Issues of violent crimes, especially those involving guns, domestic violence and sexual and physical assault continue as popular talking points throughout the Territory.
From a public policy perspective, these types of violent offenses traumatically impact the community’s perception of safety and its confidence in the justice system.
On one hand, national and local indicators of crime trends reveal that violent crimes are decreasing. For example, the 2023 Crime in the Nation Statistics, released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on September 23, 2024, indicates nationally violent crimes decreased by about 3.0% in 2023 compared to 2022 estimates, with the largest decreases in the following areas:
Murder and non-negligent manslaughter (– 11.6%)
Rape (– 9.4%)
Aggravated assault (– 2.8%)
Robbery (– 0.3%)
Similarly, according to the “Criminal Victimization, 2023”, published by the United States Department of Justice (USDOJ) Bureau of Justice Statistics:
In 2023, there were 22.5 violent victimizations per 1,000 persons age 12 or older in the United States, which was similar to the 2022 rate.
The rate of violent victimization excluding simple assault for males decreased from 9.5 per 1,000 persons in 2022 to 6.9 per 1,000 in 2023.
Robbery victimizations reported to the police indicate a decrease in percentage during 2023 (42%) than in 2022 (64%).
Locally, data from the Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD) show percentage decreases in reported cases of Rape (-31%) and Burglary (-14%), and percentage increases in reported cases of Felony Assault (+28%), Robbery (+20) and Homicide (+19%) during Calendar Year (CY) 2024 compared to CY 2023.
On the other hand, while the official records may show downward trends, unofficially the community’s perception of safety may more likely be shaped by the interpersonal relations that persons may have, either directly or indirectly, with victims of violent crimes, including victims of crimes that may go unreported, underreported or unresolved through the justice system. These data are often reported to community-based organizations that aids crime victims.
Victim assistance providers funded by the U.S. Virgin Islands Law Enforcement Planning Commissioner (LEPC), reported that between October 12, 2017 and January 3, 2023:
15,000 individuals received services, of which 9,151 were new individuals
6,600 individuals for Domestic and/or Family Violence
1,100 individuals for Adult Physical Abuse
1,000 individuals for Adult Sexual Assault
400 individuals for Child Sexual Assault
800 individuals as Survivors of Homicide Victims
Additionally, a high number of persons received trauma-related support services for their exposure to these crimes: Counselling and crisis intervention – 13,000 persons; emotional and safety support – 6,300 persons.
So, what is trauma? The American Psychological Association (APA) defines trauma as any disturbing experience that results in significant fear, helplessness, dissociation, confusion, or other disruptive feelings intense enough to have a long-lasting negative effect on a person’s attitudes, behavior, and other aspects of functioning. Traumatic events are typically significant ones, such as violence, sexual and physical assault, or accidents that often challenge an individual’s view of the world as being safe, just and predictable. The trauma from being a victim of a violent crime, including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), secondary and vicarious trauma, and collective trauma, is known to negatively influence a person’s perception of being safe in the community.
What is vicarious or secondary trauma? Vicarious or secondary trauma, according to the American Counselling Association (ACA), is the emotional residue of being exposed to traumatic stories and experiences of other people through work, witnessing fear, pain, and terror that others have experienced. This type of trauma may significantly impact a small community, like the Virgin Islands. Impacts may include heightened stress and disruption to community dynamics affecting the overall well-being of community members, as well as the overall perception of community safety.
What is collective trauma? The American Medical Association (AMA) refers to collective trauma as traumatic events that affect an entire group or society and/or sever ties that bind community members to each other, such as safety, trust, connection and meaning. Instances of collective trauma encompass natural disasters, terrorist acts and shootings.
The trauma from violent crimes may be compounded by the collective trauma associated with the exposure to two (2) Category 5 hurricanes (Irma and Maria, September 2017) within two (2) weeks, and the COVID-19 Global Pandemic (March 2020 – May 2023) that the community continues to experience. A March 2022 research study published in the European Journal of Psychotraumatology provides informative key takeaways that may be applicable to the situation in the Territory. The study establishes that the combination of one or more natural disasters with COVID-19 trauma increases the prevalence and severity of the following conditions:
Likely Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and the severity of anxiety symptoms in residents. (GAD is a mental health condition characterized by excessive worry and fear about everyday issues.)
Likely Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and the severity of depression symptoms in residents. (MDD is a mental health condition that causes a persistently low or depressed mood and a loss of interest in activities that once brought joy.)
Likely Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and the severity of PTSD symptoms in residents. (PTSD is a mental health condition that can develop after witnessing a traumatic event, such as a natural disaster, serious accident or violence. Symptoms include flashbacks, nightmares, severe anxiety and uncontrollable thoughts about the event.)
Low resilience symptoms in residents.
Where we go from here: Considerations for reshaping public policy on community safety
For many community members, including victims of violent crimes and their families, the perception of community safety and the status of public policy on community safety are misaligned. The following trauma-related factors should be considered in Virgin Islands public policy on community safety:
(1)Collective trauma must be considered as a foundational factor in reshaping public policy. The cascade effect of traumatic events over the past eight (8) years, coupled with a community perception of safety strongly influenced by the interpersonal relations that community and family members have with violent crime victims, especially victims of crimes that may go unreported, underreported or unresolved, are important factors that cannot be ignored.
(2)There is a well-established link between trauma and criminal behavior. Therefore, trauma-informed interventions to crime prevention, offender rehabilitation, community involvement and education, to include mental health support and education, are necessary factors in addressing the root causes of criminal behavior. These factors must be considered in reshaping public policy.
(3)Law enforcement workforce training in key aspects of trauma-informed policing should be considered in reshaping public policy. Law enforcement interventions, including data-driven and technology-driven initiatives to reduce incidents of violent crimes and increase the likelihood of apprehending perpetrators, should be complemented by a law enforcement workforce that is well trained in key aspects of trauma-informed policing as a proven approach that improves interactions with violent crime victims, develops community trust and fosters greater confidence in reporting incidents.
(4)Allocating the necessary financial and other resources to support successful cross-agency collaborations across the justice system must be considered as required in reshaping public policy. On-going cross-agency collaborations across the Virgin Islands justice system should incorporate trauma as planning and implementation principles and align necessary resources, accordingly.
The negative impact of trauma, whether direct, vicarious, secondary, collective or otherwise, on violent crimes in the Territory is real. It extends across the justice system and influences perpetrators, victims, service providers, law enforcement personnel and others who interact with, work in or are involved with the justice system. It also plays an unspoken, oftentimes invisible, role in shaping the community’s perception of safety and its trust and confidence in the
