Frequently Asked Questions

Visit our U.S Citizens Victimized Abroad page to learn about programs that provide funding and assistance to victims in the aftermath of a terrorism event outside the United States.

According to the Victim Compensation Program Guidelines, at a minimum, the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) requires states to award compensation for medical expenses, mental health counseling, lost wages, and funeral expenses when they are attributable to a compensable crime.

For more information regarding expenses covered in your state, please contact your State Victim Compensation Program.

For a complete listing of OVC’s online trainings, visit the Online Training section of the OVC Training and Technical Assistance Center site.

At most military installations, the military legal office is the central point of contact for victim and witness assistance. You can call the base, post, or installation legal office and ask for the Victim and Witness Assistance Coordinator. To find information on specific U.S. military installations, go to Defense.gov and select the appropriate military branch.

Additionally, victims of sexual assault can confidentially contact the DoD Safe Helpline.

Visit the Get Posted section of the OVC Directory of Crime Victim Services for information on how to add your program or organization to the Directory.

The Tribal Resource Tool, a website funded by OVC, provides a searchable map of programs throughout the United States that offer services to American Indian/Alaskan Native crime victims. The Tribal Resource Tool includes services for—

• all ages of American Indian/Alaskan Native survivors and victims;
• all forms of victimization;
• all locations (on or off reservations, in areas that are remote, rural, urban, or suburban); and
• all needs of victims, including justice, safety, healing, and support.

If you applied for victim compensation through your state victim compensation program and have any questions, including information about the status of your claim, contact your state victim compensation program directly. A list of state victim compensation programs is available on our Help in Your State page.

Visit the OVC Help for Victims microsite to find additional information and referrals which may also assist you.

Ribbons for NCVRW are not available to order from OVC. Please visit the NCVRW section of our website to view the theme colors. These color codes will be helpful when ordering ribbons from an arts and crafts distributor.

An extensive range of services and resources is available to help crime victims obtain justice and heal. Review What You Can Do If You Are a Victim of Crime, the Help for Victims section of our site, and the Victim Rights and Services section of our website for information.

Guidelines on how to write a victim impact statement are available in the OVC report, Promising Victim-Related Practices in Probation and Parole - A Compendium of Promising Practices. See Chapter 2: Impact, Notification, and Informational Services for information related to victim impact statements and Appendix B for a sample form.