The status of the victim within the criminal justice system has recently become a controversial issue. In this comprehensive and timely text, the authors combine their extensive experience of the victims' movement to provide a theoretical and practical critique of the subject. Drawing on a wealth of local, national and international sources, unpublished documents and original research, the book outlines and discusses the issues facing victims today. The authors address the fundamental question: how can we best ensure justice for victims, while at the same time preserving the rights of defendants? The search for answers raises other key questions: what are the risks of crime - do they vary from country to country?; what is the impact of crime on the victim?; how are victims treated by police, welfare agencies and courts?; why have governments become interested in victims?; can we learn from the experiences of policies in other nations?; and how are services developing in the rest of the world, including Eastern Europe? This critical and comparative analysis of 'victim services' offers important insights for students and academics in criminology, social work and social policy, as well as for victim support workers.