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.
Estimated time for completion: 9 hours
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