A Crime Victim Advocacy Program is a program to assist victims of crime through the criminal justice system. Such a program assists victim of a "General Crime", that is, as any crime committed that is not domestic or sexual in nature. Common examples of general crime are murder, robbery, identity theft, burglary, vandalism, hate crimes, assault, and threats.
Typically, victims of general crimes are an underserved group. Most victim advocacy programs focus on either DV (domestic violence) or SA (sexual assault). Many crime victims are unfamiliar with the Criminal justice system, due to recent immigration, language barriers, or ignorance.
A typical crime victim advocacy program is located in SW Washington state serving the counties of Clark, Wahkiakum, and Cowlitz. It was started in January 2006 for the express purpose of helping victims of general crime. Chris Knox runs the CVAP program in Clark County, from his office based in Vancouver, Washington.