What happens after experiencing a crime?
Witnessing or being harmed by any type of crime can be a difficult and stressful experience. How each person responds is unique and may vary. It is normal to experience few, some, or many effects. Some people feel the impact right away, while others experience reactions hours, days, months, or even years later.
Your response may change over time and can even vary from day to day. At times, it may feel overwhelming. You are having a normal reaction to an abnormal and distressing event.
Please remember that there is not a "right way" to feel, react, or respond. Your experience is your own, and it is valid. Healing after a criminal event is possible. Help and support are available.
Below are some common and normal reactions people may have after experiencing a criminal incident:
Physical
You may have sustained physical injuries due to the crime. You may also be experiencing impacts such as fatigue, shaking, dizziness, disrupted sleep, nausea, change in appetite, heart palpitations, headaches, and/or feel startled more easily.
Emotional
You may experience strong emotions such as anger, anxiety, fear, frustration, guilt, grief, and/or sadness. You may experience sudden crying spells. You may find yourself feeling numb with a sense of disbelief and helplessness. You may feel a desire to withdraw, or experience increased impatience. You may be struggling with feelings of vulnerability and find that you are constantly on guard. You may feel a persistent sense of loss of safety and control.
Cognitive/mental
You may experience disorientation, slowed thinking, confusion, memory problems, nightmares, intrusive thoughts, and difficulty concentrating. You may find it difficult to make decisions and feel like your mind has "shut down". You may find that your thoughts repeatedly return to the event in an attempt to make sense of your experience. You may begin to doubt, or second-guess yourself, wondering if you could have responded in a way that would have led to a different outcome.
Taking action to support yourself (some things to consider)
Care for your well-being
Practice empathy and patience with yourself. Allow for good and bad moments.
Choose to do activities that bring you peace, connection, or relaxation. Some ideas include talking with a friend, meditation, reciting positive affirmations, watching a favorite movie, or creative outlets like painting, drawing, writing, and keeping a journal.
Engage in physical self care. This may include going for a walk, taking a shower, exercising, sleeping well, and eating nourishing foods.
Know and communicate your boundaries.
Ask for help
Identifying what you "should have done" or blaming yourself can be a common response after something traumatic happens. You might find yourself going over what you could have done differently. Try to remind yourself that you did the best you could in a difficult and abnormal situation. If those thoughts keep coming up and feel hard to shake, you don’t have to navigate it alone. Talking to someone you trust – like a friend or family member – can help. There may also be support groups available that can offer an opportunity for education, peer support, and validation.
Seek medical care and consider counseling
Victims of certain crimes may be eligible to receive Crime Victims' Compensation, which can help cover the costs of counseling, medical expenses, or other crime related losses. You can apply for Crime Victims' Compensation by completing an application.
Some people find it helpful to talk with a professional therapist about their experience and how it has impacted them. A therapist can help you process what happened and help you make plans for healing and recovery.
Keep records
It is normal to remember more details with greater clarity in the days following the crime. People like police officers, investigators, and probation or parole officers are responsible for gathering evidence and keeping information about cases. If there is an investigation in progress and you have any additional information, please reach out to law enforcement.
You may consider keeping a note on your phone that includes the incident or police report number, court case number, contact information for the District Attorney’s Office, support lines, or other information you want to remember.
It could also be helpful to keep a folder to hold information such as letters you receive from The District Attorney’s Office, bills you want to submit for a restitution request, or information you have already submitted to law enforcement like photographs or copies of text messages.
Access to advocates
There are advocates who work with nonprofits and advocates who work within systems. Both types of advocates may provide support, information, and resources to victims of crime.
While advocates with different agencies share a common goal to ensure that victims do not have to navigate the system alone, some advocates with nonprofit agencies have what is called advocate privilege. This can mean that they are able to keep what is shared with them completely confidential. Advocates with system agencies like law enforcement, the District Attorney’s Office, the Department of Community Justice, and others may be required by law to document and share information. Advocates usually share this with you toward the beginning of your work together, but you can ask an advocate at any time what they do with your information and who they may have to share it with.
In the aftermath of a crime, the number of different people contacting you may feel confusing and overwhelming. In addition to advocates, you may be contacted by attorneys, investigators, or caseworkers from other agencies, such as the Department of Human Services (DHS). People who represent the offender may reach out. You are encouraged to ask for the name, role, and agency of any person who contacts you and to decide who you want to communicate with. Remember, you can always say you do not want to talk, that you want time to consider it, or that you want to talk at another time.
Advocates can be stationed with police officers to provide support to victims while a crime is investigated. These advocates may be in contact with you at the same time that police respond or reach out to you later. They can help you understand what is happening with your case before it moves into the court system.
