News

Helping Aged Victims of Crime (HAVoC study)

Are you aged 65 or over?
 

Have you been directly affected by crime in the last three months?
 

The Department of Mental Health Sciences at the Royal Free Hospital urgently need to hear about older people's experiences of crime. Can you Help?

Please contact Anna Ridgewell or Anwen Wright on 020 7794 050 ext. 35315 (leave a message and they will call you back) or email at a.ridgewell@medsch.ucl.ac.uk or a.wright@medsch.ucl.ac.uk.

Department of Mental Health Sciences
Royal Free Hospital
Pond Street
Hampstead
London NW3 1YD

Clarifying the impact of crime on older people and developing ways of helping.

The Research Team

The team consists of experts from the UCL School of Medicine, the Jill Dando Institute of Security and Crime Science, the Metropolitan Police, Victim Support, Help the Aged and Age Concern.
Crime can wreak havoc on older people's lives and can affect people in different ways. Many people may initially feel number, stunned or angry. However, for some this may lead to psychological distress. They wish to find out how crime impacts on older people in order to help those who have been affected by it.

The Study

Part One:

The first part of this study is a survey of older people in North London (aged 65 or more) who have been a victim of crime in the last three months. For most people, all the team are asking is for them to complete a brief questionnaire. For most people, no further involvement will be necessary.

Part Two:

The second part of the study will involve speaking to some people face to face. This will be a more in-depth assessment, using prepared questions to see if they can help the team. For those people who are suitable, they would like to hear their views about the incident in more detail - this will involve a second face to face interview. The Research Team would also like some of them to consider receiving a package of care which they think will help.

Taking Part

If you do decide to help them with their study, you are not obliged to complete all the stages and are free to leave at any point, without giving a reason.

To register your interest and to discuss the study further with a member of the team, please contact them by email, phone or in writing, using the details provided above.

Other news items...