Section 1: Introduction
1 Hour, 25 Minutes
TOPIC: INTRODUCTION
(35 minutes)
Use
Slide #1: The Role of the Victim and Victim Advocate in Managing Sex
Offenders
As practitioners involved in the supervision of sex offenders, all of you have undoubtedly encountered opportunities for collaborating more closely with crime victims and victim advocates. Some of you may already be taking advantage of these opportunities, or beginning such efforts in your communities. This training is intended to provide a framework in which we can discuss the merits of a victim–centered approach to the effective management of sex offenders. We will discuss the opportunities available to us for collaboration, and strategies for the most effective ways of implementing new, or supporting existing, approaches to victim–centered sex offender management.
Each part of the training will allow us a chance to focus on particular issues important to the victim–centered approach:
Use
Slide #2: Overview of Curriculum
- Introduction: We will begin with a definition of what constitutes a victim–centered approach to the management of sex offenders, and a brief discussion of the merits of implementing or supporting such approaches.
- Understanding Sexual Assault from a Victim’s Perspective: Once we have defined what we mean by a victim–centered approach to sex offender management, we will move on to considering what issues are important in understanding sexual assault from a victim’s perspective, taking some time to consider the impact of sexual assault on victims, and to discuss the ways in which that impact affects the work we do with offenders.
- Working with Victim Advocates: After clarifying the various issues raised in working with victims of sexual assault, we will discuss more specifically the role of victim advocates, the differences between the types of advocates in our communities, their roles in supporting and working with victims of sexual assault, and the ways in which advocates of all types can contribute to the effective management of sex offenders.
- Enhancing Victim Involvement in Sex Offender Management: Having laid the groundwork in previous sections, we will discuss with some specificity how we can enhance victim involvement in sex offender management by identifying strategies to involve crime victims and victim advocates in the offender management process.
- Strategies for Applying the Victim–Centered Approach: Finally, we will end with an opportunity for each of you to create an action plan to take back to your community. This action plan will enable you to begin to plan and implement, or further enhance, your own victim–centered approach to sex offender management.
Use
Slide #3: Training Goals
Goals and Learning Objectives
(5 minutes)
The goals of this training curriculum are to provide an overview of:
- What is meant by a victim–centered approach to the management of sex offenders in the community;
- The impact sexual assault can have on its victims;
- The rationale for and the benefits of involving victims and victim advocates in sex offender management; and
- Some of the ways that those involved in sex offender management—including victims and victim advocates—can effectively collaborate.
Use
Slide #4: Learning Objectives
Note: It is important to allow time for introductions in order to set a tone for the training that will emphasize and encourage participation and interaction. It is also an opportunity for the trainer to develop a sense of the group’s level of knowledge and experience, if that was not accomplished prior to the training event.
In a large group, participant introductions could be made around individual training tables. If the group is smaller, introductions of all participants to the whole group would be appropriate.
We will begin by talking about why it is important to work with victims and victim advocates, and how a victim–centered approach to sex offender management can help all of us be more effective in the work that we do. At the conclusion of this first section, participants will be able to:
- Describe the benefits of involving victims and victim advocates in sex offender management; and
- Describe the three dimensions of a victim–centered approach to sex offender management.
Learning
Activity: Introduction of Faculty and Participants
(30 minutes)
The facilitator or lead trainer should introduce the faculty and/or invite them to introduce themselves, and include their experience in working in the field of sex offender management or with victims of crime.
Ask each participant to record on an index card one word that describes their experience or perception of working with victim advocates.
Participants should then introduce themselves by providing their name, the nature of their job, their experience in sex offender supervision, treatment, victim advocacy, or other fields, and their expectations of the training. Have participants select one index card at random and read what is written on it.