What NCVRW is and How to Get Involved
National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW) is an annual observance that brings communities together and raises awareness about victims’ rights, protections, and services. This is an opportunity to honor survivors and advocate for them. It’s also about recognizing organizations that have been fighting for victims’ rights for decades, forging new partnerships to better serve and support victims of crime, and strengthening existing partnerships.
NCVRW has been held in April every year since 1981 and, this year, the week will be observed April 21–27. The theme is—
How would you help?
Options, services, and hope for crime survivors.
This year’s theme challenges all of us to be prepared to help victims of crime by learning about the available resources in our communities and being able to offer support if someone confides in us about something that happened to them.
You can take part in NCVRW by using content in this resource guide to raise awareness on social media, hold discussions with your network about resources for victims, and print out fliers from the artwork section to place in local businesses or anywhere they’ll be visible by the public.
Developing Your Awareness Messaging
You may see professional victim service organizations in your area launch awareness campaigns during NCVRW, and you can do the same. The social media artwork contained in this resource guide can be used to create your own posts, highlight services in your area, and encourage your peers to be prepared to help survivors of crime. You can also print any artwork to use for fliers, bookmarks, posters, or other materials to distribute in your community. Use this resource guide to find relevant information on victims’ issues, rights, and services that you can share in person and online. You can also research local and national organizations that help victims so that you’ll be prepared to offer resources if the time comes. Additionally, look up local organizations online and check their websites and social media accounts to see if they are holding any observations or events for NCVRW — and then participate yourself or share information about the event!
Artwork
- Find all official NCVRW artwork here. It’s free to use as is, and you can also customize it for use on social media or for other awareness efforts.
Social Media Posts
Sample PowerPoint Template
This resource guide includes a sample PowerPoint template featuring the 2024 NCVRW theme and design. Use the template to prepare and customize your own NCVRW PowerPoint presentations. Download the PowerPoint file, along with a range of other theme artwork files.
Developing Community Partnerships
Consider partnering with community organizations, businesses, and other local entities to maximize your efforts to raise awareness during NCVRW and beyond.
Once you decide to participate in NCVRW events, identify potential partners within your community. Contact them right away and explore ways to partner. Ask businesses, civic organizations, faith communities, professional associations, and other partners to lend their skills, resources, and staff time to promote NCVRW and victims’ rights, issues, and resources.
Consider reaching out to any group, business, or organization that hosts gatherings or experiences a great deal of interaction with the public. For example, you may contact student groups, amateur sports leagues for adults and children alike, barbershops or salons, or your local public parks and recreation department. By joining forces, you will create a memorable campaign in your community and lay the foundation for future outreach.
Step 1: Decide What You Are Looking for in a Partnership
Partnerships are valuable opportunities to support the professional development of organizations and individuals in your network, as well as to find creative solutions to challenging problems and goals in your community. When building partnerships, consider the following:
- What skills do you have that you can share with others?
- What is your area of expertise and who could benefit from learning more about it?
- What expertise or skills are you or your organization missing?
- Can you or someone in your organization play a leadership role in building this partnership?
- How will this effort contribute to or expand access and equitable services to victims of crime?
Step 2: Identify Potential Partners
It is important to recognize that, in addition to other victim service organizations, every business, sports team, community group, and law enforcement agency has the potential to be a valuable partner in raising awareness about NCVRW or other events. Here are a few suggestions on ways to create hope in your community now and in the future:
- Expand your network. Partnering with organizations that work with specific communities is an opportunity to learn about other cultures, understand the barriers faced by victims, implement trauma-informed practices, and improve the cultural sensitivity of your organization.
- Provide education about victims’ rights and options. NCVRW is an opportunity to educate your local community about the rights of crime victims. Hosting an information fair, fundraiser, school assembly, or other community event is a great way to build partnerships, increase the visibility of local victim service providers, and support a greater understanding of victims’ rights and options following a crime.
- Raise awareness. Local community centers and businesses often have space available for hanging posters, collecting donation items, and hosting events. These partnerships are important for developing lasting community engagement.
Building partnerships takes time and energy. However, strategic partnerships can have a lasting impact on a community. Use this NCVRW to motivate, strengthen, and launch partnerships in your community.
