Victim Media Advocacy:
How to Facilitate Sensitive and Respectful Treatment of Crime Victims
PAGE INDEX
a. Rape and Sexual Assault
b. Domestic Violence
c. Child Victimization
d. Homicide
e. Drunk Driving
The Impact of News Media Coverage on Distinct Victim Populations
Every victim is unique, which makes the impact of crime unique. While some organizations serve all victims, the victim assistance field has also become specialized in how it assists and advocates for different victims of crime. When the news media cover different types of crime and victims, there are also unique aspects that victim service providers should consider as they seek to help victims. This section offers considerations for the news media coverage of—
- Rape and sexual assault.
- Domestic violence.
- Child victimization.
- Homicide.
- Drunk driving.
A major concern of rape and sexual assault victims is having their identity exposed through the news media. Confidentiality is important to many victims and concerns about privacy result in many victims who don’t report rapes and sexual assaults for fear of others learning about the crime. Most media have policies that protect the identity of rape victims, and some states have passed laws that prevent anyone from publishing or broadcasting information that identifies sexual offense victims.
Victim service providers and survivors can work together to identify key issues that can help journalists understand the scope and nature of sexual assault in the United States and victims’ privacy concerns. For example:
- Rape is one of the most underreported crimes in America. Only 18 percent of forcible rape cases are reported to law enforcement, and only 16 percent of forcible rape cases among college students are reported.5 5. Dean G. Kilpatrick, 2007, “Drug-facilitated, Incapacitated and Forcible Rape: A National Study,” Charleston, SC: Medical University of South Carolina, National Crime Victim Research and Treatment Center.
- Many victims don’t report the assault because they don’t want others (such as family and friends) to know about the crime, or they are concerned about being blamed.
- Victims also have privacy concerns related to their fear of possible retaliation by the alleged or convicted offender.
- There is still a societal stigma associated with such crimes that can result in victim blaming.
- There are serious mental health consequences of rape and sexual assault, including depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Most rapists are known to their victims—the myth of “stranger danger” is inaccurate.
- The use of the term “alleged victim” is degrading to people who have suffered a sexual assault. The phrase “person who alleged charges against. . .” conveys the same information in a more sensitive manner.
Ethical considerations in media coverage of rape and sexual assault developed by the Louisiana Foundation Against Sexual Assault can be offered as suggestions to journalists who cover rape cases and victims:6 6. Judy Benitez, 2002, “Ethical Considerations in Media Coverage of Rape and Sexual Assault,” Baton Rouge, LA: Louisiana Foundation Against Sexual Assault.
- When reporting on sexual assault, journalists are encouraged to balance the victim’s right to privacy with the public’s right to know.
- Reporters must judge when details are needed for public safety and when such details only serve to retraumatize the victim or reinforce myths about the victim’s role in the attack.
- Details about the attacker are relevant: physical description; how access was gained; whether a weapon was used; and if additional physical violence was involved (for example, the victim was incapacitated, held down, or blocked from leaving).
- Details about the victim’s private life—habits, sexual history, or physical appearance, clothing or physical appearance, for example—do not contribute to the public’s safety and usually lead to victim blaming.
- Carefully choose words and phrases to avoid furthering the notion that the victim is culpable for the crime. Consider the assumptions inherent in these phrases:
- “Innocent victim”—All crime victims are “innocent.”
- “Violent assault”—Rape and sexual assault are acts of violence, whether the victim sustained other physical injuries or not.
- In place of “rape allegation,” try “reported rape.” The word “allegation” is not neutral and strongly implies doubt.
- In place of “date rape,” use the term “acquaintance rape.” The former term implies that the assault occurred “on a date.” In fact, the term is often broadly used in cases where the victim knew the perpetrator.
The Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma offers tips and tools to journalists covering sexual violence offered by sexual assault advocates, as a way to build mutually positive relationships http://dartcenter.org/topic/sexual-violence.
