At events in Washington, D.C. and New Orleans today, Attorney General Eric Holder, Deputy Attorney General James Cole, and Acting Director of the Office on Violence Against Women Bea Hanson called on Congress to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, which has drastically reduced instances of violence and provided support to victims and their families since first being enacted in 1994.

The landmark legislation expired in 2011 and is currently awaiting reauthorization in Congress.

Speaking at the White House event on the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), Attorney General Eric Holder said:

 Today, as Attorney General – and as the father of two teenage girls – this work remains both a personal and professional priority.  And for our nation’s Department of Justice, vigorously enforcing the provisions of the Violence Against Women’s Act is part of our solemn commitment to the citizens we are privileged to serve.  In many ways, fulfilling this commitment has never been more urgent.  Estimates show that more than 2 million adults – and more than 15 million children – are exposed to domestic violence every single year.

Deputy Attorney General James Cole also echoed the administration’s commitment to preventing domestic violence and reauthorizing the VAWA in his remarks at the 12^th Annual International Family Justice Center Conference in New Orleans:

While the Department of Justice does a great deal in this area, it is committed to doing more to serve survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse and to prevent these terrible crimes from occurring in the first place.   That is why, led by the excellent work of the Office on Violence Against Women, we are working to support a coordinated community response to address the causes and consequences of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and child abuse.

The department’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) provides national leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence against women through the implementation of the VAWA. Family Justice Centers are an example of a the type of program the OVW and the Violence Against Women Act support.  These centers give victims and their children access to trained advocates, police officers, prosecutors, judges and medical professionals – all in one location – so they don’t have to go from place to place to get the help they need and deserve. 

Bea Hanson, the Acting Director of the Office on Violence Against Women, spoke in New Orleans about how the Family Justice Center model has effectively worked throughout the country:

I saw firsthand how the co-location of so many partners – prosecutors, law enforcement, probation, victim compensation, and many services for victims – legal support, counseling, child care, case management, services for people with disabilities, services in multiple languages – all came together to provide wrap-around services for victims and their children.  The services to victims are unparalleled and the cooperation and collaboration between partners are core to fulfilling the idea of a community coordinated response to violence against women and children.

Much has been done in the years since the VAWA became law, but domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse are still too prevalent in our communities.

In America, 1 in 4 women and 1 in 13 men will experience domestic violence in their lifetimes.   Nearly 1 in 5 women and 1 in 71 men have been raped at some time in their lives.   Each day, on average, three women die as a result of domestic violence. 

These crimes impact not only the immediate victims, but their families, neighbors, friends, and indeed their entire communities.  This is a problem that affects people of every background, ethnicity, age, ability or sexual orientation.  The Violence Against Women Act is a key tool in the fight against these crimes. The proposed VAWA legislation combines tough new penalties to both prosecute offenders and offer aid and support to victims.

While waiting on Congress to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, the federal government continues to take steps (PDF) to stop the violence. At the White House today, President Barack Obama signed a presidential memorandum (PDF) that will require federal agencies to develop policies to address the effects of domestic violence and provide assistance to employees who are experiencing domestic violence.

The Department of Justice will continue to use every tool at our disposal to protect citizens and support victims of violence.

For more information about our work in this area visit the Office on Violence Against Women. We remind all those in need of assistance, or other concerned friends and individuals, to call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE or the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE.

Today, the world commemorates International Women’s Day 2012, a day to reflect on the changing female role in society and our momentous social, economic, and political achievements.  It is a day to give thanks for the women who have taught us, led us, and influenced us to live to our fullest potential.

Organizations around the world will focus on themes that reflect the local, national, and global gender issues relevant to their work and contexts.  The United Nations 2012 theme is Empower Rural Women – End Hunger and Poverty.

The Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), too, is focused on protecting and empowering women and girls in rural communities.  Our charge is to end abuse which can be – and often is – linked to issues of poverty and basic unmet needs like food and shelter.  Our Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Assistance Program is designed to enhance the safety of victims by supporting projects uniquely designed to address and prevent these crimes in rural jurisdictions.

As Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund said:

“Many rural women have limited autonomy and low status, which puts them at increased risk of hunger, gender-based violence and other human rights violations. Advancing rural women’s political, social and economic status are vital ends in themselves as well as critical strategies to eradicate poverty, promote women’s rights and pave the way for sustainable development.”

At OVW, we see this day as an opportunity to raise awareness about issues that disproportionately affect women, and to mobilize for meaningful change.  I would be remiss if I didn’t take this opportunity to review some sobering statistics that keep us focused on the need to ensure the safety of our sisters, mothers, and female friends:

• One in every four women has experienced domestic violence during her lifetime.
• Stalkers victimize approximately 2.53 million women each year in the U.S, with domestic violence-related stalking the most common type of stalking and the most dangerous.
• Over one million women in the U.S. are raped every year.

These crimes are underreported and many victims suffer in silence.  International Women’s Day is, in part, about giving a voice and hope to these women and girls.  It is also about learning from survivors and the countless heroes who courageously lead in the face of resistance and hostility. Their stories guide our work for peace and equality.

And although the statistics tell us we have a ways to go before violence against women becomes a thing of the past, crime has declined steeply since 1993.  On International Women’s Day, a day of reflection, let us acknowledge the inspiring paradigm shift in how the issue of violence against women is addressed in the United States and the countless lives that have been positively impacted.  There have been significant improvements in the criminal and civil justice systems, and the annual incidence of domestic violence dropped by more than 50 percent in the last two decades.  Fewer people are being victimized by domestic violence, and when they are, they feel safer reporting the abuse to the police.

On March 8th, I’d like to suggest we all take a moment to celebrate our sisterhood, our pioneers, and our accomplishments.  We are united in a circle of support for women and girls all over the world – for their safety and success.  The women I work with and for daily inspire me to amplify this office’s efforts to create a violence-free life for women, their children, and families.

The Office on Violence Against Women is grateful for the work of individuals and organizations around the world that work every day to end violence against women and girls in all its forms.  For more information about the Office on Violence Against Women, visit www.ovw.usdoj.gov.  We remind all those in need of assistance, or concerned friends and individuals, to call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE or the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE.

Regardless of the day or month, many teens – including college students – often find themselves in unhealthy, sometimes abusive relationships that affect their quality of life, cause pain and concern among their families and friends, and interfere with school and community activities.  Now is the time to learn about ways to recognize and prevent this violence.

During February, designated as Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month, we join President Obama to call for a focused effort to break the cycle of violence by providing support and services to the victims, their families and their communities. As President Obama stated:

The consequences of dating violence — spanning impaired development to physical harm — pose a threat to the health and well-being of teens across our Nation, and it is essential we come together to break the cycle of violence that burdens too many of our sons and daughters.  This month, we recommit to providing critical support and services for victims of dating violence and empowering teens with the tools to cultivate healthy, respectful relationships.

Research indicates that teens and young women are especially vulnerable to experiencing violence in their relationships.   In one year, nearly one in ten high school students has been hit, slapped or physically hurt on purpose by a boyfriend or girlfriend.   And young people ages 18 and 19 experience the highest rates of stalking, which most often is committed by a current or former intimate partner for both male and female victims.  The prevalence of violence in the dating relationships of teens is simply unacceptable.

We know that to reach young people, we need to speak their language.  With that idea in mind, OVW is supporting outreach and education efforts by educators, advocates, and non-profits, including the That’s Not Cool.com, a national public education campaign that uses digital examples of controlling, pressuring, and threatening behavior to raise awareness about and prevent teen dating abuse.  OVW also funds the National Dating Abuse Helpline at 1-866-331-9474.  Teens can also text “loveis” to 77054 to reach an advocate or chat on line by clicking on the icon found on loveisrespect.org.

We must continue to advocate for the young people in our lives by providing safe spaces to have conversations about dating abuse and provide examples of healthy, violence-free relationships that include support, love and respect.  Only by continuing to engage in discussions on these challenging and difficult issues can we call attention to teen dating violence.  This is the first step towards preventing and ending the cycle of abuse. The resources listed in the President’s proclamation and in this blog are important resources that should be used, shared and discussed during February and throughout the year.

