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FACTSHEET:
Civil Justice for Crime Victims

More than 35 million Americans are victimized by crime each year. The consequences of crime frequently extend far beyond the criminal act. All too often victims are left with expenses for medical procedures, physical rehabilitation, counseling and lost wages. It is estimated that crime costs victims $345 billion annually. Although many crime victims and their families have some knowledge about the legal system, they are often unaware that there are two systems of justice available in which to hold the offender accountable—the criminal justice system and the civil justice system.

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Identifying the Services You Need

In order to use this guide properly, you should determine your present needs. If you have recently been raped and are in need of immediate medical attention, please call 911 or consult your local hospital-based rape crisis program. Hospital-based programs provide medical examina-tions and rape crisis counselors 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They provide follow-up counseling, medical care, information and referrals and other services if necessary.

If you were assaulted some time ago and are in need of counseling, con-sult your local rape crisis program about what to do in your situation. They can offer you information about short-term, long-term and group counseling as well as how to report the crime to the police and the rami-fications of doing so.

This guide also includes child advocacy centers that help treat child sex-ual and physical abuse, sex offender treatment programs and criminal justice centers. In order to utilize the following services, the New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault advises survivors to call these pro-grams and make an appointment to talk to a counselor, find information about support groups, or ask about particular services. It is advised when you call an agency or program, you need not ask for the person listed as the "contact". This name is given as a reference for professionals.

The most important thing is to know that help exists for your recovery after a sexual assault. You are not alone, and you deserve to receive all the help necessary for your optimal emotional, physical and mental health.

Resource Guide

Guide to Survivor Services
[Go to the Service Map]


The Resource Guide is a free information service from The New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault.

If you know of a resource for sexual assault survivors which should be included in the Guide, please tell us about it.
Featured Artist: Marta Sanchez
Dreamcatcher
SAYSO 2008 Album 6