Not only do victims suffer the traumatic impacts of violence and crime, but also often have to face the frightening and complicated criminal and juvenile justice systems.

With greater information and support, CVVC has learned victims can be empowered to better cope with the challenges that lay ahead.




Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

When a crime occurs, victims enter into either the criminal or juvenile justice process, depending on the age of the offender. If an offender is an adult, the case will be tried in criminal court. If the offender is a juvenile, under the age of 18, the case will be heard in juvenile court. However, sometimes a juvenile offender, although under age 18, will be tried as an adult due to the serious nature of the crime and other factors.

The criminal and juvenile justice processes have confusing rules, procedures, and language and can be difficult for victims. Testifying in court can be both a positive and negative experience. For some victims, testifying causes them to re-live what happened and feel the associated emotions again. For others, testifying contributes to their healing process by allowing them to talk about the event, lessening their feelings of helplessness and empowering them to take back control.

The criminal and juvenile justice systems are made up of many people including police, courts and corrections agencies. Each works on a different stage of the case from the investigation of the crime and arrest of an offender, to the prosecution of the case and possible sentencing or disposition of the offender. The juvenile justice system for juvenile offenders is completely unlike the criminal justice system for adult offenders. Each case involves different circumstances, and therefore can have different results. Sometimes an arrest is never made, while in other cases the offender is convicted, and still other cases the offender may be found not guilty. There are many possible outcomes and it's usually hard to predict what will happen.

The following charts outline the steps in each process. Please review the chart with your CVVC Counselor Advocate and refer to the glossary of terms when you hear a word you don't understand. And remember, though you may have concerns, fears and many questions, CVVC's Counselor Advocates can help you cope with the whole experience.

  • View the Criminal Court Flow Chart

  • View the Juvenile Court Flow Chart