Hospital-Based Victim Assistance for Physically Injured Crime Victims in Charleston, South Carolina, 1990-1991
Description
The central purpose of this study was to provide
descriptive information about hospitalized crime victims. More
specifically, patients' knowledge of victim services, the legal
justice system, and victims' rights were explored through their use of
medical and dental services. From July 1, 1990, to June 30, 1991, the
project staff obtained daily reports from the Medical University of
South Carolina (MUSC) Admissions Office regarding new admissions to
specified units. If patients granted permission, the staff member
administered a Criminal Victimization Screening Schedule (CVSS) and
asked permission to review the relevant portion of their medical
charts. Patients were also asked if they would be willing to
participate in interviews about their victimization. If so, they were
given the Criminal Victimization Interview (CVI), a structured
interview schedule developed for this study that included items on
demographics, victim and assault characteristics, knowledge of
victims' rights, and a post-traumatic stress disorder checklist. This
information is contained in Part 1, Interview Data File. At the
conclusion of the personal interviews, patients were referred to the
Model Hospital Victim Assistance Program (MHVAP), which was developed
for this project and which provided information, advocacy, crisis
counseling, and post-discharge referral services to hospitalized crime
victims and their families. The Follow-Up Criminal Victimization
Interview (FUCVI) was administered to 30 crime victims who had
participated in the study and who were successfully located 3 months
after discharge from the hospital. The FUCVI included questions on
health status, victim services utilization and satisfaction, and
satisfaction with the criminal justice system. These data are found in
Part 2, Follow-Up Data File.