Introduction
According the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau
of Justice Statistics, 2003
National Crime Victimization Survey, there were more than 500,000
victims of domestic violence in the
United States
. The Department works primarily through the Office
on Violence Against Women to help communities to hold offenders
accountable for their conduct and to bring aid to victims and their
families. To learn more about domestic/family violence and other violent
crimes against women, click here.
Programs
The President's Family Justice Center Initiative
The President's Family
Justice Center Initiative, unveiled by President Bush in October
2003, is an unprecedented pilot program that will make a victim's
search for help and justice more efficient and effective by bringing
professionals who provide an array of necessary services together under
one roof. The Justice Department's Office
on Violence Against Women is the lead agency on this pilot program
intended to develop comprehensive domestic violence victim service and
support centers in 15 communities across the country. To view a fact
sheet on the Initiative, clickhere.
To read Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' remarks at the opening of
the St. Louis Family Justice Center on January 12, 2006, click here.
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Civil Legal Assistance for Victims Grant Program
The Civil Legal Assistance for Victims Grants program is designed to
strengthen legal assistance programs for victims of domestic violence,
sexual assault, and stalking. These programs provide victims with representation
and legal advocacy in family, immigration, administrative agency, or
housing matters, protection or stay-away order proceedings, and other
similar matters.
- The Office on Violence Against
Women awards grants under this program to Indian tribal governments,
faith-based and other community-based victim services programs,
law school legal clinics and other legal services organizations
that assist victims of domestic violence or sexual assault. Click here to
learn more about the program.
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Education and Technical Assistance Grants to End Violence Against
Women with Disabilities
The Education and Technical Assistance Grants to End Violence Against
and Abuse of Women with Disabilities Program is designed to improve
services to individuals with disabilities who are victims of domestic
violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Grantees provide training, consultation,
and information to service providers, including independent living centers,
disability-related service organizations, and domestic violence programs
providing shelter or related assistance about responding to violence
against women who are individuals with disabilities.
- The Office on Violence Against
Women awards grants under this program to States, units of local
government, Indian tribal governments, and nongovernmental private
entities, including faith-based and other community organizations.
Click here to
learn more about the program.
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Transitional Housing Assistance Grants Program
The Transitional Housing Assistance Grant Program supports organizations
that provide assistance to individuals who are in need of transitional
housing or housing assistance, as a result of fleeing a situation of
domestic violence, and for whom emergency shelter services or other
crisis intervention services are unavailable or insufficient. Grants
may be used for programs that provide short-term housing assistance,
including rental or utilities payment assistance and assistance with
related expenses, and support services designed to enable individuals
to locate and secure permanent housing, as well as integrate into a
community. Grantees provide a broad range of individualized services
such as transportation, counseling, childcare services, case management,
employment counseling, and other assistance.
- The Office on Violence Against
Women awards grants to state governments, local units of government,
Indian tribal governments, and nongovernmental private entities,
including faith-based and other community organizations. Click here to
learn more about this program.
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Grants to Encourage Arrest Policies and Enforcement of Protection
Orders Program
The Grants to Encourage Arrest Policies and Enforcement of Protection
Orders Program is designed to encourage state, local, and tribal governments
and state, local, and tribal courts to treat domestic violence as a
serious violation of criminal law requiring the coordinated involvement
of the entire criminal justice system. Grant funds may be used for implementing
mandatory or pro-arrest programs and policies; developing policies and
training in criminal justice agencies to improve tracking of domestic
violence and dating violence cases; and creating centralized domestic
violence units consisting of police, prosecution, or other criminal
justice agencies.
- The Office on Violence Against
Women requires grantees to collaborate with victim advocates
from faith-based and secular nonprofit, nongovernmental domestic
violence programs, including local shelters, victim advocacy organizations,
and domestic violence coalitions, to ensure that victim safety is
a paramount consideration in the development of any strategy to
address domestic violence. Click here to
learn more about the program.
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Grants to Reduce Violent Crimes Against Women on Campus
The Campus Program is designed to strengthen the higher education community's
response to sexual assault, stalking, domestic violence, and dating
violence crimes on campuses, and to enhance collaboration between campuses
and local criminal justice and victim advocacy organizations. Eligible
applicants are institutions of higher education or a consortium of institutions
of higher education.
- The Office on Violence Against
Women requires grantees to link their programs to local criminal
justice agencies and service providers, including local law enforcement
agencies, prosecutors' offices, courts, and faith-based and secular
nonprofit, nongovernmental victim advocacy and victim services agencies.
This coordinated community response is intended to enhance victim
safety and hold offenders accountable. Click here to
learn more about the program.
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Rural Domestic Violence and Child Victimization Enforcement Grants
The Rural Domestic Violence and Child Victimization Enforcement Grant
Program is designed to enhance services available to rural victims and
children by encouraging community involvement in developing a coordinated
response to domestic violence, dating violence, and child abuse.
- The Office on Violence Against
Women awards grants to state and local governments and public
and private entities, including faith-based and other community
organizations, of states considered under the Violence Against Women
Act as rural. Local governments and public and private entities,
including faith-based and other community organizations serving
rural jurisdictions in states that are not considered rural under
the Violence Against Women Act must apply through their state government.
Click here to
learn more about the program.
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Safe Havens: Supervised Visitation and Safe Exchange Grant Program
The Safe Havens: Supervised Visitation and Safe Exchange Grant Program
helps create safe places for visitation with and the exchange of children
in cases of domestic violence, child abuse, sexual assault, or stalking.