- Use accurate language. Rape or assault is not “sex.” A pattern of abuse is not an “affair.”
- Avoid language that suggests the victim is somehow to blame for the crime.
- It may take time to build trust with victims and family members. Explain the type of story you’re planning to write. Show clips of stories you’re proud of.
- Consider letting victims read portions of your story before publication. While controversial in journalism circles, many award-winning journalists report that this helped them identify errors or insensitivities in their reporting. It can also build rapport that encourages victims to share more of the story with the reporter.
- When describing the assault, reflect on how much graphic detail to include. Too much can be gratuitous; too little can weaken the victim’s case.
- Include information that can help others avoid assault without inferring that the victim caused the assault.
- Provide contact information for agencies that assist survivors and their families within stories or as a sidebar.
Domestic violence is one of the most prevalent crimes in the United States—and one of the most underreported. It’s a crime that deserves media coverage within the broader context of family violence. It is essential that communities understand its prevalence; why victims often don’t report; why victims are afraid to testify in court against their abusers; and the devastating physical, emotional, financial, and social impact of such violence on victims and their children.
Utah State University professor Cathy Bullock, who has researched the news media’s coverage of domestic violence, wrote that:
“…there seems to be something lacking in newspaper coverage in general when it comes to domestic violence fatalities. I’ve studied coverage of such cases by newspapers in Washington state and Utah. While there were exceptions in both states, the coverage tended to present common misconceptions about domestic violence.
I suspect this is due in part to the time and other constraints of newspaper work. However, I still wonder how well reporters and editors understand the social ill they’re writing about. If they don’t understand domestic violence—what it is, the characteristics that set it apart from other forms of interpersonal violence, its patterns—they’re not bringing all the relevant facts to bear when they’re faced with questions about how to handle the coverage.
For example, it’s worth knowing that experts believe domestic violence is about the abuser’s need to dominate and control; that it often (but not always) plays out as a repeating cycle of tension-building then violence then remorse; that abusers may shift the blame for their actions to others.
The more I learn about domestic violence, the more I appreciate the fact that abusers have their own way of looking at relationships and don’t necessarily share others’ ideas about what’s logical and reasonable.
Granted, knowing more about domestic violence isn’t a fix-all that will allow reporters and editors to predict with certainty what abusers will do next or what effect coverage will have on their actions. But understanding domestic violence would allow journalists to better evaluate what’s at stake and better judge the possible consequences of coverage—not to mention better inform readers about an important social problem.”7 7. Cathy Bullock, “Understanding Patterns of Domestic Violence,” DART Center for Journalism and Trauma, http://dartcenter.org/content/understanding-patterns-domestic-violence, accessed March 30, 2007. (See bottom of page to activate link.)
The Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence offers tips for journalists to help them accurately cover domestic violence. Victim service providers can use these tips as a foundation for media interactions and training programs:
- Place the crime in the context of domestic violence.
- Acknowledge that domestic violence is not a private matter.
- Look into prior history of domestic violence and let the story evolve.
- Convey that domestic violence is a pattern of behavior that often escalates when a victim is trying to leave or has left the relationship.
- Illustrate the warning signs of an abusive relationship.
- When interviewing a domestic violence survivor, consider her safety and confidentiality needs.
- Avoid calling domestic violence a “relationship problem.”
- Do not focus on the victim’s behavior or use victim-blaming language.
- Do not assume that some cultures or classes are violent, and others are not.
- Avoid using sources emotionally connected to the abuser or sources that do not have significant information about the crime or those involved.
- Avoid treating domestic violence crimes as an inexplicable tragedy, beyond the reach of community action.8 8. Kelly Starr, Revised 2006, Covering Domestic Violence: A Guide for Journalists and Other Media Professionals, Seattle, WA: Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
Click here for printable pdf of list above.
