The Impact of Victimization

                             Individuals routinely exist in a fluctuating state of equilibrium. This equilibrium 

is                          bounded  by joys and sorrows and is marked by everyday life event crises. Stressors 

tend                      cause disequilibrium, but also promote learning, skill development

development       and new attitudes, resulting in new states of equilibrium. Under normal circumstances, 

most                     people are generally able to resolve problems and make decisions without much help

                              or difficulty. 'Traumatic events are extraordinary, not because they occur rarely, but 

rather because they overwhelm the ordinary human adaptations to life' (Judith Herman, Trauma

and Recovery, 1993). 

To be traumatizing, a critical incident or event must cause feelings of helplessness, powerlessness, and 

terror or horror in those exposed. Victims struggle to make sense of a critical incident that has disrupted 

familiar routines and lifestyle and which has left them deeply affected. According to The Department of 

Justice Canada, common reactions to crime include: 

Mood/Emotions	Social	Thinking/Memories	Physical
Fear/phobias	Changes in relating to people	Intrusive memories	Nausea
Anger/hostility	Avoidance	Lower self-efficacy	Stomach              problems
Embarrassment	Alienation	Vigilance	Muscle tension
Anxiety		Flashbacks	Sleep problems
Depression		Confusion
Grief		Dissociation
Guilt/shame		Poor concentration
Difficulty controlling emotions
Apathy
Lower self/esteem