340- Book -PTSD therapy & victims of violence (Ochberg) (6)

The fourth and final section of this book is called The crime victims' movement and support services for victims.  It runs pages 315-351, which I'll detail further down. 

I read them, even though in my own case, there were no arrests done, and that am in France, with a very different legal system, and that by now, I couldn't even press charges due to statute of limitations, which is the equivalent of expiration date, in legal terms, of when a person can press charges against a person for criminal procedures. 

Nonetheless, I found this reading interesting.  


This section starts with Ochberg's usual introduction (p. 315-317), followed by chapters  et , both bu Marlene A Young. In its dates, it's an american model, as its history and development regards only the USA. 

Chapter 15 (p. 317-329)  pertains to the first part of this title, The crime victims' movement, where she presents the history of the movement, starting with its grass-root origins, resulting from increased crime rates during the 1960's. 

Young explains the different phases of this movement, divided to the periods of 1972-76  ;76-81 and 81-86, which is situated just prior to the book's publication. 

In short, she explains how sociopolitical changes were made, after society finally started addressing, identifying and treating, each in turn, "rape trauma syndrome, Vietnam veteran's syndrome, and battered-woman's syndrome, which contributed to the subsequent identification of the large synthesis, post-traumatic stress disorder."  

Then, Young explains how self-help and refuge centers for victims were first made by lay-people ; people who often had to hush the fact they had been victims, as society was shunning victims at the time, and not taking them seriously. 

Lastly, in this chapter, she explores the aspect of legal proceedings that would improve in regards to treatment of victims, which she details more in chapter 16 (p. 330-351), support services for victims. She underlies and repeats thoroughly the guiding principles of support services at the time, and what they should be, through the inception of victim rights system, divided into 8 stages - the first 3 experiences by all victims, and the others only if there is an arrest and subsequent trial, sentencing or plea. 

Each of these chapters ends with references/ further reading, at their very last pages, respectively 329 for chapter 15, and 350-351 for the 16th.