| Summary: | The central purpose of this study was to provide descriptive information about hospitalized crime victims. More specifically, patients' knowledge of victim services, the legal justice system, and victims' rights were explored through their use of medical and dental services. From July 1, 1990, to June 30, 1991, the project staff obtained daily reports from the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Admissions Office regarding new admissions to specified units. If patients granted permission, the staff member administered a Criminal Victimization Screening Schedule (CVSS) and asked permission to review the relevant portion of their medical charts. Patients were also asked if they would be willing to participate in interviews about their victimization. If so, they were given the Criminal Victimization Interview (CVI), a structured interview schedule developed for this study that included items on demographics, victim and assault characteristics, knowledge of victims' rights, and a post-traumatic stress disorder checklist. This information is contained in Part 1, Interview Data File. At the conclusion of the personal interviews, patients were referred to the Model Hospital Victim Assistance Program (MHVAP), which was developed for this project and which provided information, advocacy, crisis counseling, and post-discharge referral services to hospitalized crime victims and their families. The Follow-Up Criminal Victimization Interview (FUCVI) was administered to 30 crime victims who had participated in the study and who were successfully located 3 months after discharge from the hospital. The FUCVI included questions on health status, victim services utilization and satisfaction, and satisfaction with the criminal justice system. These data are found in Part 2, Follow-Up Data File.
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