What are common reactions of crime victims?
If you have been a victim of or witness to a crime, there are certain responses that are common. You may re-experience the event in memories, or in dreams or nightmares. You may feel detached from others, and withdraw from activities in which you previously participated–especially those activities related to the crime. Other responses include sleep disturbances, guilt or blaming yourself for the crime, memory and concentration problems. Sometimes the crime victim experiences him/herself as weak, helpless, frightened and out of control. You are not alone in these feelings. They are experienced in some form by all crime victims. What steps can you take to help recover from this experience? REPORTING the crime can be an important first step in taking control again of your own life. Contact your local police precinct. (Precinct phones are listed in NYC government listings blue pages section of your phone directory.) If the crime took place on campus, notify the Office of Safety and Securi
