There are a couple of
definitions that may be helpful, or possibly not.
A victim advocate is an individual who interacts closely with
victims of crime and support them in a number of ways. Victim advocates
offer a wide range of services, from legal assistance to emotional
help.
A victim advocate generally has an educational background in
criminal justice, social services, or a similar field, in addition to
experience in working with individuals going through traumatic
circumstances. Victim advocates are usually available through local law
enforcement stations or other state or regional government attorney
offices, or social service agencies. The following is an example of a
federal statute defining the term:
According to 42 USCS § 13925, the term "victim advocate" means a
person, whether paid or serving as a volunteer, who provides services to
victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, or dating
violence under the auspices or supervision of a victim services program.
The victim - The Mandatory Victim's Restitution Act of 1996 defines a victim as a person directly and proximately harmed as a result
of the commission of an offense for which restitution may be ordered
including, in the case of an offense that involves as an element a
scheme, conspiracy, or pattern of criminal activity, any person directly
harmed by the defendant's criminal conduct in the course of the scheme,
conspiracy, or pattern. United States v. Metal Lathers Local 46
Pension Fund (In re Local #46 Metallic Lathers Union), 568 F.3d 81 (2d
Cir. 2009)
I believe it may be easier to relate to the definition of 'victim' from the
Merriam-Webster Dictionary.
Definition of VICTIM
1: a living being sacrificed to a deity or in the performance of a religious rite
2
: one that is acted on and usually adversely affected by a force or agent <the schools are victims of the social system>: as
a (1) : one that is injured, destroyed, or sacrificed under any of various conditions <a victim of cancer> <a victim of the auto crash> <a murder victim> (2) : one that is subjected to oppression, hardship, or mistreatment <a frequent victim of political attacks>
b : one that is tricked or duped <a con man's victim>
Thinking about these definitions and how they relate to you, the victim, is a start to dealing with your situation.
