Trauma-informed and victim-centered: An output analysis of a violent crime victim advocacy program

Victim advocates provide a range of services, including emotional support, information, and assistance with the criminal justice system. Prior research has demonstrated the outputs of victim advocacy for crime victims. However, most studies have focused on crimes like domestic violence, human trafficking, and sexual assault, leaving a gap in understanding the benefits of victim advocacy for other crime types. This research addresses this issue by exploring the outputs of a trauma-informed, victim-centered advocacy program for victims of robbery, adult physical assault, and homicide in the United States. Specifically, this research explores the questions: What population and services were provided during a Law Enforcement-Based Victim Specialist Program, and how did the population and services evolve over time? To answer, we used descriptive statistics to analyze client characteristics and services rendered by victim advocates within the Violent Crimes Division of the Palm Beach County (FL) Sheriff’s Office. Using VSTracking, victim advocates recorded 180 client and case data points between September 2019 and August 2023. During this period, 4931 clients received 11,358 victim services in the Violent Crimes Division, with steady and consistent growth in the number of clients served and services provided over time. The policy implications and areas of future research derived from these analyses are discussed.