How a victim reacts to crime / violence

 

Crime can affect people in many different ways. Not everyone reacts in the same way in a crime. All reactions are possible and normal. Most victims of crime feel confused and emotionally unbalanced.

How someone reacts to a crime depends on:

 

» the type of crime;

» if they know the person committing the crime;

» the support their family, friends, the police and other organisations provide in the aftermath of the crime.

 

Depending on the type of crime, it is normal to experience the following reactions:

 

» during the crime:

» generalised panic;

» fear of dying;

» the impression of living a nightmare;

» the impression the offender holds a personal grudge against you.

 

» immediately after the crime:

» general disorientation;

» loneliness;

» state of shock.

 

» in the following days:

in the days after the crime, people often question themselves about whether it is normal to feel what they are feeling. They feel quite unprotected and seek the company of their family and friends. This is when you should seek support.