How To Become a Victim Advocate

Read time 7 minutes

Published On Oct 9, 2024

After surviving a violent crime, victims must relive their trauma repeatedly to answer investigators’ questions and testify in court. They must also deal with the challenges of navigating the criminal justice system and applying for restitution. The journey through these obstacles can be eased by the work of dedicated victim advocates.

If you have a compassionate, empathetic nature, you might be interested in learning how to become a victim advocate in order to make it your life’s work to help others. What does a victim advocate do, exactly? You can explore the education requirements, career pathway and important skills for aspiring victim advocates in this detailed career guide.

In This Article:

What Is a Victim Advocate?
What Does a Victim Advocate Do?
What Degree Do You Need to Be a Victim Advocate?
Best Degrees for Victim Advocates
Victim Advocate Requirements: Important Skills
Where Do Victim Advocates Work?

What Is a Victim Advocate?

A victim advocate is a person who assists victims throughout the criminal justice process, providing information, support and resources, assistance with finding legal representation and creating protective orders, and guiding victims through every stage of a case.

70%

Percentage of crime victims who experience anxiety and stress¹

What Does a Victim Advocate Do?

These social services professionals help victims of crimes obtain and coordinate medical care and ongoing therapy so they can appropriately process what has happened to them and work toward healing. Victim advocates may provide a wide range of other services, as well, which are personalized to meet the individual needs and goals of the survivor. These professionals provide both emotional support and practical assistance.

A victim advocate's specific job responsibilities will vary depending on a particular victim's needs but may include any of the following:^2,3

Liaison
Advocates serve as the main contact person and liaison between crime victims and law enforcement and the court system.

Referrals
Survivors may need a wide range of community services — from support groups to emergency housing to transportation. Advocates connect survivors to those resources.

Safety Plan
Victim advocates often work with victims of domestic violence, some of whom may not have left their abuser yet. Advocates can help victims create a plan to escape and stay safe.

Empowerment
All the work that victim advocates do serves to empower victims by giving them a voice and helping them move toward healing.

Case Management
Victim advocates support survivors by identifying needs and goals, developing plans and connecting them to needed resources.

Legal Help
A survivor may need help securing legal representation and navigating the criminal justice system.

Healthcare
Survivors often need emergency healthcare, as well as ongoing medical needs. Victim advocates help them obtain it.

Emotional Support
Advocates are a vital source of emotional support for survivors. They also help survivors arrange counseling or therapy appointments.

Victim advocates are service-minded professionals who fulfill a vital need within their community. Every day brings new challenges, so it's necessary to be able to adapt to the unique needs and goals of each survivor. At the end of the day, a victim advocate may feel proud to know that their work is helping others to break free from victimization and move forward toward survivorship.

What Degree Do You Need to Be a Victim Advocate?

The victim advocate requirements are highly variable from one jurisdiction to the next. Generally, however, aspiring victim advocates are expected to hold at least a bachelor’s degree and sometimes a certification. There are no universally applicable requirements, but a typical career pathway might look like this:

High School Diploma

Before you can earn a relevant college degree, you’ll need to complete your high school education. Talk to your school counselor about your career plans and ask about any relevant courses you can add to your schedule. For instance, you may want to take introductory courses in psychology, forensic science, sociology or legal studies, if available.

College Degree

Victim advocate requirements often include a bachelor’s degree. There are no universal requirements regarding the specific type of bachelor’s degree. However, most aspiring victim advocates will generally earn a degree in an area such as social work, psychology, forensic psychology, criminal justice or sociology.²

Internships

Completing one or more internship experiences during college can give you an inside look into what goes on in the criminal justice system and in social service organizations. Similarly, consider pursuing a volunteer position with an organization that supports survivors, such as a local advocacy group.²

Entry-Level Roles

Depending on the hiring organization, it may be possible to apply to a victim advocate position without first gaining work experience in an entry-level role.

Otherwise, some work experiences that are similar to the job of a victim advocate include:⁴

Hotline counseling
Community and social services assistance
Crisis intervention

Professional Certifications

Each hiring organization will determine if professional certifications are required for the role. Even if a certification isn’t required, earning one may help you in the job market.⁵Consider looking into certification options from professional groups such as the National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA) and the National Advocate Credentialing Program (NACP).²

As you can see, there is no one universal career pathway for victim advocates. These professionals come to the role from a variety of academic backgrounds and work experiences. One thing they typically have in common, however, is the desire to help other people in their community who are struggling. Now that you know how to become a victim advocate, you may feel ready to begin planning your own journey toward a career you may find meaningful.

Best Degrees for Victim Advocates

Although there are no universal victim advocate requirements, certain degrees may be more relevant to the career than others. For example, you may wish to look for a degree program that teaches topics in social and human services, social welfare, case management procedures and counseling for traumatized individuals.

A Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree program can be particularly useful for aspiring victim advocates.² This is because it will generally encompass the above topics, with an emphasis on client support strategies and social services. Furthermore, earning a BSW can allow you to later pursue a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree if you decide that you’d like to transition to a career focused on social work.

Degree programs that explore social services will vary but typically cover:

Social services delivery
Human behavior
Program management
Advocacy and social justice
Trauma care
Professional ethics

GCU Recommends These Degree Programs for Victim Advocates

Victim advocates generally benefit from soft skills such as empathy, communication, interpersonal skills and organization, as well as technical competencies in counseling and case management.²

If you’re passionate about the idea of becoming a victim advocate in order to empower survivors of crimes, you may wish to consider the following degree programs:

Bachelor’s Programs

Master’s Programs

Other Programs

Victim Advocate Requirements: Important Skills

Victim advocates need to be able to draw upon a diverse range of both hard and soft skills to assist victims. You may begin examining these skills during your college studies and further refine them as you gain work experience.

Some of the essential skills for a victim advocate include:²

Active listening
Counseling
Communication
Empathy
Organization
Case management
Problem-solving
Teamwork
Advocacy
Interpersonal skills

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) does not offer employment data specifically for victim advocates. However, a career in victim advocacy can fall into a general category of social and human services.⁶ According to the BLS, the median annual salary for these types of professionals was $41,410 as of May 2023.⁷

According to the BLS, it is expected that the social services field will experience positive growth in the coming years. From 2022 to 2032, the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook estimates job growth for social and human service assistants to be 9%, faster than average, accounting for an estimated increase of about 35,600 new jobs in the field.⁸

Where Do Victim Advocates Work?

A victim advocate may pursue work in a range of different organizations. As a working professional, their job may take them to various work environments, as travel around the community is often necessary.

Some work environments can include:²

Courthouses
Advocates help victims navigate the criminal justice system, such as by attending bail hearings.

Shelters
Advocates can work in different types of shelters, including domestic violence shelters.

Nonprofit Organizations
Victim advocates may pursue work in various nonprofit organizations.

Police Stations
Local and state law enforcement agencies often hire victim advocates.

Legal Offices
Some legal offices may employ victim advocates to help survivors connect to needed resources.

Healthcare Facilities
Victims of violent crimes are often in need of emergency medical care, and so healthcare facilities may employ advocates.

Social Services Offices
Victim advocates often work in social and human services offices, where they work with a variety of people in need.

As a victim advocate, you might decide that you prefer to continue with your chosen work for the rest of your career. However, there are other related career opportunities to consider, some of which may require additional education and/or credentials.

Are you passionate about empowering victims and eager to serve your community? Prepare for your future at Grand Canyon University. Apply today for enrollment in a degree related to victim advocacy, such as the Bachelor of Social Work degree program.

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¹Alliance for Safety and Justice. (2022). Crime Survivors Speak: National Survey of Victims’ Views on Safety and Justice. Alliance for Safety and Justice. Retrieved July 16, 2024.

² Indeed Editorial Team. (2024, April 18). How to Become a Victims Advocate (With Career Path Info). Indeed. Retrieved July 16, 2024.

³ Municipal Association of South Carolina. (n.d.). Day in The Life of a Victim Advocate. Municipal Association of South Carolina. Retrieved July 16, 2024.

⁴ New York State Police. (2022, April 12). Crime Victims Advocate Application. NYS Police. Retrieved July 16, 2024.

⁵ Undercover Recruiter. (n.d.). Does Certification Help You Get a Better Job? Retrieved on Sept. 30, 2024.

⁶Victim Support Services. (n.d.). What is a Victim Advocate? Retrieved on Sept. 30, 2024.

⁷ The earnings referenced were reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Social and Human Service Assistants as of May 2023, retrieved on July 16, 2024. Due to COVID-19, data from 2020 to 2022 may be atypical compared to prior years. BLS calculates the median using salaries of workers nationwide with varying levels of education and experience. It does not reflect the earnings of GCU graduates as Social and Human Service Assistants, nor does it reflect the earnings of workers in one city or region of the country or a typical entry-level salary. Median income is the statistical midpoint for the range of salaries in a specific occupation. It represents what you would earn if you were paid more money than half the workers in an occupation, and less than half the workers in an occupation. It may give you a basis to estimate what you might earn at some point if you enter this career. Grand Canyon University can make no guarantees on individual graduates’ salaries. Your employability will be determined by numerous factors over which GCU has no control, such as the employer the graduate chooses to apply to, the graduate’s experience level, individual characteristics, skills, etc. against a pool of candidates.

⁸ COVID-19 has adversely affected the global economy and data from 2020 to 2022 may be atypical compared to prior years. Accordingly, data shown is effective September 2023, which can be found here: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Social and Human Service Assistants, retrieved on July 22, 2024.

Approved and verified accurate by the assistant dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences on Aug. 29, 2024.

What Is a Victim Advocate?

What Does a Victim Advocate Do?