Victims and Victims' Rights Activists: Attitudes Toward Criminal Justice Officials and Victim-Related Issues

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Abstract
Grass-roots victims' rights organizations have had substantial success in recent years regarding legislative changes supportive of victim issues. The movement, however, has avoided empirical scrutiny, perhaps due to the diverse nature of local groups. This paper compares data collected from one of these organizations in a Southern state with a sample of non-activist victims. Demographic and attitudinal data reveal significant differences between activist and nonactivist victims. The analysis suggests that, due to such differences, the victims' rights movement may not adequately represent the needs or desires of all victims. Instead, depending upon the demographic composition of local victims groups, the focus of advocated legislative change may vary significantly.

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