WTC Records Folder 0128 Disaster Information General label, 2001

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

Responding to Terrorism Victims - Oklahoma City and Beyond Page 1 of 4

Chapter V Long-term Victim Needs A Summary of Victims' Long-term Needs

The years following the Oklahoma City bombing have revealed the often ravaging emotional effects of exposure to traumatized victims and the importance of providing ongoing intervention and emotional support to disaster victims, including secondary and tertiary victims.The following victim needs have been recognized during this phase of the bombing recovery:

■ Long-term mental health services for posttraumatic responses to the criminal event. *

■ Education of managers and employees to understand posttraumatic stress disorder and to support victims who are returning to the workplace.

■ Recognition of restitution for victims.

■ Participation in decisionmaking processes when possible.

■ Ongoing information about posttrial events.

*Long-term posttraumatic responses can be triggered by anniversaries, memorial events, reminders of slain colleagues in the workplace, birthdays, or birth of a second child.

Ongoing Mental Health Support

or many individuals associated with the events of April 19, 1995, the bombing was a life-altering event (Kight, 1998). Long after the last piece of rubble was hauled away, the disaster continues to propel many primary, secondary, and tertiary victims'? into grief, bouts of severe depression, substance abuse, rage, domestic violence, and stress-related physical disorders. Nightmares, loss of short- term memory, hallucinations, and a recurrent sense of "going insane" are among the symptoms reported by individuals whose lives were relatively untroubled and productive before the bombing.

An often overlooked population affected by the Oklahoma City bombing includes those who responded to the crime and offered some measure of assistance with the rescue-and-recovery efforts. Along with working under very difficult and dangerous conditions, some rescue workers were injured and many handled bodies or body parts. As a direct result of their experiences in Oklahoma City, experts

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/publications/infores/respterrorisni/chap5.html 9/29/01

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