Introduction

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Welcome to the 18th issue of the Victims of Crime Research Digest. We are really excited about this particular issue because we are celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Justice Canada Federal Victims Strategy as well as several other important anniversaries. These include: the 20th anniversary of Victims and Survivors of Crime Week, the 15th anniversary of Child/Youth Advocacy Centres (CACs/CYACs) receiving funding, and the 10th anniversary of the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights (CVBR). Internationally, the issue also marks the 40th anniversary of the UN Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power.

The Victims of Crime Initiative began in 2000 with an initial five-year mandate establishing the Policy Centre for Victim Issues (PCVI). Seven years later, the name of the initiative was changed to the Federal Victims Strategy (FVS) and in 2011 its funding was made permanent. Over the past 25 years, the FVS has worked diligently to increase access to justice for victims in Canada and to ensure that they have an effective voice in the criminal justice system, through criminal law reform, federal leadership on policy initiatives, and program funding. It is important to note that throughout this time, there has been annual funding for research on victims issues.

In 2006, the Research and Statistics Division (RSD) published an issue of a bimonthly journal called JustResearch that was focused solely on victims of crime research. The journal was shared at the very first National Victims of Crime Awareness Week (NVCAW). In 2008, the first issue of the Victims of Crime Research Digest was released in hard copy at the annual victims symposium, held in person in Ottawa at the start of NVCAW. The cover of that Digest used the same graphic design as the one for Victims Week and the symposium, and built on the theme of the week. While there have been changes over the years, each year the Digest has continued to deliver four to five short articles, written in accessible language, highlighting research undertaken or supported by RSD, with funding from PCVI at the Department of Justice. The topics covered in these articles are varied and reflect ongoing work at RSD. They include: restitution; the federal victim surcharge; victim and community impact statements; hate crimes; victim data; and summaries of studies on CACs/CYACs, survivors of sexual assault, testimonial aids, and support animals, among other topics.

To mark the 25th anniversary of the FVS, this 18th issue of the Digest welcomes several guest authors to share, in the first person, their reflections on the changes they have seen in victim-focused research in Canada over the past two-plus decades. This approach has been inspired by the preface written by professor emeritus Alan Young in the update to his 2000 report on victims’ rights. Sadly, Professor Young passed away in December 2024. To mark his contributions to the field of victims’ rights, we are including his preface in this issue of the Digest.

The commemorative Digest begins with Alan Young’s preface, followed by an article from Susan McDonald reflecting on her role in and responsibility for victim-focused research under the FVS since the early 2000s. Kathy AuCoin, long-time chief of the Analysis Unit at the Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics (CCJCSS), now retired, is the author of the third article. Kathy focuses on the changes at CCJCSS in data collection and analysis on victims of crime. Professor Nick Bala writes about the trends in research on child victims and witnesses, which has been the focus of his career for over 40 years. Professor Jo-Anne Wemmers examines self-reported victimization data and research on restorative justice and the victim’s role in these important processes, as well as other trends. And in the final article, Arlene Gaudreault reflects on her past 4025 years as a leader in the victims movement in Quebec. and what research has uncovered for all stakeholders. It is in this capacity that she takes a look at the contribution of Quebec researchers in the field of victimology.

We hope you enjoy this issue celebrating the growth in research and data on victims’ issues. FVS officials are pleased to have contributed to that body of knowledge over the past 25 years. We remain committed to continuing that work, taking on new research initiatives, and sharing the findings with our partners across Canada, informing the ways forward to increase access to justice for victims of crime that is victim-centred and evidence-based.

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