Centre for Victimological Research &
Victim Assistance (CVRVA)

About CVRVA

The Centre for Victimological Research & Victim Assistance (CVRVA) was inaugurated by Prof. Dr. K. Chockalingam, former Vice President, World Society of Victimology & former Vice Chancellor, Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tamil Nadu, India on 29th November 2022. CVRVA has been set up at RV University to advance its purposes of research, awareness building, and training, in the areas concerning Victimology, victim assistance, and victim justice. Victimology as an interdisciplinary field is continually evolving in India and globally. Research has contributed significantly to the “knowledge base” and the development of some of the best practices in victim services. However, there remains a sizable gap between research and practice in victim services. There is a growing need for Victimology resource centres that can narrow the research-practice gap through quality research, awareness building, and training. CVRVA envisions narrowing this gap.

CVRVA Objectives

• To promote research-driven action in the areas of Victimology, Victim Justice, and Victim Assistance
• To encourage collaborations with like-minded organizations and undertake research projects in the areas of Victimology, Victim Justice, and Victim Assistance
• To organize the annual International Conference on Victimological Research and Victim Assistance (ICVRVA)
• To launch the Journal of Victimological Research and Victim Assistance (JVRVA), a periodic journal for the publication of relevant research in Victimology, victim assistance, victims’ rights, victim-centric laws, criminology, psychology, and other allied areas of study.
• To conduct short-term and long-term training programmes (centred on prevention of secondary victimization, victim protection, rehabilitation, participation, and justice) for carious victim support personnel, including the criminal justice personnel and non-governmental organizations working with crime victims
• To liaison with the Ministry of Women and Child Development and its state departments to organize training programmes for various stakeholders and functionaries of the Sakhi One Stop Centre Programme
• To organize colloquium/panel discussion and symposium in the field of Victimology, victim justice, and victim assistance.
• To create a database for crime victim support in India
• To launch a toll-free victim support helpline and set up a counselling unit to provide psychological counselling to crime victims and make appropriate referrals to victim support services using the database
• To critically examine the existing victim compensation laws, policies, and welfare programmes from the victim-centred point of view and make suitable recommendations to the Central and State governments for modifications/amendments in law and policies.
• To strive for the inclusion of Victimology and victim assistance study as part of the law, psychology, social work, criminology, and forensic sciences education at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
• To collaborate with various national and international agencies working in the broader areas of Victimology and victim assistance.
• To provide internships and volunteering opportunities for students depending on the centre’s requirements.
• In addition to the above-listed activities, the centre shall take up any activities concerning crime victims’ research and support as per the need and opportunities in the future.

Board of Advisors

Activities Organised

Lecture series on “Victimology and Victim Justice”. So far CVRVA has conducted 4 distinguished lectures in this lecture series.

• Lecture 1: Secondary Victimization and Rape Myths by Dr. Amrutha Karayil, HoD, Criminology Department, D.G. Vaishgnav College, Chennai on 8th March 2023
• Lecture 2: Applied Victimology by Prof. Dr. Debarati Halder, Professor of Law, Parul University on 12th April 2023
• Lecture 3: Human Trafficking, Victimization and Rehabilitation by Ms. Priti Patkar, Founder and Executive Secretary, Prerana Anti-Trafficking on 19th April 2023
• Lecture 4: Victimology: Theory and Applied- Past, Present and Future by Mr. Michael O’Connell, Former Victims’ Rights Commissioner, South Australia and former Secretary General of World Society of Victimology on 26th April 2023

Future Events Planned

• 1st CVRVA International Postgraduate Course on Victimology and Victim Justice, November 2023
• 1st CVRVA International Conference on Victimology and Victim Justice, January 2024

Collaborations / Partnerships

• CVRVA is an Institutional Member of the World Society of Victimology
• CVRVA is the knowledge partner for the 5th International Conference of the South Asian Society of Criminology and Victimology held during 27-28 January 2023 at RV University
• Since its inception CVRVA has collaborated with the following organizations
  • Vasavya Mahila Mandali, India
  • International Institute of Justice and Police Sciences, India
  • Victimology Teachers’ Association of Indonesia (APVI), Indonesia