Victims of Crime Research Digest, Issue No. 2, 2009

Welcome!

The theme of this year's National Victims of Crime Awareness Week, April 26 to May 2, 2009,  is “Supporting. Connecting. Evolving.” The week provides an opportunity across the country to raise awareness of victim issues, including highlighting services and supports available, recognizing past achievements, and introducing new and emerging initiatives and research in the area of victims of crime.

The Policy Centre for Victims Issues and the Research and Statistics Division at the Department of Justice Canada are pleased to present the second annual issue of the Victims of Crime Research Digest. Our first issue received extremely positive feedback and underlined the need for ensuring that our research on victims of crime continues to be widely accessible. 

We hope that this issue of the Digest will be met with as much enthusiasm as the 2008 edition, and as always, we welcome your feedback. This issue highlights one of the unique features of victims of crime research: the great breadth and multi-disciplinary nature of the field.

We begin Issue 2 with an article by Dr. James Hill who summarizes the recent psychological research on resiliency and coping skills in victims of crime. In the second article, we bring you an overview of how the restitution provisions in the Criminal Code are working through a review of the caselaw and research. Rina Egbo examines the memorialisation of victims of terrorism in the third article, followed by preliminary results from two studies, one in Edmonton and one in Toronto, on children's experiences testifying in court. Finally, Nathalie Quann discusses methodological challenges and solutions in a study of bail conditions. A list of conferences for 2009 is also included. Full reports on many of these studies are forthcoming, so please contact the Research and Statistics Division for more information at rsd-drs@justice.gc.ca.