There is a general lack of knowledge about and understanding of the experiences of sexual offence victims in relation to their victim impact statements in the sentencing process. This book fills this gap and offers a model to achieve clarity and consistency in promoting the purpose and use of victim impact statements.

Rhiannon Davies is a public servant in Australian government. She has previously worked in legal practice and in the law faculties at Flinders University in South Australia and the University of Tasmania.

Lorana Bartels is the Criminology Program Leader in the Centre for Social Research and Methods at the Australian National University. She is an Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Canberra and University of Tasmania and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law.

1.Introduction 2.Victim Participation in Sentencing 3.Victim Impact Statements - Australian Law and Policy 4.Judicial Use of Impact Statements in Sentencing 5.Balancing the Expressive and Instrumental Purposes of Victim Impact Statements 6.Victim Experiences of Impact Statements and Sentencing: Challenges in Communicating with Victims 7.Conclusion