Abstract
Collective identity and the supportive role in Victim Support SwedenThe purpose of this article is to show how a collective identity and the role of a helper is created and retained in a voluntary organization like Victim Support Sweden. The empirical material consists of 12 focus groups with local victim support organizations, Victim Support Sweden’s website and educational material used in basic training for new members. We highlight the internal and external collective identity and the supportive role and show how they are formed, centrally by Victim Support Sweden and by the local organizations. The results show that Victim Support Sweden has a strong internal and external collective identity, which is highly prioritized by its members. There is a clear and consensual idea about an ideal-type group member, who is needed by crime victims and flexible in relation to their needs. S/he is presented as an ”ordinary, slightly professional, wise and unpretentious person” whom crime victims can relate to and trust.
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