Research tells us that sexual violence is a common component of intimate partner violence, but victims are often far less likely to disclose acts of sexual violence than physical violence, in their contacts with law enforcement. Investigators should therefore make it a standard practice to assess whether sexual violence is also occurring in cases of intimate partner violence.
This webinar will explain how law enforcement can evolve from not properly addressing intimate partner sexual violence (IPSV) in domestic violence situations to a practical, well trained response. Participants will be provided with materials that can be used to sensitively assess for sexual violence and build an evidence based case through investigation and prosecution. Materials will also be provided to help develop policies, protocols, and training, as well as reducing gender bias in policing.
With an enhanced understanding of how multidisciplinary teams are formed and used, law enforcement professionals will be better able to provide exemplary responses to victims and vulnerable communities. Sergeant Davis will explain new practices and protocols for these cases and discuss how the Vancouver, Washington Police Department reformed and changed its responses.
Objectives
As a result of this session, participants will be better able to:
- Identify the most common challenges in confronting intimate partner sexual violence (IPSV) and domestic violence cases.
- Understand what systems can be implemented, changed or enhanced to improve victim safety, pursue an evidence based case, and hold offenders accountable.
- Demonstrate practical strategies with case examples for assessment of and response to challenging IPSV and domestic violence cases.
- Explore how to use policies, practices, and training for multi-disciplinary teams to implement change in the law enforcement response to IPSV and domestic violence cases.
With a paid registration or subscription, you are free to personally listen to this webinar, as many times as you wish. You may also excerpt or cite the material following accepted conventions. However, you may not allow other individuals to listen to this webinar without their own registration or subscription.
This project is supported by Grant No. 2016-TA-AX-K010 awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication/program are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women.