Policy evaluation by bereaved families of crime victims: Focus on victim participation and victims’ statement of opinion systems

Abstract

This research focuses on the Victims’ Statement of Opinion System started in 2000 and the Victim Participation System started in 2008. The research explores evaluations of the systems by bereaved families of crime victims using both systems and their understanding of matters such as their meanings and issues. In our survey, we received the cooperation of 97 members of families bereaved by crimes such as traffic offenses and murder. In addition to ask them to evaluate the systems, we requested them to describe in free form the “meaning of the system,” “issues in the system,” and “points you kept in mind when using the system.” Both systems were highly evaluated by the bereaved families. Moreover, statements such as “we were able to communicate our feelings and opinions directly to the defendants, judges, and others through the system” and “the system enabled us to arrange our thoughts and feelings” facilitated positive evaluations. Conversely, statements such as “I did not know how what I said was taken by defendants and judges” and “we had lack of support from experts and experienced people” inhibited positive evaluations.