Advocates for domestic violence victims can also review some of the “quick tips for covering domestic violence” published by the Dart Center as a good starting point to promote sensitive media coverage of domestic violence crimes. http://www.dartcenter.org/topic/domestic-violence
- Use accurate language. Rape or assault is not “sex”—even when the attacker is the victim’s spouse.
- Avoid language that suggests the victim is somehow to blame for the crime.
- Avoid undue focus on the socioeconomic status or ethnicity of the victim or perpetrator. Domestic violence is a public health problem that crosses all lines of race, class, and culture.
- Domestic violence is, in general, poorly understood by the public and underreported by mainstream media. Take the opportunity to inform your readers with statistics and context.
- It may take time to build trust with victims and family members. Explain the type of story you’re planning to write. Show clips of stories you’re proud of.
- Include information that can help others avoid assault without inferring that the victim caused the assault.
- Provide contact information for agencies that assist survivors and families.
The victimization of children is major news, unfortunately on a regular basis. It can involve physical or sexual abuse by strangers or persons known to the child, child abductions, gross neglect by parents or caretakers, or mass crimes (such as school shootings or sexual abuse of many children by one perpetrator).
Many victim service providers strongly believe that children should be protected from the news media at all costs. Their rationale is based on—
- The fact that young victims, because of their age and cognitive development, are not able to make conscious, informed decisions related to what has happened to them or what will happen in the future.
- Parents or caretakers sometimes make decisions affecting their victimized children that don’t always consider the child’s privacy and interests.
- Children process and cope with trauma differently than adults.
- The stigma of victimization—especially sex crimes—can be overwhelming to a child who lacks the capability to deal with how others perceive them as victims.
The reality of the news media’s coverage of crimes against children is that journalists will seek to interview child victims. Although victim service providers can seek to protect the privacy of young victims, they cannot ultimately prevent them from being interviewed.
A recent publication from the Dart Center, “Covering Children & Trauma: A Guide for Journalism Professionals,” presents information for reporters and editors relevant to covering child victimization. While victim service providers may disagree with the basic premise of interviewing child victims, this publication offers insights into guidelines that journalists can follow when speaking to children who are victimized. It is helpful to understand the media’s point of view on the subject. “Covering Children & Trauma” can be accessed at http://www.dartcenter.org/topic/children-trauma.
The impact of a homicide on surviving family members and friends is immeasurable. Nothing can prepare them for the shock, trauma, and devastation of finding out that a loved one has been murdered.
One of the major concerns related to homicide cases is death notification. Law enforcement and victim advocacy professionals should be trained to provide sensitive notification that takes into consideration the feelings and possible reactions of the surviving family members. It is critical to ensure that surviving family members receive the death notification from the proper authorities, not from the news media.
Another concern is learning graphic, gory details of the murder through the media, rather than by sensitive, trained law enforcement officials or victim advocates.
Victim service providers can help homicide family survivors deal with media inquiries:
- Identify their wishes in regard to interviews and make their wishes known to the media.
- Arrange for a family member, support person, or victim service provider to stay with the family as long as needed to provide support and to screen and respond to media requests.
- Explain the value of media coverage in helping the public know about the impact of the crime, humanize the person who has been murdered and, in cases in which no suspect has been apprehended, to help facilitate an arrest in the case.
- Help surviving family members plan, such as preparing a clear, sensitive message that can be left on telephone answering machines or on an automatic response to e-mail inquiries.
- Review with surviving family members the type of information that the media will want to know and help them consider and formulate responses.
- Help surviving family members prepare for media interviews by documenting—
- The full context of the life of the victim—details about who they were; their contributions to the family and to society as a whole; their professional accomplishments; things they enjoyed doing; and aspirations that were unfulfilled.
- Photographs or film footage of the person who was murdered.
- Contact information for families and close friends who wish to speak to the media (with surviving family members’ consent).
In “tips and tools for covering murder” (http://www.dartcenter.org/content/tragedies-journalists-1), the Dart Center offers six suggestions to journalists that victim service providers can also share with reporters who are covering homicides—
- Preoccupation with the accused and the grisly details of the crime can romanticize the crime and the killer and can make your coverage one-dimensional.
