A retired health educator, Laura Abbott said she had the privilege of teaching nearly 10,000 young people how to care for their mental, physical and social well-being. Now as a leading voice in victims’ rights advocacy, Abbott is committed to a different kind of education, having turned her own story of survivorship into a platform from which to urge policy change, consolidate resources and bolster support infrastructure for victims of crime and their loved ones.
“My personal journey reinforced what I had always believed as an educator — that knowledge, support and compassionate communities can change lives,” Abbott said. “Crime can profoundly affect a person’s mental, physical and social well-being, and victims’ rights, resources and trauma-informed support help individuals rebuild safety, stability and hope. I believe education empowers people, collaboration strengthens communities and victims’ rights help rebuild lives.”
To date, Victims’ Rights Arkansas has created or been a part of more than 10 pieces of victims’ rights legislation. The group’s statewide educational efforts have also helped increase public understanding of victims’ rights and resources, in addition to how Arkansas’ protections compare with those of its neighbors. Statewide initiatives, meanwhile, have equipped professionals and communities with practical knowledge regarding enforceable victims’ rights and successful practices implemented in other states plus a number of other topics, such as resilience, healthy relationships, trauma and suicide prevention.
Abbott’s work with numerous state stakeholders also resulted in the creation of Laura’s Card in 2015. An Arkansas victims’ rights card, Laura’s Card informs domestic violence survivors of their rights and available resources. More than 200,000 cards have been distributed thanks to the dedication of law enforcement, prosecutors, victim advocates, healthcare professionals, community organizations and survivors who have shared them with others, Abbott said.
“Watching Team Arkansas come together to help victims understand their rights, connect with trusted resources and find support has been one of the greatest privileges of my career,” she said. “The most meaningful moments are hearing someone say, ‘I was given a Laura’s Card, and it changed my life.’”
Leadership in victim services requires a unique combination of strength and sensitivity. One must be collaborative, victim centered and trauma informed — able to bring together law enforcement, prosecutors, advocates, policymakers, educators, chaplains, mental health and substance use professionals, healthcare providers, and community organizations — all with a vision to improve outcomes for victims and enhance public safety. At the foundation of her own philosophy is a commitment to servant leadership.
“People thrive when they understand the mission, know they are valued and have a voice in a shared purpose,” she said. “Strong organizations are built through trust, collaboration and shared ownership. In victim advocacy, leadership means leading with compassion while remaining steady during crisis; recognizing how trauma influences behavior, memory and trust; and bringing multidisciplinary partners together to improve outcomes. I believe healthy leaders model healthy boundaries because sustaining this work requires caring deeply for others without losing yourself. My faith continually inspires my leadership.”
While great strides have been made, there is still much work to be done for victims in Arkansas. A trend Abbott is following closely on the national level is known as Marsy’s Law. First passed in California in 2008, Marsy’s Law is the strongest and most comprehensive constitutional victims’ rights law in the country, and similar laws have been enshrined in other state constitutions. The Marsy’s Law initiative seeks to give crime victims meaningful and enforceable constitutional rights equal to the rights of the accused, according to the group behind the movement.
“The citizens of Arkansas deserve to have enforceable victims’ rights enshrined in the Arkansas Constitution,” Abbott said. “Victims deserve their rights to be protected as vigorously as those of a defendant. There are currently neighboring states in the process of enhancing their state constitutions with the strongest level of enforceability, Marsy’s Law, while Arkansas remains one of a handful of states without enforceable victims’ rights.”
Over the course of her work, Abbott has also seen steady improvement in the quality and capabilities of victim advocacy as the movement has grown. That essential work of connecting the right people, places and resources helps ensure victims remain at the center of their own healing journeys, in addition to keeping victims’ voices heard in decisions affecting public safety and recovery. Abbott believes in the power of systems to work together for victims, and her work as a leader makes her a key figure in fulfilling that vision.
“Every stage of my journey reinforced one lesson: Meaningful leadership is measured not by individual achievement but by building systems that continue serving people long into the future,” she said.
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Victims’ Rights Arkansas
The story of Victims’ Rights Arkansas begins in 2012, when founder Laura Abbott’s near-fatal encounter with domestic violence gave her a firsthand look inside the legal system from a victim’s perspective. Seeing the empowering value of victims’ rights when properly provided and implemented, Abbott set to work on improving victims’ rights advocacy in Arkansas. Victims’ Rights Arkansas has since become a leading voice for victims of crime throughout the Natural State. The grassroots group works with survivors, policymakers, law enforcement, service providers and community partners to educate Arkansans about their rights and available resources at the local, state and national levels. Like Abbott, many of the dedicated volunteers and team members behind Victims’ Rights Arkansas are survivors themselves who have experienced the journey through the court system.
