For those of you who have been reading my previous posts, I feature some thoughts from professionals, students, teachers, etc in the field of criminal justice (and occasionally other fields). Interested in sharing your experiences? Please contact me and I am happy to discuss!
This week's post is about Sandy, a victim advocate at a non-profit comprehensive victim assistance organization.
**Below are several questions (underlined) that the person was asked to respond to. Answers (in italics) are the individual's and have not been changed in any form.**
(Photo credit: Advocateforvictims.org)
1. What is your experience/education with criminal justice? (you don't need to list the exact employer/schools, rather just discuss positions/degrees/internships/etc.)
I have a bachelors in criminal justice. I’ve been a victim advocate for 9 years and I also interned as a victim advocate in Philadelphia.
2. What draws you to a field related to criminal justice?
I like to help people and be there to support people during one of the most traumatic and difficult times. I find the criminal justice system fascinating and I enjoy learning more about it.
3. Is there a specific area of criminal justice that interests you and/or you have a particular strength in?
The area of criminal justice that I enjoy the most is homicide; one of my strengths is helping families of homicide victims through the criminal justice process.
4. What challenges do you face in your position? What do you need to better face those challenges?
A challenge is balancing work and personal life and self care. In order to face those challenges I need a good support system. 5. How does working in the criminal justice field impact your personal life? Working in the criminal justice system impacts my personal life by causing me to be more skeptical of others. Unfortunately, my job has made me so much more aware of the evil among us.
6. What is something that people interested in working in this field should be aware of?
It is easy to burn out. It’s a heavy burden to carry your own emotions on top of the victims and their families emotions. Vicarious trauma is a difficult part of the job that can just sneak up on you at anytime. Sometimes you may not even be aware of what is happening or why.
7. What is a college course that all professionals working in this field should be recommended to take?
A college course that everyone should have is a course on trauma informed care for victims and their families. Another course that would be helpful is one that focuses on victim behavior. It’s important for professionals to recognize that there is no normal reaction to crime. 8. What criminal cases do you have a particular interest in learning more about? They can be well known cases past or present, or not so well known ones. I want to know more about the Epstein case, Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman, and JonBenet Ramsey.
Thank you Sandy for not only answering the questions and providing your perspectives, but also for the tireless ten years of work you have provided to victims of crime. You have no doubt made a difference for others in difficult times.
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