- Focus on the life of the victim and the effects of the murder on the victim’s family and friends.
- During trial and sentencing, even though the courtroom events are the “news,” don’t ignore the victim’s family and friends.
- When crafting the lead of your story, consider putting the victim’s name first.
- Sensitivity in your reporting and writing can help build trust between you and your sources. The victim’s family and friends may be reluctant to speak with you in the weeks following the crime, but months later they may feel like sharing their stories with a reporter who treated them respectfully.
- Provide context for your readers. How common are murders in your town or neighborhood? Avoid letting stereotypes drive your writing and reporting.
Click here for printable pdf of list above.
In 2007, the Los Angeles Times launched a new blog—“The Homicide Report”—that documents every homicide in Los Angeles County. Its author, Jill Leovy, describes it as an attempt “to reverse an age-old paradox of big-city crime reporting, which dictates that only the most unusual and statistically marginal homicide cases receive press coverage, those cases at the very eye of the storm—those which best expose the true statistical dimensions of the problem of deadly violence—remain unhidden.” 9 9. Jesse Tarbert, “Covering homicide: A new approach.” Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma, http://www.dartcenter.org/need_to_know/2007/02/covering-homicide-new-approach.html, accessed March 30, 2007. (See footnote at bottom of page to activate link.) The blog can be accessed at
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/homicidereport/.
Drunk driving is a significant social problem that, as recently as 1980, was not even considered a crime in many states. Drinking and driving are no longer considered socially acceptable and underage drinking is no longer considered simply a “rite of passage,” due in large part to public awareness efforts sponsored by organizations such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), often in partnership with the media. Drunk driving is a violent crime that injures and kills tens of thousands of people in America each year.
A longtime concern of drunk driving victims and survivors is the use of the term “accident” to describe drunk driving crimes. They believe that with all the public awareness about the dangers of drinking and driving, there is nothing “accidental” about a person’s decision to get behind the wheel of a vehicle while intoxicated. While references to “accidents” usually occur before a police investigation confirms the involvement of alcohol or other drugs, victim service providers can encourage the media to describe such incidents as “crimes” or “crashes.”
In 2003, MADD began its Media Awards Program to “recognize media professionals and organizations for outstanding coverage and advancement of issues related to MADD’s mission to stop drunk driving, support the victims of this violent crime, and prevent underage drinking.” Victim service providers can nominate individual journalists and news media from their communities for a MADD Media Award. Further information and a nomination form are available at: http://www.madd.org/Media-Center/Media-Center/Media-Awards/2008-Media-Awards.aspx .
Resources about Specific Types of Victimization
Statistics about different types of victimization, as well as the unique impact of different types of crime on victims, are available from the Office for Victims of Crime at www.ovc.gov. In addition, many national organizations included in the “Resources” section of this guide can provide information and referrals to experts.
5. Dean G. Kilpatrick, 2007, “Drug-facilitated, Incapacitated and Forcible Rape: A National Study,” Charleston, SC: Medical University of South Carolina, National Crime Victim Research and Treatment Center.
6. Judy Benitez, 2002, “Ethical Considerations in Media Coverage of Rape and Sexual Assault,” Baton Rouge, LA: Louisiana Foundation Against Sexual Assault.
7. Cathy Bullock, “Understanding Patterns of Domestic Violence,” DART Center for Journalism and Trauma, http://dartcenter.org/content/understanding-patterns-domestic-violence, accessed March 30, 2007.
8. Kelly Starr, Revised 2006, Covering Domestic Violence: A Guide for Journalists and Other Media Professionals, Seattle, WA: Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
9. Jesse Tarbert, “Covering homicide: A new approach.” Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma, http://www.dartcenter.org/need_to_know/2007/02/covering-homicide-new-approach.html, accessed March 30, 2007.