Glossary

Advocacy Services - Services that are offered to victims of domestic abuse with the goal of increasing victim safety and autonomy. Services include responding to victim's emergency and ongoing safety concerns and needs, providing information about programs and services available to victims and their children in both the civilian and military communities, and providing victims with ongoing support and referrals.

Case Review Committee (CRC) - A decision-making and advisory body for incidents of suspected domestic abuse and child abuse/neglect. The CRC has representatives from both military and civilian agencies. The CRC determines whether abuse occurred and makes treatment recommendations to the service member's commander.

Confidentiality - Keeping information given by or about an individual in the course of a professional relationship secure and secret from others.

Civil Protection Order (CPO) - A civil judicial order issued after a hearing by a judge or magistrate at a domestic abuse victim's request to protect the victim from further abuse.

Domestic Abuse - Domestic abuse is domestic violence or a pattern of behavior resulting in emotional/psychological abuse, economic control, and/or interference with personal liberty. Domestic abuse under the Department of Defense (DoD) definition is abuse or violence directed toward a person who is a current or former spouse, a person with whom the abuser shares a child in common, or a current or former intimate partner with whom the abuser shares or has shared a common domicile.

Domestic Violence -  As defined by the DoD, domestic violence is an offense under the United States Code or the Uniform Code of Military Justice that involves the use, attempted use, or threatened use of force or violence against a person, or a violation of a lawful order issued for the protection of a person. This violence must be directed toward a person who is a current or former spouse, a person with whom the abuser shares a child in common, or a current or former intimate partner with whom the abuser shares or has shared a common domicile.

Family Advocacy Program (FAP) - FAP is a command support program with responsibility for addressing domestic abuse and child abuse in military families. FAP provides prevention efforts, early identification and intervention, support for victims, and treatment for offenders.

Military Protective Order (MPO) - An order issued by a commander to an active duty service member to protect a victim of domestic abuse or child abuse and to control the behavior of the alleged abuser.

Restricted Reporting - The option of reporting a domestic abuse incident to specified individuals without initiating the investigative process or notifications.

Risk Factors - Early warning signs or predictors of possible domestic abuse and/or violence.

Safety Planning - A process by which a counselor or victim advocate assists a domestic abuse victim to create a plan to help protect the victim from further abuse.

Transitional Compensation - Temporary monthly payments and other benefits for spouses of members who are separated from the Service for dependent abuse.

Unrestricted Reporting - A process allowing a victim of domestic abuse to pursue an official investigation of an incident using current reporting channels, e.g. chain of command, law enforcement, and FAP for clinical intervention.

Victim Advocate - A Department of Defense position whose assigned role is to assist victims of domestic abuse in crisis to meet immediate needs and obtain long-term services and assistance.