Taking back control with knowledge and action

The overall aim of the Victim Impact Box (VIB) toolkit is to provide an interface between the victim and the system. It serves as a multi-functional device for victims, criminal justice officials, victim support service providers, health care professionals, organisations when stalking presents within the workplace, schools, colleges and universities or anywhere else.

Benefits to Victims of Stalking

The toolkit has been developed on the principles of a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) Self-Help Model of Care. It is intended to be used by the victim in conjunction with guidance and support. The underlying aims of guided self-help is to provide a structured approach to helping victims of stalking adopt a more solution-focussed approach towards the management of their situation.

In addition, the VIB will help you feel more empowered and confident to stand as a witness if your case goes to court.

What you can expect:

• It will facilitate the development of increased self-awareness
• Logging of information and ongoing incidences
• Development of your Safety Action Plan
• Skills development: The CBT Self-Help tool will help you remain focussed, encourage new ways of thinking towards a more proactive approach as opposed to feeling helpless and passive or becoming stuck in a victim's role. It will also encourage the adoption of a solution-focussed approach as opposed to reacting to the fear response, thereby reducing the symptoms of impact and the potential of developing PTSD at a later date.
• It will help promote the development of problem solving skills, personal responsibility and management of personal information. This will help you in taking back some 'control' which is empowering and motivating.
• Help with cognitive reframing of thinking and development of patterns of more helpful behaviours which will help weaken some of the negative thinking patterns that may be keeping you stuck in the passive victim role.

Benefits to the Police

• Provides an interface between the system and the victim (it will also be an educational tool for police towards understanding the crime of stalking)
• Provides a template to start working with the victim and building a case encouraging a collaborative working relationship
• Helps with the identification of early stalking behaviours and the required course-of-conduct
• Helps with the identification of developing patterns of behaviour, flags up warning signs and escalation points
• Assists with threat assessment and case management
• Allows for crucial evidence to be accurately logged in chronological order facilitating cross-referencing
• Identifies the impact on the victim and assists with signposting to relevant services

Benefits to Victim Support Services

• Support workers will be able to support victims in working with the box, filling in the incident log, helping develop a safety plan, helping with victim impact statement
• Identify areas where support for the victim is needed most
• Ongoing assessment of the victim's needs
• Access and sharing of information of the case as required
• Identification and assessment of vulnerability factors
• Facilitate the building of a healthy working relationship between you and the victim

Benefits to Crown Office Procurator Fiscal Services

• Accurate and chronologically ordered information which can be cross-referenced
• Highlight developing patterns of behaviours, warning signs, frequency and victim impact
• Cross-referencing with evidence gathered
• Highlight victim vulnerabilities
• The ready provision of a victim impact statement
• Increase your confidence in the victim as a credible witness

To ensure effective use of the VIB, AAS provides training and certification to those who have completed this. Please email us on enquiries@actionagainststalking.org to find out how you can purchase VIB and find out more about the training we provide.