Picking up the pieces after the resolution of a domestic
violence case is never easy. Regardless, the next step to take is to move on
and carry out the terms of sentencing. As part of your sentence, the judge may
order you to attend a victim’s impact panel. This program may be part of
larger, court-approved
domestic violence classes. Online and in-person, these interventions are
hosted to show perpetrators of abuse how their decisions and actions can
negatively affect others.
Victim’s impact panels are meant to teach others. They
allow victims of domestic violence, drunk driving, and other crimes to share
their stories and tell others how inappropriate and criminal behavior has
affected their lives. Given the scope and content of these panels, they give a
voice to the hurt and may highlight avenues to healing.
While it is never easy for victims to share their
experiences, these panels are nonetheless helpful and insightful tools. Another
aim of the victim’s impact panel is to show abusers that their actions,
behaviors, and decisions affect more than themselves. By teaching the value of
self-awareness and restraint, participants of the victim’s impact panel can
learn valuable lessons as they reintegrate into society.
If you have been mandated to attend a victim’s impact
panel, the courts can direct you to upcoming gatherings and where you may
attend them. Some states allow these panels to be hosted online. Both in-person
and online panels may include a testing portion and a certificate that the
attendees will use to prove their compliance. Court-approved domestic
violence classes online can supplement the content of a victim’s impact
panel.