DRU Library Menu

Over the last several years, the Sexual Violence Justice Institute at the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault has worked to learn best practices and find better ways to complete case file reviews as an evaluation strategy for Sexual Assault Response Teams (SARTs). Case file review is one way for multi-disciplinary teams to learn about their actual response to victims versus what they… (read more)

The NCVBA is an affiliate and program of the National Center for Victims of Crime (NCVC). It was founded in April 1999, creating the nation's first professional association of attorneys and expert witnesses dedicated to helping victims seek justice through the civil system. They provide technical support to attorneys representing crime victims in civil actions, refer crime victims to lawyers in… (read more)

The SRC provides multiple services including training, technical assistance, a website, and an information clearinghouse. The mission of the SRC is to enhance the ability of professionals, organizations, and systems to effectively respond to stalking. The SRC envisions a future in which the criminal justice system and its many allied community partners will have the best tools to effectively… (read more)

In Houston, victim notification involves reestablishing contact with victims whose cases are re-opened for investigation as a result of a match in the law enforcement database Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), from victims' recently tested sexual assault kits (SAKs). HPD and working group members designed the Complainant Notification and Hotline Protocols to outline victim notification… (read more)

SAPRO is the organization responsible for the oversight of Department of Defense (DOD) sexual assault policy. The Department has implemented a comprehensive policy to ensure the safety, dignity and well being of all members of the Armed Forces. This website provides access to the SAPR Strategic Plan, guidance, speeches & briefings and other information for victims of sexual assault, the… (read more)

This resource directory is designed to help community advocates working in the fields of crime victim assistance, disability services, law enforcement, and allied professions improve their response to victims with disabilities. Subject listings in the side bar provide quick access to specific sections of the directory. Subject listings include, but are not limited to: new resources, accessibility… (read more)

Established in 1972, the NCJRS is a federally funded resource offering justice and drug-related information to support research, policy, and program development worldwide.

A goal of the Houston Sexual Assault Kit (SAK) Action Research Project was to collaborate across disciplines to create an innovative, sensitive, and trauma-informed model of victim notification. Thus, members of an interprofessional working group developed and implemented the Complainant Notification and Information Line Protocols (herein after referred to as Protocols). The Protocols outline the… (read more)

This report describes research on victim and professional perspectives on the delivery of victim notification procedures, implementation of new victim notification processes, victim engagement within the criminal justice system, and recommendations for improvements.

The DOD Safe Helpline is a crisis support service for members of the DOD community affected by sexual violence. Safe Helpline provides live, one-on-one support and information to the worldwide DOD community. The service is confidential, anonymous, secure, and available worldwide, 24/7 by click, call or text providing victims with the help they need anytime, anywhere.

Coordinated Community Response (CCR) teams need to protect victim privacy as they engage community service professionals in the work of advocating for survivors and ending sexual and domestic violence. This toolkit offers model policies and highlights key state and federal laws regarding victim privacy for organizations that receive funding through the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) and… (read more)

The Bias Crime Assessment Tool (BCAT) can be used whether or not victimization seems to be a result of a hate incident or a hate crime. Hate crimes are any criminal offenses motivated by bias, hostility, or prejudice against a protected class. Hate incidents do not involve criminal behavior. To determine whether a full assessment is appropriate, the BCAT begins with brief screening questions. If… (read more)

This resource guide supports the efforts of students, faculty, administrators, and communities around the country to prevent sexual violence and improve the response to it at colleges and universities. This resource guide compiles guidance, tools, model policies and procedures, training and technical assistance, funding opportunities, and public messaging materials that the Obama Administration… (read more)

The White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault has provided this sample memorandum of understanding (MOU), referenced in the Not Alone report, to help colleges and universities to strengthen sexual assault prevention and response programs by developing partnerships with local rape crisis centers. Schools can adapt this MOU depending on their specific needs and the capacity of… (read more)

This report opens with a brief summary of how VAWA has helped to change America. It also discusses the many ways in which VAWA has increased accountability and access to services, and has reached underserved communities. The appendix provides details from over 100 programs throughout the country that VAWA has helped to inspire and support.

This report opens with a brief summary of how VAWA has helped to change America. It also discusses the many ways in which VAWA has increased accountability and access to services, and has reached underserved communities. The appendix provides details from over 100 programs throughout the country that VAWA has helped to inspire and support.

This webpage provides a map and list of local sexual and gender violence resources by state.

Sexual assault kits (SAKs) are collected as evidence in sexual assault investigations and may contain DNA evidence that can assist in the investigation of sexual assault cases. Many jurisdictions have implemented alternative reporting and non-reporting options that allow victims to obtain a medical forensic exam while delaying or foregoing a report to law enforcement, and offer them the… (read more)

This toolkit is not a protocol, but rather a collection of resources that service providers may use to formalize, expand on, or evaluate their interagency responses. Communities considering a SART response and communities that already have a coordinated response but want to improve or expand it may use the toolkit to help customize their outreach to victims; provide culturally specific services;… (read more)

This guide provides an enhanced understanding of transgender-related issues, professionals and providers who serve victims of sexual assault can be sources of support and care for all victims, including individuals in this high-risk population.

