Repeat victim support

The occurrence of a crime may be regarded as a good predictor of where and when a further crime will occur. In consequence, a practical form of support for victims may well be the prevention of repeat victimization. To a variable and largely unknown extent, this approach is already being implemented by Victim Support volunteers. Making such practice routine might provide a worthwhile supplement to the services which Victim Support already offers. Some ways are suggested in which this approach might be developed. The effectiveness of such an approach would be measured in terms of customer (victim) satisfaction and lower than expected rates of swift repeat victimizations. It is stressed that Victim Support may turn out not to be a viable platform for the delivery of combined support—prevention services, although it should be the agency first considered for this role. Possible experimental test-beds for such an approach are proposed.