Every April, advocates, survivors, and communities across the United States come together for National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW) — a time to honor those affected by crime, celebrate the professionals who support them, and recommit to the rights that every victim deserves. This year marks the 45th anniversary of that tradition, and it’s worth taking a moment to reflect on how far we’ve come — and how much work remains.

How NCVRW began

In 1981, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, declaring that victims had for too long been “the forgotten persons of our criminal justice system.” That proclamation was a turning point that acknowledged at the federal level that surviving a crime was only the beginning of a long and often isolating journey, and that our justice system had a responsibility to walk alongside survivors.

What followed was a decades-long nonpartisan effort to build a legal and financial infrastructure to support victims.

Support survivors and advocates this week

This year’s NCVRW runs April 19–25, and there are several ways to get involved, including events in Washington, D.C., Charlotte, and Chandler, Arizona, that directly benefit the National Center for Victims of Crime.

In-person fundraisers:

• Tuesday, April 21 — Washington, D.C.: Join us at Dacha Beer Garden – Navy Yard from 5–8 p.m. Donations and wristband sales benefit NCVC. More info
• Thursday, April 23 — Charlotte, North Carolina: Join us at Triple C Brewing Co. starting at 5 p.m. $1 from every beer sold all day benefits NCVC. More info
• Friday, April 24 — Washington, D.C.: Join us at Town Tavern from 6–9 p.m. A $10 minimum donation to NCVC gets you happy hour pricing all evening. More info
• Saturday, April 25 — Chandler, Arizona: Shop at Kendra Scott from 10 a.m. to noon. 20% of in-store sales during that time benefit NCVC.

Can’t make it to an event? Kendra Scott is also offering an online giveback on April 24–25: use code GIVEBACK-LDMZX at checkout at kendrascott.com and 20% of your purchase will go to NCVC. Whether you need a Mother’s Day gift, a graduation present, or just a treat for yourself, it’s an easy way to give back from anywhere.

You can also donate directly to NCVC or other local victim service organizations at any time. Funding sustains the programs that keep services available for survivors when they need them most.

A legacy of progress

The history of victims’ rights legislation in the United States is a story of coalitions and shared purpose. Some of the most consequential laws protecting survivors were passed with overwhelming bipartisan support.

The Victims of Crime Act (1984) was signed into law by President Reagan in October 1984. It established the Crime Victims Fund, a mechanism funded entirely by fines and penalties paid by convicted federal offenders, not by taxpayers. Since its passage, the Fund has channeled more than $38 billion into local programs providing mental health services, housing assistance, legal aid, and crisis intervention to survivors across the country.

The Hate Crime Statistics Act (1990), signed by President George H.W. Bush, directed the federal government to begin systematically collecting data on crimes motivated by bias based on race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and ethnicity.

The Violence Against Women Act (1994) represented a landmark expansion of protections for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. It passed with bipartisan support in Congress and was signed by President Clinton. VAWA established the first federal criminal law against battering, required states to honor protective orders issued in other states, and created a network of grants supporting shelters, rape crisis centers, and coordinated community responses to gender-based violence. It has been reauthorized multiple times since, most recently in 2022.

The PROTECT Act (2003), also known as the Amber Alert Act, gave law enforcement powerful new tools to investigate and prosecute crimes against children. It formalized the national AMBER Alert system — a voluntary patchwork before this legislation — into a coordinated, federally supported network that has since helped locate thousands of missing children.

The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (2022) was the most significant federal gun safety legislation in nearly three decades. Passed with support from both parties and signed by President Biden, the law closed the “boyfriend loophole” that had allowed abusive dating partners to purchase firearms, expanded background checks for gun buyers under 21, and invested $11 billion in mental health services — measures that directly affect the safety and recovery of crime victims.

Today, that body of work is backed by more than 32,000 laws at the state and federal levels that define and protect victims’ rights, and by over 12,000 victim service programs operating across the country.

This year’s themes

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime has designated the official theme as “Listen. Act. Advocate. Protect victims, serve communities.” It’s a call for every corner of the justice system — and every member of the public — to engage actively with the needs of survivors.

Alongside that, a coalition of national victim service organizations, including the National Center for Victims of Crime, is promoting the field-led theme “CommUNITY” — a recognition that survivors don’t recover in isolation. They recover in relationships with others, and the strength of those connections makes healing possible.

Both themes have accompanying toolkits with resources, graphics, and messaging you can use to raise awareness in your networks this week. You can find links to both at victimsofcrime.org/NCVRW.

Everyone can help victims

One of the most important things to understand about crime victimization is that it doesn’t discriminate.

Sharing information about resources, speaking openly about victims’ rights, and checking in on the people around you are all valid ways to contribute to a culture that supports survivors.

If you want to do more, here are some concrete ways to get involved:

• Share resources with people you know or with community centers.
• Volunteer with a victim service organization in your area.
• Attend a NCVRW commemoration event this week.
• Donate to organizations that work directly with survivors.

If you or someone you know needs help

The VictimConnect Resource Center, a program of the National Center for Victims of Crime, is available 24/7 to any victim of any crime, anywhere in the United States. It’s free, confidential, and staffed by trained victim assistance specialists who connect survivors with local resources, provide emotional support, and help people understand their rights and options as they begin to recover. Services are available in English and Spanish, with access to interpreters for more than 200 additional languages.

You can reach VictimConnect by:

• Phone or text: 1-855-484-2846 (1-855-4VICTIM)
• Online chat: victimconnect.org