Advocates at the District Attorney’s Office provide support to victims before the case resolves. They can explain the rights that victims have during the court process and provide notification of court hearings. It is common for advocates with the District Attorney’s Office to attend court with victims to provide support.
Advocates with the Department of Community Justice provide support to victims while the offender is on community supervision. They can explain the rights that victims have during this stage of the criminal justice process, provide notification of court hearings, and provide emotional support, planning for safety, and resource information.
Access to legal support
Advocates and the District Attorney’s Office play important roles in supporting survivors and considering the safety of the community in criminal cases, but it is important to understand that they cannot provide legal advice to victims. In criminal cases, The District Attorney’s Office represents the State of Oregon and an attorney is not automatically provided to represent victims. Victims don’t have to have an attorney to represent them in the criminal case, but may choose to consult a victim rights attorney to ensure their rights are fully protected or receive guidance on specific legal concerns related to the case.
Speaking with an attorney can be especially helpful when there is a criminal case and a civil case. Criminal cases are focused solely on addressing a crime that has been committed, while civil proceedings involve a much broader range of issues. They can include property matters, landlord-tenant disputes, evictions, restraining orders, or family law matters like divorce or child custody.
Free legal services may be available from the following agencies.
- Oregon Crime Victims Law Center: Free legal representation to crime victims to help them assert their rights within a criminal case. Learn more about the Oregon Crime Victims Law Center or contact them at 503-208-8160
- Legal Aid Services of Oregon: The Portland Regional office of Legal Aid Services of Oregon offers full legal representation, brief advice, legal clinics, and self-help materials for family law, government benefits, housing law, senior issues, individual tax and other legal matters. Learn more about Legal Aid or contact them at 503-224-4086.
- Disability Rights Oregon: A nonprofit advocacy organization that helps people with disability-related legal issues in Oregon. They provide education, legislative advocacy, representation, and referrals. They also monitor conditions inside institutions. Learn more about Disability Rights Oregon or contact them at 503-243-2081.
Other legal services charge a fee. Sometimes there is a set fee required to receive services, and sometimes the amount of the fee can vary and takes your circumstances into account. Services may be available from the following agencies.
- The Oregon State Bar has services that may be helpful to you. You can learn about all of their services by visiting the Oregon State Bar website. There are programs that may be especially helpful for victims of crime. One is called the Lawyer Referral Service, where you can receive a referral to a local lawyer who may be able to assist you with questions or in your legal matter. Another is called the Modest Means Program, which is a service that helps moderate-income Oregonians find legal assistance for matters in family law, criminal defense, foreclosure, and rental housing matters. If you qualify for the program, a Modest Means lawyer will charge a reduced rate for their services.
- St. Andrew Legal Clinic: A firm that provides family law services to low- income Oregonians and veterans. Learn more about St. Andrew Legal Clinic or contact them at 503-281-1500.
- The Commons Law Center: Legal services for low to middle income Oregonians in the areas of family law, tenant eviction defense, estate planning, and probate. Learn more about The Commons Law Center or contact them at 503-850-0811.
Restraining orders
Restraining orders, also known as protective orders, are legal orders issued by the court to help protect a person from being harmed or harassed by another individual. These orders are most common in cases involving domestic violence, stalking, continued harassment, sexual assault or other threats of harm. A restraining order can require the restrained person, called the respondent, to stay away from the protected person, their home, workplace, school or children’s schools. They can also include orders to stop contacting the victim in any way — whether in person, by phone, by mail, or through social media. To get a protective order, the victim needs to request one from the court by submitting an application.
Restraining orders are ordered in civil court cases, which are different from criminal court cases. Civil cases deal with disputes between people, while criminal cases happen when someone does something that breaks a law. Civil cases don’t decide if someone is guilty or innocent– they focus on things like protection, responsibility, or compensation. Examples of civil cases include divorce, child custody, requesting one person returns property, or to pay personal debts. Neither person involved is required to have an attorney, though either can choose to have one. If a judge grants a restraining order, it does not mean that they are finding that a crime has been committed. However, if the restraining order is violated, it can lead to involvement with the criminal justice system.
Some restraining orders require a certain type of relationship between the person seeking protection and the person they are seeking protection from. For example, the Family Abuse Prevention Act restraining order is for individuals that are current or former intimate partners, co-parents, or family or household members. Other types of restraining orders, like stalking or sexual assault protection orders can apply when individuals did not have a close personal relationship, but there has been a pattern of harassment or threats. Additionally, there are restraining orders that can apply when the person seeking the order is in a protected group of people due to age or disability. The type of restraining order that you qualify for involves legal interpretation, and only an attorney can give legal advice. However, trained advocates can help explain what types of protective orders there are, share information about how to apply for protective orders, provide emotional support, and help you make plans for safety. They can also help connect you with legal resources if your situation requires legal advice or representation.