- The Office on Violence Against
Women awards grants to States, units of local government, and
Indian tribal governments that propose to enter into contracts with
public and private nonprofit entities, including faith-based and
other community organizations, to provide supervised visitation
and safe visitation exchange of children in such cases. Click here to
learn more about this program.
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STOP Violence Against Women Formula Grants Program
STOP (Services, Training, Officers and Prosecutors) Violence Against
Women Formula Grants are intended to develop and strengthen a state's
criminal justice system's response to violence against women and to
support and enhance services for victims. Each state and territory must
allocate 25 percent of the grant funds to law enforcement, 25 percent
to prosecution, 5 percent to courts, and 30 percent to victim services.
The remaining 15 percent is discretionary within the parameters of the
Violence Against Women Act. Click here to
learn more about this program.
- The Office on Violence Against
Women awards STOP Formula Grants to each state government, Washington,
D.C., and U.S. territorial governments. Faith-based and other community
organizations may apply for funding from their state government
to provide victim services. More information on program requirements
and eligibility can be obtained by contacting the state agency that
administers this grant program.
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STOP Violence Against Indian Women Discretionary Grants Program
The STOP Violence Against Indian Women Grants are intended to develop
and strengthen tribal law enforcement and prosecution efforts to combat
violence against Native women and to develop and enhance services for
victims of such crimes.
The Office on Violence Against
Women awards grants to Indian tribal governments. Indian tribal
governments are required to collaborate with a faith-based or secular
nonprofit, nongovernmental victim services provider. Click here to
learn more about this program.
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Training Grants to Stop Abuse and Sexual Assault Against Older Individuals
or Individuals with Disabilities Program
The Training Grants to Stop Abuse and Sexual Assault Against Older
Individuals or Individuals with Disabilities Program is designed to
train law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and court personnel to
recognize, address, investigate, and prosecute cases of elder abuse,
neglect, and exploitation and violence against or individuals with disabilities,
including domestic violence and sexual assault.
- The Office on Violence Against
Women awards grants to state governments; Indian tribal governments;
units of local government; state or local government agencies; and
private non-profit victim services, victim advocacy or service organizations
for older individuals or individuals with disabilities, including
faith-based and other community organizations. Click here to
learn more about this program.
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Victims of Crime Act Formula Grant Program
Victims of Crime Act formula grants are intended to support victim
assistance services for victims and survivors of domestic violence,
sexual assault, child abuse, drunk driving, homicide, and other crimes.
- The Office for Victims of
Crime awards grants to each state government, Washington, D.C.,
and U.S. territorial governments. Faith-based and other community
organizations may apply for funds from their state government to
provide victim services. A list of state agencies that administer
these funds can be obtained by clicking here.
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Violence Against Older Women Education Project
This program builds the capacity of a range of professionals to respond
to and work with older victims of domestic violence and/or sexual assault.
This program is designed to develop a series of videotapes and accompanying
discussion guides on domestic violence and/or sexual assault against
older women. The video series would include a general video for all
audiences that highlights an overall community response to one or both
of these crimes, as well as additional videos that would target specific
professional groups (e.g., victim advocates/service providers, health
care providers, faith community leaders, law enforcement officers, prosecutors,
or judges). Funding is provided for an 18-month period, with an additional
18 months possible contingent upon satisfactory performance and the
availability of funds.
- The Office for Victims of
Crime awards grants under this program to nonprofit organizations
or public agencies, including faith-based and other community organizations.
Click here to
learn more about this program and other programs administered by
the Office for Victims of Crime.
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Violence Against Women Training and Technical Assistance Program
The Violence Against Women Training and Technical Assistance Program
provides Office on Violence Against Women grantees and others in the
field with the training, expertise, and problem-solving strategies they
need to meet the challenges of addressing domestic violence, sexual
assault, dating violence, and stalking. The primary purpose of this
program is to provide direct assistance to grantees and sub-grantees
to enhance the success of local projects they are implementing with
VAWA grant funds. In addition, the Office on Violence Against Women
is focused on building the capacity of criminal justice and victim services
organizations to respond effectively to sexual assault, domestic violence,
dating violence, and stalking and to foster partnerships between organizations
that have not traditionally worked together to address violence against
women.
- The Office on Violence Against
Women awards grants or cooperative agreements under this program
to non-profit organizations, including faith-based and other community
organizations.
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Resources
1-800-799-SAFE (7233) 1-800-787-3224
(TTY)
The National Domestic Violence Hotline (NDVH) serves as the only center
in the nation that provides information regarding 5000 local and nationwide
shelters and service providers available for victims, friends and family
who often call for life saving help. The Hotline operates 24 hours a
day in more than 140 languages with a TTY line available for the deaf.
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The Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) handles
the Department's legal and policy issues regarding violence against
women and provides national and international leadership on violence
against women issues. OVW administers grant programs authorized under
the Violence Against Women Act and has awarded more than $1 billion
in grant funds, making over 1,250 discretionary grants and over 350
STOP (Services, Training, Officers, Prosecutors) formula grants to
the states and territories. This Web site provides information on
violent crimes against women, including domestic
violence, state
coalitions against domestic violence, and where
victims and their families may get help.
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The Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health
is the government's champion and focal point for women's health issues,
and works to redress inequities in research, health care services, and
education that have historically placed the health of women at risk.
The Office on Women's Health coordinates women's health efforts within
HHS to eliminate disparities in health status and supports culturally
sensitive educational programs that encourage women to take personal
responsibility for their own health and wellness. Violence Against Women
is a major health problem and is therefore an area of activity for the
Office on Women's Health. Click here to
learn more.
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