Employment:Lost wages is one of the most common direct costs of crime
Lost wages is one of the most common direct costs of crime. Victims, especially of violent crime, often have to take time off from work to recover from injuries, which results in a loss of income. Even victims of property crime have to take time off of work in order to report the crime, follow-up with insurance companies, prosecutors, etc., in an effort to recover or replace property. Depending on the type and severity of the crime, as well as the individual’s ability to recover from their victimization, holding a job can also be problematic. Those who suffer serious, permanent physical trauma may need to change careers in order to adapt to the limitations from their injuries. Missing work and the effect of losing wages can also impact families who need to take time off to care for victims, or to modify living spaces to accommodate victims who were disabled. Psychological trauma can also affect someone’s ability to work or hold a job. The level of this effect is rarely tracked, and only a limited amount is covered by compensation plans, limiting our ability to know just how much this costs both families and society. This lack of information about the effects of psychological trauma represents a significant gap in our knowledge about the repercussions of crime. Lost wages also occurs when victims, or the family of victims of the crime, take time away from work to attend court cases, parole hearings, etc. In addition to direct wages, being a victim of crime in early adulthood is also linked to decreased educational attainment, which may also impact lifetime earning potential for individuals (Dinisman & Moroz, 2017).
Lost wages is one of the costs of crime that can be compensated because it is something that can be tracked; many victim compensation programs have a provision for lost wages. Even with these compensations, long- term financial effects of crimes are often not compensated, especially if the recovery time from the victimization takes years. In addition, many compensation programs have caps on the amount of compensation one can get, regardless of the actual financial impact. Consequently, victims and their families might never recover the actual amount of lost earnings.
Serious physical injuries as a result of victimization can have life-altering effects on the victim, their families, and caregivers. Image: Women pushing a wheelchair. Authored by: George Hodan. Source: http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=44456&picture=wheelchair. License: CC-0