process timeline
9. Restorative justice tool
OPPORTUNITIES
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1. Education about crime
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BEFORE
Targeted educational content on social media about different types of crime. Designed to increase awareness of the situations some young people may be encountering.
“I need to know if it’s a crime.”
SOCIAL MEDIA
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2. Self service assessment
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BEFORE & BEGIN
Tool to help victims to make a self-assessment and identify what kind of help they need according to the situation they’ve been through.
“I need to know if it’s a crime.”
SELF SUPPORT
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3. Contact map
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BEGIN
Map of main support organisations and service providers in a particular area, to help victims to know what kind of help is available and where.
“I need to know what services are available and how to access them.”
“I need to know how to contact help – where to meet them, with whom.”
SELF SUPPORT
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4. SMS triage and report
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SMS support to victims, that guides them to the right help.
“I need to hear from an authentic voice.”
“I want to tell someone who understands.”
BEGIN OFFICIAL CHANNEL
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5. Education about rights
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DURING
Content on social media to educate young people about what they are entitled to when a crime happens, and how they can act to guarantee their rights.
“I need to know what my rights are.”
SOCIAL MEDIA
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6. Victims’ stories
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DURING
Page on social media containing stories of other victims, to allow young people to learn how other people have overcome their problems.
“I need reassurance that I’m not alone.”
“I need to hear from other people like me.”
SOCIAL MEDIA
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7. Emotions diary
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DURING
Tool to create a diary and register the victims’ feelings on a daily basis after the incident, using a CBT approach to help recovery and create a victim statement.
SELF SUPPORT
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8. My process timeline
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DURING
Tool to help understand and follow up the process of investigation and resolution of a crime, tailored to the victim’s case. Possible features include:• Clarification of jargon• Links to detailed
explanation of steps• Contact details for
main people involved in each step
“I need to know what the police will do.”
“I need to know what’s happening to my case and to the offender.”
OFFICIAL CHANNEL
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9. Restorative justice guide
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BEGIN & DURING
Tool to help victims to decide to participate in Restorative Justice, prepare for it and follow up the process.
The content can also be adapted for parents, to help them understand the benefits and demystify the process.
“I need to know what restorative options are available for me.”
OFFICIAL CHANNEL
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10. Peer support
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AFTER
Using official channels in social media to put young victims in contact with each other to offer peer support.
“I want to talk to people who have been through similar things to me.”
SOCIAL MEDIA
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11. Feel safe tool
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AFTER
Tool to help victims to stay safe after the incident, teaching strategies to improve confidence and avoid future incidents.
“I need strategies for staying safe.”
“I need training to prevent events like this in the future.”
SELF SUPPORT
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Service integration
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There are a number of ways in which the proposed concepts can work together to help victims through their journey of overcoming a criminal incident.
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SERVICE INTEGRATION
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Anna’s journeySERVICE INTEGRATION
Anna was a victim of a possible criminal incident, but was not sure what she could do about it.
By using the self-support assessment tool Anna discovers that what happened is actually a crime, and decides to report it to the police.
On the victim support social media channel, Anna and her family learn more about what she is able to do and what her rights are.
Anna is able to follow her process online, and see what has been completed and what steps are left to do.
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Anna’s journeySERVICE INTEGRATION
Anna decides to take part in Restorative Justice to help overcome her situation.
Through the victim support group, Anna meets and talks to other people who have been through the same situation as her.
Anna is gradually building her confidence and returning to her normal daily life, using tools that help her to be safe.
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BEFOREBefore or
immediately after an incident happens
BEGINWhen I start
engaging with services
DURINGDuring my
engagement with services
AFTERGetting back to
normal life
SOCIAL MEDIA 1. Education about crime
5. Education about rights 10. Peer support6. Victims’ stories
SELF SUPPORT2. Self support web-wizard 3. Contact map 7. Emotions diary 11. Feel safe tool
OFFICIAL CHANNEL
4. SMS triage and report
8. My process timeline
9. Restorative justice tool
Anna’s journey
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SERVICE INTEGRATION
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SERVICE INTEGRATIONDigital tools can provide better ways to engage young people at a point of need , increasing their trust in victim support services by reassuring them that they have a voice.
With a variety of digital tools at their disposal professionals are better equipped to help young people overcome the harm caused by crime.
