Impacts des processus judiciaires sur la santé mentale des victimes d’actes criminels
violents
Abstract The participation of victims of crime in the judicial process can have many repercussions on their recovery. Many authors have interested themselves in the psychological impact that victims of violent criminal acts endure after their contact with the police and the criminal jn the subject seem to be ambiguous. Objective and method: The authors conducted a systematic review to examine how different variables related to the judicial and criminal process may have psychological effects on victims of violent criminal acts. The following words were utilized in the search within three databases: Crime victims, victims of crime, Mental health, well‐being, psycholog*, Criminal justice proceeding, criminal justice, court, police, criminal procedures. The systematic review included 14 articles. The quality of the studies was assessed with the critical list Critical Review Form – Quantitative Studies (Law et al., 1998). Results: Many studies suggest a significant and positive relationship between negative experiences within the criminal process and psychological distress for victims, namely for victims of sexual assault. They concluded that these victims were at risk for increased post‐traumatic stress symptoms and therefore face secondary victimisation when they participate in the judicial system. Other studies highlight significant correlations between procedural justice and positive psychological effects as perceived by victims of violent criminal acts. Finally, every study investigating the links between variables related to sentences and the psychological impact on victims uncover significant correlations
Crimes violents Police Secondary victimisation Procedural justice Psychological impact Judicial system Police system Systematic review Victims Violent crimes