Criminologist: Victims should not be ‘pressured to forgive’

THE “resilience” of the victim must be recognised as a key to overcoming the trauma of crime, and victims should not be pressurised into feeling they needed to forgive, a leading Dutch criminologist has said.

Dr Jan Van Dijk, a professor and former president of the World Society of Victimology, told the annual conference of the Federation for Victim Assistance that resilience or “the bounce-back factor” has for too long been overlooked.

“In the old days we were far too involved in looking after trauma. We should help to empower people,” he said. People have a natural resilience and allied with this, a “post-traumatic altruism” where victims want to reach out to help other victims. This aspect has not been harnessed sufficiently, added Dr Van Dijk.

He also told the conference in Tralee, Co Kerry, that forgiveness was “wonderful, but it should not be obligatory”.

Victims of crime often felt pressurised into needing to forgive, but they also needed to be allowed to express their anger and their bad feelings about what had been done, he would advise counsellors.

“Forgiveness is an ideal. But it can put a burden on the victim. It’s wonderful if you can do it. But it should not be an obligation,” he said.

“The mark of Abel, the stigma on the victim as passive sufferer,” needed to be challenged.

He also warned against support organisations becoming overly professional and too bureaucratic.

Some victims also spoke at the conference.

Eamon Horan, 75, a retired sports writer with The Kerryman newspaper, spoke of an unprovoked attack on him in July when he was jumped upon from behind, brought to the ground and pummelled by three youths on his way home from the local pub.

The attack, which left him with a broken jaw and nose, saw him hospitalised. He was saved by a passing taxi driver.

Mr Horan, a renowned handball player in his youth, said he felt his sports background had helped him come through.

Máiréad Fernane, national chairperson of the Federation for Victim Assistance, urged victims of crime who hadn’t sought help to contact the organisation.

* Full details: victimassistanceireland.com