Can Victims’ Compensation Reduce Revictimization Risk? Examining the Role of Victims’ Compensation and Satisfaction

Stemming from the victims’ rights movement and the restorative justice movement, victims’ compensation is a program established to aid in addressing victims’ rights and needs. Much of the existing research on victims’ compensation programs has been descriptive and comparative in nature. Although newer studies on these programs have examined victims’ compensation and its relationship to other variables, research has not explored the effects of victims’ compensation has on negative outcomes, specifically revictimization. This dissertation will examine the possible link between victims’ compensation applicants’ satisfaction with the criminal justice system and its actors/programs and revictimization. Utilizing survey data from the Voice of the Victim: Statewide Analysis of Victim Compensation research project derived from the victims’ compensation program through the Criminal Justice Coordinating Counsel in the state of Georgia, bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted regarding victims’ compensation applicants’ satisfaction with victims’ compensation and other entities in the criminal justice system and their relationship to revictimization. The findings suggest that applicants’ satisfaction with the police and victims’ specialists are important in reducing revictimization risk. In addition, being unemployed and drinking alcohol were found to be risk factors for experiencing revictimization among victims’ compensation applicants. Implications for policy and future research will be discussed. CAN VICTIMS’ COMPENSATION REDUCE REVICTIMIZATION RISK? EXAMINING THE ROLE OF VICTIMS’ COMPENSATION AND SATISFACTION