Violence Against American Indian and Alaska Native Women: Secondary Data Analysis
Secondary data analysis — reanalyzing existing data in new ways — is an important component of NIJ's research program on Violence Against American Indian and Alaska Native Women. Because the data has already been collected, secondary data analysis often requires fewer resources (e.g., time and money) than primary data collection. Secondary analysis provides an opportunity to expand our understanding of the nature, consequences, and responses to violence against American Indian and Alaska Native women by using existing data sources.
Researchers will use a variety of health systems data and federal, state, local and tribal crime sources to examine:
- The nature of calls for service.
- Arrests and charges.
- Protection order issuance and enforcement.
- Prosecution and sentencing practices.
- Case outcomes.
- Homicide rates.
NIJ has three secondary data analysis projects underway:
- FBI case file review of crimes against Native American women that occurred in Indian Country.
- Examination of Native American homicides.
- Delineation of data sources containing information on victimization of American Indian and Alaska Native women.
1. FBI Case File Review of Crimes Against Women That Occurred in Indian Country
NIJ has formed a partnership with the FBI's Indian Country Special Crimes Unit and the FBI's Office for Victim Assistance. The partnership will help to better understand the FBI's response to violence against Native American Women in Indian Country. NIJ is interested in obtaining baseline statistics about the:
- Number of cases opened, pending and closed each year in Indian Country.
- Percentage and nature of those cases that involve a form of violence against adult Native American women.
- Response and strategies used by the FBI.
2. Examination of Native American Homicides
This project will examine the nature and incidence of Native American homicides. The analyses will be based on data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Indian Health Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and state authorities. The project will examine the differences between the various data sources and compare the estimates obtained from these analyses with existing estimates. Researchers will also discuss the impact that these differences have on policy and research.
3. Identification of Data Sources Containing Information on Victimization of American Indian and Alaska Native Women
This project involves the identification of data sources and data systems that pertain to the victimization of American Indian and Alaska Native women, both on and off tribal land. The data sources and data systems of interest include those that will provide statistics on:
- The number of and types of calls for service.
- The number of and types of cases opened.
- The number of and types of arrests and charges executed.
- Preliminary protective orders and permanent protective orders issued and enforced.
- Description of cases and outcomes.
- The number of and characteristics of homicide cases.
