The problem of sexual misconduct by officers warrants the full attention of law enforcement leadership. It represents a grave abuse of authority and a violation of the civil rights of those victimized.* Law enforcement agencies and executives have a duty to prevent sexual victimization, to ensure it is not perpetrated by their officers, and to take every step possible to ensure the safety and dignity of everyone in the community.

This publication examines adolescent sexual assault survivors’ help-seeking experiences with the legal and medical systems in two Midwestern communities that have different models of Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) / Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) interventions.

Health care providers frequently examine individuals who are victims of domestic violence and non-fatal strangulation. This protocol will be beneficial in assisting doctors, nurses, and other health care providers, as well as attorneys and law enforcement, in the standardization of assessment and documentation in cases involving domestic violence and non-fatal strangulation in their communities.

This training bulletin series begins with a historical perspective and explores the role of victim advocates within the context of the criminal justice system. It then describes why some professionals are reluctant to integrate victim advocacy in their work and identifies strategies for overcoming that reluctance. The series concludes with an example of how advocates might address one particular challenge: When the law enforcement investigator feels like the facts “don’t add up.”

Nonprofit organization focused on developing, evaluating, and refining prosecution practices related to gender-based violence and human trafficking.

This document outlines five ways that law enforcement agencies can prepare to provide accommodations in their interactions with the public, including victims with disabilities.

This 7-minute video is a brief introduction to a series of videos that address key topics to assist sexual assault response teams as they develop or enhance their collaborative responses to sexual assault where alcohol was a factor. This video brings awareness to the issue, highlights many key points, and addresses some common myths around this topic.

Staffing allocation for law enforcement has traditionally focused on the uniformed patrol division. However, little focus is put on determining the number of investigative staff needed. The focus of this study is to identify the needs of the investigative units by showing supportive data for recommending standards for increases within the various investigative units in Charlotte County, Florida.

EVAWI offers a Protocol Development Guide to supplement the Online Training Institute (OLTI) module, Opening Doors: Alternative Reporting Options for Sexual Assault Victims. While the module explains key terms and concepts pertaining to alternative reporting options, protocol development requires translating these terms and concepts into actual policies and practices. This document is designed to assist in this process, offering concrete guidance and sample text to adapt for use in local jurisdictions.

Household economic study data for Americans with disabilities, including metrics on disability prevalence and specific measures, economic characteristics, and children with disabilities.

A global movement campaigning for a world where human rights are enjoyed by all.

The purpose of this document is to provide the emergency nurse with an overview of strangulation injuries and clinically relevant information to enhance assessment, treatment, and support of a patient who has been strangled. Physiologic factors, risky behaviors associated with strangulation, strangulation as a component of Intimate partner violence, and nursing implications are reviewed.

The purpose of this brief is to describe the data, sampling methods, and limitations of the Sexual Assault Kit (SAK) Pilot Research Project. For more information about the SAK Task Force and its process, see (1) The Cuyahoga County Sexual Assault Kit Task Force: Describing the Process of Testing, Investigating, and Prosecuting Unsubmitted SAKs and (2) The Cuyahoga County Sexual Assault Kits (SAK) Pilot Research Project: Data and Methodology.

In May 2010, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) notified the City of New Orleans that it was initiating an investigation of an alleged pattern or practice of excessive force, unconstitutional searches and seizures, and discriminatory policing by the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD). Among the issues that arose from this investigation were that hundreds of sexual assault kits (SAKs) in the NOPD evidence unit had never been tested. In addition, there were hundreds of sexual assault cases in which DNA testing was conducted on the SAKs, but NOPD did not follow up on hits obtained from the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System (CODIS). These problems were exacerbated by the loss of the NOPD Crime Laboratory and its DNA functionality as a result of Hurricane Katrina.

Animal cruelty is a violent crime committed against vulnerable members of our communities. It is also linked with other crimes against property and humans, signaling that animal cruelty constitutes a threat to public health and safety, broadly speaking.

