TS Nelson                                  Publications, Consultation and Trainings

This booklet is intended for crime victims and their loved ones as well as for professionals who provide services to crime victims.  It offers information about coping after a violent crime, the criminal justice system, reporting issues, medical and safety concerns as well as information about healing and recovering in the aftermath of a crime or a devastating loss due to a crime. 

This resource offers a foundation of information to fill some of the gaps for crime victims at a time when information is needed, but hard to find or difficult to remember.  It can serve as a quick-reference guide to review in the weeks or months later as a helpful resource and a guide to the criminal justice system.  This resource will make any crime victims' journey through the criminal justice system a bit easier.

If you have comments, recommendations for change, suggestions for improvement or notice any factual errors, please contact TS Nelson directly.  We appreciate your assistance in making this booklet a valuable resource for crime victims and professionals who work with crime victims.  Thank you!   Contact TS Nelson

"You did not do anything to cause this crime,
 nor did you deserve for it to happen to you."

Click here for Order Form

Booklet Excerpts:

Chances are, you are reading this because you or someone you care about was a victim of a violent crime...This booklet was specifically written for persons such as yourself--persons whose lives have been affected or changed because of a crime. 

This booklet is also a good resource for family members, friends and others to learn more about how to support you through this difficult time.  It can also serve as a quick-reference guide to the criminal justice system--something you have probably never encountered until now. 

It also offers an overview of the many aspects of crime and victimization including: safety needs, emotional concerns, medical issues, criminal justice questions, and coping with this event. To begin this process, we’ll start with a few important facts about crime and recovery...

One of the first questions that most victims of crime ask themselves is “Why?  Why did this happen to me or to my loved one?” This is a very normal question to ask because most crimes occur suddenly, randomly and unexpectedly. You were living your life, doing what you routinely do and then--out of the blue--this terrible event happened...Sometimes, there are no answers that are sufficient to explain why...

"Getting counseling was the best thing I did after the crime.  I could  tell my counselor anything and I knew she was not judging me in any way."

Research studies have found that persons who work with a victim services provider (e.g., victim advocate, rape crisis counselor...) have a greater sense of satisfaction with the criminal justice system...

Even though there may be times when you think you are alone in this, remember, you are not alone...Even though there may be times when you will wonder if you will ever move beyond this, remember that you will survive and thrive and go on with your life...