Understanding the Relation Between Agency and Communion and Victim Impact Statements

Abstract

Victim impact statements (VIS) have been widely introduced across different jurisdictions. Although early research examined the impact of VIS on sentencing outcomes, more recently researchers have focussed on their effects on victim posttraumatic stress symptoms. This article offers a different framework to this therapeutic approach. Instead, we emphasize that victims’ affective experience can be conceptualized using the Big Two Framework of agency and communion. Victims suffer damage to their sense of agency—status, respect, and the like—and communion—their experiences of connectedness to others. VIS could provide an opportunity to restore these orientations to self and others. Our research offers an empirical investigation into this framework. Victims who delivered an oral VIS in a Dutch criminal court completed an online survey on their experiences (N = 118). In addition, we conducted in-depth interviews to enrich the information from the survey (N = 24). The results show that both agency and communion-related aspects are present when victims talk about their experiences. Victims, for instance, mention feeling stronger—agency and also to be able to help others—communion. The agency aspect of being heard is apparent both in the survey the interview results. These findings suggest that both agency and communion seem to play a role in the effects of delivering a VIS. Implications of the agency and communion approach are discussed.