ASV has several Valley connections: it's board of directors includes Duane Ruth-Heffelbower, FPU faculty; and John Dussich, Bernadette Muscat and Steve Walker, all faculty in the criminology department at California State University, Fresno.
"Fresno is famous nationally and internationally for the research on the needs of victims being done by its universities. This is an opportunity for people in the Central Valley to hear what national leaders in the field have been learning about victims, victimization and society's response," Ruth-Heffelbower said.
Concern for those who are victimized and who need special attention to recover is the responsibility of all members of the community, according to Dussich. "This event helps us to understand more about victimization and directs our attention to ways that everyone can make a difference," he said.
Speakers
Jeffrey Sedgwick: "The Scope and Extent of Fraud Victimization in the United States: Measurement, Quantification, and Reporting"
Jeffrey Sedgwick is acting assistant attorney general for the U.S. Office of Justice Programs and director of the Bureau of Justice Statistics. He has taught and written on topics including public finance, policy analysis and evaluation, criminal justice policy and executive leadership. He is the author of "Law Enforcement Planning: The Limits of an Economic Approach" and "Deterring Criminals: Policymaking and the American Political Tradition." A member of the University of Massachusetts political science faculty, Sedgwick has directed or participated in international programs in Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Romania, Ukraine, Russia, Belgium, Germany and Trinidad/Tobago. He earned his A.B. from Kenyon College and his M.A.P.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Virginia.
Sarah Buel: "Economic Justice for Battered Women: Avoiding the Tyranny of Crisis"
Sarah Buel has spent 30 years working with battered women, abused children and juveniles. A professor at the University of Texas School of Law, she co-founded several programs at the university, including the Domestic Violence Clinic; the Voices Against Violence program, which developed services for victims of sexual assault, relationship violence and stalking; and the Institute on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, which focuses on research, pedagogy and services. She is faculty supervisor for the student groups Survivor Support Network and the Society Encouraging Excellence Through Diversity. Buel has been special counsel for the Texas District and County Attorneys Association.
Paul C. Friday: "21st Century Victims: The Challenge for Theory and Research"
A professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte Department of Criminal Justice, Friday is known for his international research in delinquency, delinquency prevention, victimology and violence. He received the UNCC International Educator of the Year award. Friday's publications include "Delinquency and Juvenile Justice in the Non-Western World," "Different Responses to Violence in Japan and America" (with Dussich, Yamagami and Okada) and "Victimology At The Transition From The 20th To 21st Century" (with Kirchhoff). At the United Nations, he serves as a non-governmental organization representative to the Crime Commission and International Scientific and Professional Advisory Committee.
"The American Society of Victimology is the only national organization that is dedicated to the scientific study of victims in this country," Dussich said. "It annually brings together scientists and practitioners to present their most recent findings and it provides a forum for discussions about such key topics as prevention of victimizations, reducing suffering and healing those injured."