If you would like support with restraining orders in Multnomah County, there are two agencies that can help:
- The Gateway Center can help you complete the full process of filing and obtaining a restraining order over the phone. To explore options, call 503-988-6400 and leave a voicemail with a safe number to reach you. If you do not receive a call back the same day that you leave the voicemail, please call again the following day. If you do not have safe or consistent access to a phone, you can learn more about connecting them by visiting The Gateway Center website.
- Volunteers of America can support you in seeking a restraining order over the phone. To explore options, call 503-802-0506 and leave a voicemail with a safe number to reach you. They will call you back as soon as they are able. This agency also offers in person support at the Multnomah County Courthouse at 1200 SW 1st Avenue, Portland, OR 97204. To view their current hours, visit the Volunteers of America website.
Support for specific crime types
As a reminder that applies to all types of crime, if you choose to report an incident, police will collect information about what happened and may send the information to the District Attorney’s Office. Learn more about police response. If a report is submitted, the District Attorney’s Office will review the report and make a decision about what will happen next. Learn more about the District Attorney’s Office review. If your case moves forward in the court process, you may want to learn about the court process and review the additional rights that you can choose from.
Below you will find information specific to domestic violence, stalking, sexual assault, and a list of other resources that may be available to support you.
Domestic violence
Domestic violence is a pattern of controlling tactics and behaviors that one person uses against their intimate partner or other significant relationships. Learn about domestic violence resources.
Domestic violence tactics can include physical, psychological, sexual, economic, and emotional abuse. Domestic violence occurs in all kinds of intimate relationships, communities, and socioeconomic statuses. Domestic violence abuse usually increases over time and becomes more violent, and can lead to murder. It includes targeted emotional abuse, like name calling, yelling, and threatening the victim or their children. Domestic violence can also include physical abuse like hitting, blocking, restraining, biting, or strangling. Strangulation is one of the most lethal forms of domestic violence. Effects of strangulation can set in immediately or hours or days after the incident. While symptoms may be noticeable, many people have no visible signs after a strangulation. We highly encourage you to seek medical treatment as soon as possible if you have been the victim of strangulation, even if you think you feel okay. You can receive an exam, called an Oregon Strangulation Forensic Evidence Kit, or “SKIT”, from a nurse with specialized training at any hospital in the Portland metro area. Learn about SKIT exams.
Stalking
Stalking is a pattern of behavior directed at a specific person that causes that person to feel fear. Stalking behaviors, by definition, are repeated and unwanted in nature. Stalkers may repeatedly contact you using different means — by phone, calling and hanging up, sending letters in the mail, using social media or other electronic communication like text or email messages. They might send unwanted and unsolicited gifts. They may follow you, or show up in places that you would not expect them to be. If you are a victim of stalking there are a few things that you can consider. Keep a log of the stalking, including the time and date of the incident, location, and a description. Keep texts, emails, voicemails, and letters/notes. Photograph any property that is damaged. Ask any witnesses to write down their observations and keep contact information for them if possible. Develop a safety plan including changing your daily routine or the places you usually go as much as possible. An advocate may be able to support you in planning for your safety.
Sexual assault
Sexual assault means any unwanted contact of a sexual nature. Learn about sexual violence resources.
Sexual assault can happen to any person and in any type of relationship. You have options that you can consider if you have experienced a sexual assault.
Whether or not you choose to report your assault to police, you may choose to receive medical attention to prevent pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections. If you were sexually assaulted in the State of Oregon, the Sexual Assault Victims’ Emergency Medical Responsive (SAVE) Fund will cover the cost for you to receive a medical assessment, evidence collection, medications to prevent sexually transmitted infections, and emergency contraception to prevent pregnancy.
The Multnomah County Domestic & Sexual Violence Coordination Office maintains a list of resources for people experiencing sex trafficking or who trade sex or do sex work. Learn about sex trafficking resources.
Additional resources for victims
We recognize that you may have resource questions and needs that started before you experienced a crime, or have been more intense because of the impacts of the crime. In Multnomah County, you can connect with an advocate to learn more about your options through the following agencies:
- Call to Safety can provide crisis intervention, safety planning, sexual assault response, and support groups and connect you to resources for people experiencing domestic violence, sexual assault, sex trafficking, stalking, or who do sex work. You can contact them through their 24-hour crisis line at 503-235-5333. Visit the Call to Safety website.
- UNICA offers crisis intervention, safety planning, sexual assault response, and case management and connect you to resources for people experiencing domestic violence, sexual assault, sex trafficking, stalking, or who do sex work. You can reach them on their bilingual Spanish 24-hour crisis line at 1-888-232-4448. Visit the UNICA website.
