Symposium concludes with praises from participants

By JENNIFER PALMBERG

The third American Symposium on Victimology, held at the University Center, concluded Saturday with praise from both presenters and audience members for bringing together professionals to enlighten the community about victimology.

The symposium featured presentations from American Society of Victimology members and other distinguished practitioners and educators in related fields.

The event began Wednesday evening and was held in honor of Victim Rights Week. Victim rights, victim services and theoretical developments in the field were the main issues covered during the event.

For Saturday’s conclusion, participants presented reports from small group meetings. Earlier, the experts had broken into small groups to discuss issues within the victimology field. The results and concerns of the groups’ conversations were presented for open discussion Saturday.

The first group report focused on criteria for victim assistance donations and was presented by ASV member Dan Petersen, an associate dean of the School of Applied Studies and faculty member in the Department of Human Services at Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas.

The group expressed concerns of how to go about donating money and about the politics involved that might prevent the money from going directly to those who need it most. They also discussed focusing financial support on services that are most likely to be overlooked, for example the services that directly influence prevention or response to crime.

There was also a strong emphasis on a need for criteria. Petersen said the group concluded guidelines were needed to help narrow down and select victim services. Some of the recommendations given by the group to take into consideration included:

•Current funding

•Stability of organization

•Number of people who will potentially be served

•How past donations were used by the organization

•Non-exclusionary practices (mental illness, handicap)

•Organization’s wish list

The second group report focused on the professionalization of victimology, an ongoing topic first brought up at last year’s symposium. The group concluded there is a need for minimum academic requirements among all practitioners in victim services, with a preference on internships for new hires. They stated that academic programs branching from the field should reflect the needs and issues in and related to victimology. They also expressed a need for a common identity or label for victim services and individuals involved in the programs.

Stephanie Frogge, a Ph.D. student at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, and a training coordinator for the College of Criminal Justice, spoke on behalf of the third group, which focused on university campus relationships.

She said the group expressed a desire for a more student-oriented organization with templates on how to begin a campus affiliation at universities that do not already have affiliations with other universities.

The campus affiliations would be open to students of any major. She also said there is a need for a marketing plan to reach students and to create job opportunity pamphlets.

The group summaries closed with a statement by Fresno State Gerentology Center director William Dailey, on elder abuse and the need for gerontology majors in victimology.

Dailey said since January, police have closed 297 cases and have arrested and prosecuted 34 people in cases of elder abuse. He said crimes against the elderly are an ever-growing concern and people should not overlook the need for elder abuse advocates.

Throughout the group summaries, members of the audience and other groups actively participated with comments, questions and concerns, which led to open discussions on certain topics. Everyone ranging from ASV members to students offered further information and comments during each group summary.

After the group reports, ASV members conducted a quick overview of the entire symposium and then opened the floor to comments and questions from the audience.

“The quality of the symposium was outstanding,” said Jane Nady Sigmon, a victim assistance specialist.

“I just wish that the presentations were offered twice so that if it overlapped with something else and you missed it, you had another chance to hear it. Everything was just so interesting that I hated missing any part of a workshop or presentation.”

Samantha Huskett a criminology major with an option in corrections said the student turnout was disappointing.

“I think it is important for all criminology students to be aware of other issues in the field,” Huskett said. “I liked the presentations and I really liked the workshops. I have been here every day of the presentation and I plan on attending next year. The symposium was great.”