Leadership at the Institute
The Tokiwa International Victimology Institute has a flexible and responsive structure that enables its members to meet its intellectual and implementation objectives efficiently and effectively. To this end, the TIVI has a flexible governance structure that invites the broad participation of all members of the Institute, the Graduate School of Victimology at Tokiwa University, and the wider Tokiwa University community. The management team is concerned with the operational aspects of the TIVI including finance and administration, communications, funding, and the organization of the research program of the Institute. The executive committee, convened by the director, advances integration and ensures the quality of both research and training activities taking place under the Institute's auspices.
Message from the Director:
It has been my honor since 2003 to serve as the director of this first full-service international victimological research institute. In the creation of the institute logo, I reflected on the essence of victimological research in the motto: “Search for Victim Truth,” to use our institute resources to achieve the “wisdom” needed to prevent victimization, to reduce victim suffering and to facilitate their recovery.
Since opening the Institute in 2003, we have worked hard to realize this dream. We have successfully established a new international victimological journal: International Perspectives in Victimology, a biannual peer reviewed journal; we have taken over the responsibility of continuing the tradition of hosting the World Society of Victimology’s annual regional course, the Asian Postgraduate Course on Victimology and Victim Assistance; we have hosted four major symposia inviting foreign guests to join with local scholars covering the topics, “How Can Justice for Victims in Japan be Improved?” “Voices of Crime Victims Change Our Society/Child Abuse: International Perspectives on Causes and Responses,” “Disaster Victimization: Understanding and Responding to the Impact and Needs of Disaster Victims,” and “Raising the Global Standards for Victims: The Proposed Convention on Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power”; we have conducted three special lectures by world renowned scholars covering the topics, “What is Victimology?” delivered by Professor Gerd F. Kirchhoff, “Working with Victims of Domestic Violence,” delivered by Professor Harvey Wallace, and “Victims of Serial Killers and Mass Murderers,” delivered by Professor Eric Hickey; we have engaged in eight research projects dealing with the comparative contemporary issues of “Victim Needs, Victim Services and Advocate Training Assessments,” “Hidden Sexual Victimization,” “Discovering the Causes of Victim Recovery,” “Victimization of Homeless People,” “Perceptions of Vulnerability and Treatment vis-à-vis the Criminal Justice System,” “Victim Participation in the Juvenile Justice System,” and “Methods for Facilitating the Functions of Crime Victim Self-help Groups”; and finally, we have received a JICA grant from the Japanese government titled, “The Development of a Comprehensive Assistance System for Victims,” teaching government officials in developing countries about victimology and victim services. In August of 2009, with the staff of Tokiwa University and in cooperation with the World Society of Victimology, we hosted the 13th International Symposium on Victimology. Recently, we also hosted a delegation of government officials from Colombia to teach them to develop a comprehensive assistance system for victims. We have been very busy. Additionally, TIVI serves to support Tokiwa University students and professors in their study and research at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate levels. We also serve as a resource to the community of scholars and to the public.
I invite all persons interested in the science of victims to come and utilize our facilities and services, and to join our existing programs for the future benefit of all victims the world over.
April, 2010
John P. J. Dussich, Ph. D.
Director
