Feminist framings of victim advocacy in criminal justice contexts

Trained professionals and volunteers have been key partners in the various developments in support of victims in the criminal justice system. Victim advocacy work is embryonic in this tradition and advocacy services can include offering information to victims, emotional support, help finding resources and completing paperwork, and accompanying victims to court. Concerns about the criminal justice response to rape have prompted the development of a number of different initiatives including victim advocacy services. This chapter draws upon research and evaluation studies of innovative advocacy services introduced to assist victims/survivors of rape to report to the police. Whilst findings suggest advocacy support improves victims’ experience of the criminal justice process and assists sustained engagement in this process, in some cases, it also facilitated making a report of rape to the police in the first instance. The chapter explores the nature, meaning and value of advocacy work from the perspective of practitioners delivering advocacy support and victims who have accessed advocacy services when reporting rape to the police. The chapter focuses on the benefits of advocacy that extend well beyond the emotional recovery of victims; advocacy also assists engagement in the criminal justice process