As anyone working in this field knows, the unique dynamics of sexual assault all too often prevent victims from reporting the crime or participating fully in the process of investigation and prosecution. Victim advocates can be extremely effective in addressing these problems, by providing victims with the information, emotional support, and proactive assistance they need. Yet it is important to understand how advocacy services were developed in order to better appreciate who victim advocates are, how they do their jobs, and how their role interfaces with the criminal justice system. This module thus begins in Part I with a discussion of the origins of victim advocacy and the general role of victim advocates, before going into more concrete discussion in Part II of the module regarding the specific strategies that advocates use to successfully work on behalf of sexual assault within the criminal justice system. The training is especially focused on clarifying the similarities and differences between community-based victim advocates and system-based victim advocates, terms that are defined in the module.
PLEASE NOTE: This module is a condensed version of Effective Victim Advocacy within the Criminal Justice System. While that module was created specifically for advocates, this module is intended for other professionals who may, in the course of their duties, work with victim advocates. This course will provide you with information that will help you to better understand the roles and responsibilities of the victim advocate. If you have already signed up for or completed the course work for EVAWI 12, you do not need to complete this module as the course material is essentially the same.
Estimated time for completion: 9 hours