- If the type of crime you’ve experienced wasn’t listed above, Lutheran Community Services NW (LCSNW) has a Crime Victim Service Center that provides advocacy, referral, and information services to victims of all types of crime, regardless of whether you decide to participate in the criminal justice system. This program is not religious and strives to be welcoming to all people. You can contact them Monday -Thursday 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM and Fridays 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM at 971-888-7830. Visit the LCSNW website.
- 211info is a community based nonprofit organization that provides information on many different types of resources in the entire State of Oregon and select counties in the State of Washington. You can access the 211 guided search online or call 2-1-1.
Glossary of terms
Oregon law defines a victim as any person the court or an attorney from the District Attorney’s Office finds has experienced financial, mental, or physical harm as a result of a crime. The victim of the crime may also be a witness in the case. If the victim is under the age of 18, the victim’s parent or legal guardian may also be considered a victim. If the victim lost their life as a result of the crime, the victim’s immediate family may also be considered victims. Back to content.
A person who collects statements, records, or evidence. Some investigators work for the District Attorney's Office. Other investigators work for the defense attorney representing the offender. If an investigator contacts you, they are required to clearly identify who they work for. Back to content.
Information that helps prove or disprove that an offender committed a crime. This may include the police collecting items such as pictures, recordings, text messages, weapons, records or interviews with the offender, victims, or witnesses. Back to content.
Police try to find information and evidence about what happened. This may include interviewing victims, offenders, and witnesses and documenting or recording what they say. This could also include collecting evidence such as photos, recordings, text messages, weapons, records or other items. Back to content.
If the police are dispatched to respond to an incident then that incident receives a unique number. This number can be used to locate the 911 or non-emergency call and information about the police response to the incident. If a police report is written, the incident number is used to reference the police report. The incident number is the same thing as a police case number or police report number. Back to content.
Financial losses experienced by a victim as a result of a crime. Such losses may include things like: damage to property, the insurance deductible for a stolen car, lost wages due to the crime, ambulance bills, medical or counseling costs, medications, stolen money, or fees to change bank accounts. The victim must fill out paperwork to show their financial losses and include supporting documents such as estimates, bills or receipts. All restitution paperwork and supporting documents are shared with the offender’s attorney. If all parties agree on the restitution amount at the sentencing hearing, the offender will be ordered to pay the agreed upon amount. If restitution is not agreed upon, a restitution hearing will be scheduled within 90 days of sentencing. At a restitution hearing, the judge will decide if the loss was caused by the offender as a result of the crime and the amount of restitution the offender is ordered to pay. Victims may be required to attend restitution hearings. The District Attorney’s Office must be able to prove that the offender actually caused the damage. Back to content.
(Juvenile) Right to restitution:
Financial losses experienced by a victim as a result of a crime. Such losses may include things like: medical costs, damage to property, insurance deductibles, or counseling costs for victims of sexual assault. The victim must fill out paperwork to show their financial losses and include supporting documents such as estimates, bills or receipts. All restitution paperwork and supporting documents are shared with the youth’s attorney. If all parties agree on the restitution amount at the disposition hearing, the youth will be ordered to pay the agreed upon amount. If restitution is not agreed upon, a restitution hearing will be scheduled within 90 days of disposition. At a restitution hearing, the judge will decide if the loss was caused by the youth as a result of the crime and the amount of restitution the youth is ordered to pay the victim. Victims may be required to attend restitution hearings. Back to content.
A person who supports crime victims. Advocates can work with a justice system agency or with a community organization. Their job is to help you understand the justice system and your rights, to attend court with you, to offer emotional support, and to connect you with resources to meet your needs. Advocate services are always free. Visit our resource page for information about advocate services in Multnomah County. Back to content.
The collection of county and state agencies that work together to enforce laws and hold people responsible for breaking Oregon’s laws. These agencies can include: local police, the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office, Multnomah County Sheriff's Office, Oregon Courts, Oregon Department of Community Justice, Oregon Board of Parole, and Multnomah County Department of Community Justice or other community supervision agencies. Back to content.
A crime victim has the right to refuse to communicate directly with the offender’s defense attorney, their investigator, or any person acting on behalf of the offender related to the criminal court case. This means the victim does not have to do an interview or share any information with anyone from the defense attorney’s office. This does not include subpoenas that the victim receives that requires them to testify in court. This right is only for crime victims, it does not apply to other witnesses, family members or friends of the victim. Please note that any information a victim shares with the District Attorney’s Office or law enforcement may be shared with the offender’s defense attorney. If you choose to speak with the offender’s defense attorney, their investigator, or any person acting on behalf of the offender you have a right to request someone from the District Attorney’s Office be present during your conversation. Back to content.
When the offender has been ordered by the courts or the Oregon Board of Parole to follow certain rules. Back to content.
This page was produced by Multnomah County under grant number 15POVC-21-GK-01091-NONF, awarded by the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed on this page are those of the contributors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.