This annual report on sexual harassment and violence in the Military provides data on reported cases of sexual harassment and assault between June 1, 2017 and May 31, 2018. The report finds an overall increase in the prevalence of unwanted sexual contact and sexual harassment for both men and women at Military Service Academies, compared to 2016. Reporting rates of sexual assault also remain the same.

Healthcare professionals in the field of forensic healthcare frequently examine individuals who are affected by violence and abuse. The use of this guidelines will help promote the continuing development of the highly specialized skills necessary for effective evaluation, evidence collection, and forensic documentation of a person who has been sexually assaulted. This photo documentation guidelines will be beneficial in assisting physicians, physician assistants, first responders, nurses, forensic nurses, advance practice nurses, and emergency department health care providers, in assessment and documentation as part of a thorough medical forensic examination.

In response to the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault, ARC3 (Administrator Researcher Campus Climate Collaborative) developed a free campus climate survey for the higher education community.

This resource includes stories from the field, tools, templates, and evaluation basics to get your team started in assessing its impact on sexual assault response in your community. It is designed to be an accessible, hands-on set of tools that its audience can pick up and use. It was created with multidisciplinary team leadership and members in mind. It does not include every step and detail of each evaluation method and story. Rather it is intended to spark a team leader’s attention and interest in thinking about ways some of the examples provided can be picked up by teams and modified, to shape an evaluation process that fits that team’s specific needs.

This video covers four steps that law enforcement professionals can take when interacting with people who have disabilities and might require accommodations.

People who have been sexually victimized are more likely to suffer from chronic physical and mental health problems than those who have not been victimized, and believe that their health is fair or poor. In addition, female survivors of sexual violence visit the doctor more often than women who have not been victimized. Given the high rates of sexual violence and potential health impacts, it is likely that most health care providers will come into contact with victims of sexual violence. A variety of tools and guidelines have been created to address the need for screening patients for histories of sexual violence. This guide aims to build on those tools and encourage health care providers to conduct full assessments with patients to encourage interventions that provide adequate treatments and recommendations for survivors of sexual violence.

A team of researchers studied the Danger Assessment and found that despite certain limitations, the tool can with some reliability identify women who may be at risk of being killed by an intimate partner.

This guide provides information about the prevalence of sexual violence throughout various forms of human trafficking. The content of this guide is intended to support community-based advocates working in their outreach and service provision to trafficking victims.

The Association for the Treatment and Prevention of Sexual Abuse is an international, multi-disciplinary organization dedicated to making society safer by preventing sexual abuse. ATSA promotes sound research, effective evidence-based practice, informed public policy, and collaborative community strategies that lead to the effective assessment, treatment, and management of individuals who have sexually abused or are at risk to abuse.

These standards were developed to implement a set of protocols that prioritize the needs and concerns of sexual assault victims to ensure services are delivered in a timely and non-judgmental manner. They serve as a foundation for establishing county policies and procedures that give precedence to the well-being of the victim while also being mindful of the specific needs of the county’s population and its local resources.

Offers training, technical assistance, and consultation on the most promising practices of the criminal and civil justice systems in addressing domestic violence.

This training bulletin is designed to help law enforcement agencies make improvements in their interviewing practices with victims of sexual assault as well as victims and witnesses of other types of violence. Many of the same principles also apply to a wide variety of investigative interviews, such as those conducted by prosecutors, civil attorneys, campus Title IX investigators, and others.

The goal of this document is to provide a resource for trauma center health professionals to identify, evaluate, manage, document, and report patients who are victims of abuse. It also provides tools for collecting data, injury coding, and quality indicators to monitor, compare, and improve care.

This guidance is intended as an accompanying resource to the larger CCR/SART Development Toolkit. It serves as a guide for teams to use as they review best practices during Step Five in the protocol development process. The larger toolkit primarily emphasizes the roles of core responders and service providers coordinating efforts within the criminal justice system. Much of the information found here is expanded on in greater detail throughout the CCR/SART Development Toolkit.

Many studies have shown that having law enforcement serve as the “front door” for victim services has a chilling effect on LGBTQ victims, who often refuse to have voluntary contact with police. This webinar highlights some of the most effective and replicable law enforcement practices being implemented across the country to improve law enforcement/LGBTQ community relations.