OVC TTAC provides access to training and technical assistance for victim service providers and allied professionals who serve crime victims. OVC TTAC aims to build the capacity of victim assistance organizations across the country. OVC TTAC draws on the expertise of a network of consultants and seasoned victim service professionals with first-hand experience in designing and delivering customized… (read more)

The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) in coordination with the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Office for Victim Assistance and the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Justice for Victims of Overseas Terrorism developed this toolkit to help communities prepare for and respond to victims of mass violence and terrorism in the most timely, effective, and compassionate manner possible. Lessons… (read more)

This publication consists of a consolidated DVD and discussion guide produced by OVC to provide broader accessibility to three popular videos and companion guides that were originally released as part of the 2005 National Victim Assistance Academy curriculum. Now with updated resources and a contemporary format, the DVD and guide remain valuable training tools for a broad range of service… (read more)

In 2013, the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office for Victims of Crime, awarded a grant to Northeastern University's Institute on Urban Health Research and Practice to work with stakeholders in the field to develop the Vicarious Trauma Toolkit (VTT). The VTT was developed on the premise that exposure to the traumatic experiences of other people known as vicarious trauma… (read more)

The purpose of the SANE Program Development and Operation Guide is to provide a blueprint for nurses and communities that would like to start a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) program. For communities with existing SANE programs, this guide serves as a resource to help expand or enhance services provided to the community. This guide is designed to both complement and integrate resources that… (read more)

This message board, hosted by the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), is meant to help exchange lessons learned and practices (HELP) in victim services. Victim service providers and allied professionals can share ideas, suggestions, and recommendations concerning promising practices, best practices, and victim issues. Participants can reply to ongoing discussions, start new discussions, suggest… (read more)

This e-publication provides guidelines and suggestions to help victim service practitioners and program administrators improve the quality and consistency of their response to crime victims. The e-publication provides access to program standards, competency standards, and ethical standards; information on how to use the standards to improve crime victim/survivor services; and terms, definitions,… (read more)

When using technology, both victim advocates and survivors need to consider safety, privacy, and security. This resource provides guidance for programs that provide services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and trafficking on best practices to help maintain the safety and security of crime victims and their personal information. The toolkit was produced by the National… (read more)

The Lethality Screen is a field tool adapted from Dr. Jacquelyn Campbell’s Danger Assessment, a screening instrument used by counselors and clinicians to assess a victim’s risk of homicide or severe re-assault. The Lethality Screen is a tool used as part of the Lethality Assessment Program (LAP). The LAP is initiated when a trained officer arrives at the scene of a domestic call, or when a… (read more)

The purpose of this document is to develop a working concept of trauma and a trauma-informed approach and to develop a shared understanding of these concepts that would be acceptable and appropriate across an array of service systems and stakeholder groups.

"The report describes a victim-centered response to sexual assault cases that positively impacts sexual assault response, the experiences of victims, and ultimately results in safer communities. An NIJ working group consisting of victims, victim advocates, sexual assault nurse and medical examiners, prosecutors, forensic scientists, and law enforcement officials, created the report in response… (read more)

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) has invested in research on violence against women, and their research touches on a wide variety of public safety concerns, including intimate partner violence, teen dating violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking, as well as criminal justice challenges, including the availability of legal and victim support services, the effectiveness of prevention… (read more)

The DHS Council on Combating Violence Against Women released this comprehensive resource guide that provides summaries and links to programs, initiatives, training materials, and services that can be leveraged by campuses and communities across the country to combat these types of heinous crimes. This resource guide includes an overview of immigration relief and support services for victims,… (read more)

The FBI is committed to ensuring victims receive the rights they are entitled to and the assistance they need to cope with crime. Their resources include an Office for Victim Assistance (OVA) at FBI Headquarters and victim specialists nationwide. The OVA is responsible for ensuring that victims of crimes investigated by the FBI are afforded the opportunity to receive the services and notification… (read more)

The Neurobiology of Sexual Assault: Implications for First Responders in Law Enforcement, Prosecution and Victim Advocacy is part of the National Institute of Justice's translational criminology seminar series and features Dr. Rebecca Campbell of Michigan State University. Dr. Campbell discusses the research on the neurobiology of trauma and the criminal justice system response to sexual assault… (read more)

The Stalking Resource Center (SRC) of the National Center for Victims of Crime partnered with the U.S. Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women in observing National Stalking Awareness Month (NSAM). The NSAM website provides interactive quizzes, videos, fact sheets, guides, posters, artwork for buttons and magnets, event ideas, and media tools to assist with planning NSAM outreach.

This webinar examines the effects of stalking on victims and considerations for working with victims, including victim safety, documentation, and advocacy and support services. Practical issues of threat assessment and safety planning with stalking victims are also discussed. This webinar is free.

The OLTI provides free, state-of-the art training to anyone who is interested, on the topic of criminal justice response to sexual assault. The OLTI offers the opportunity for interested professionals to expand their knowledge of cutting edge developments in the criminal justice and community response to sexual assault, with particular emphasis on those crimes committed by someone who is known to… (read more)

Start by Believing is a public awareness campaign uniquely focused on the public response to sexual assault. Because a friend or family member is typically the first person a victim confides in after an assault, each individual's personal reaction is the first step in a long path toward justice and healing. Knowing how to respond is critical as a negative response can worsen the trauma and foster… (read more)

The purpose of this policy is to emphasize that an effective response to the needs of crime victims is an integral part of the law enforcement mission. This essential function, performed by both sworn and civilian personnel, should address victims' needs by establishing a continuum of support as victims progress through the various phases of the criminal justice process. As first responders, law… (read more)

This paper is designed to accompany the Model Policy on Response to Victims of Crime established by the IACP National Law Enforcement Policy Center. It provides essential background material and supporting documentation on the developmental philosophy and implementation requirements of the model policy. This material will be of value to law enforcement executives in their efforts to tailor the… (read more)

These documents will assist your department in the implementation of the Enhancing Law Enforcement Response to Victims Strategy.