For more information about the Office on Violence Against Women, visit www.ovw.usdoj.gov. We remind all those in need of assistance, or other concerned friends and individuals, to call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE or the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE.

In a victory for survivors of rape and their advocates, the Attorney General announced a newly revised definition of rape for nationwide data collection, ensuring that rape will be more accurately reported nationwide.

The change sends an important message to all victims that what happens to them matters, and to perpetrators that they will be held accountable.  It was because of the voices of survivors, advocates, law enforcement personnel and many others that FBI Director Robert Mueller was able to make this important change within the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report (UCR) Summary Reporting System (SRS).

“Forcible rape” had been defined by the UCR SRS as “the carnal knowledge of a female, forcibly and against her will.”  That definition, unchanged since 1927, was outdated and narrow. It only included forcible male penile penetration of a female vagina.

The new definition is:

“The penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim.”

For the first time ever, the new definition includes any gender of victim and perpetrator, not just women being raped by men.  It also recognizes that rape with an object can be as traumatic as penile/vaginal rape.  This definition also includes instances in which the victim is unable to give consent because of temporary or permanent mental or physical incapacity.

Furthermore, because many rapes are facilitated by drugs or alcohol, the new definition recognizes that a victim can be incapacitated and thus unable to consent because of ingestion of drugs or alcohol.  Similarly, a victim may be legally incapable of consent because of age. The ability of the victim to give consent must be determined in accordance with individual state statutes.  Physical resistance is not required on the part of the victim to demonstrate lack of consent.

The UCR is the national “report card” on serious crime; what gets reported through the UCR is how we, collectively, view crime in this country.  Police departments submit data on reported crimes and arrests to the UCR SRS.  Even though most states have more expansive definitions of rape in their criminal codes, they had to report the smaller number of crimes falling under the more narrow UCR SRS definition.  This meant that the statistics that were reported nationally were both inaccurate and undercounted.

Because the new definition is more inclusive, reported crimes of rape are likely to increase.  This does not mean that rape has increased, but simply that it is more accurately reported.  In addition, the UCR program will also collect data based on the historical definition of rape, enabling law enforcement to track consistent trend data until the statistical differences between the old and new definitions are more fully understood.

The new UCR SRS definition of rape does not change Federal or state criminal codes or impact charging and prosecution on the Federal, State or local level, it simply means that rape will be more accurately reported nationwide.

The Office of Violence Against Women (OVW) worked closely with White House Advisor on Violence Against Women Lynn Rosenthal and the Office of the Vice President, as well as multiple DOJ divisions, to modernize the definition.  The change was supported by external partners such as the National Sheriffs Association, National Association of Police Organizations, International Association of Chiefs of Police, Major City Chiefs, Major County Sheriffs, and the Police Executive Research Forum.

For more information about the Office on Violence Against Women, visit ovw.usdoj.gov. We remind all those in need of assistance, or other concerned friends and individuals, to call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE or the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE.

The Office on Violence Against Women proudly joins the President in recognizing January as National Stalking Awareness Month (NSAM).  Stalking is described by the Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Statistics  as, “a course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear for his or her safety or the safety of someone close such as a family member.”

President Obama again this year speaks to the gravity of stalking and its impact on victims in his proclamation:

 “In our schools and in our neighborhoods, at home and in workplaces across our Nation, stalking endangers the physical and emotional well-being of millions of American men and women every year. Too often, stalking goes unreported and unaddressed, and we must take action against this unacceptable abuse.  This month, we stand with all those who have been affected by stalking and strengthen our resolve to prevent this crime before it occurs.”

Education is the first crucial step in recognizing and preventing this crime, and reporting it when it occurs so that offenders may be properly held accountable for their dangerous behavior.

Earlier this month, the United States Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released its first National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS).  The report reveals that stalking is a serious issue.  NISVS data shows that:

• Nearly one in six women has experienced stalking so severe that she felt very fearful or believed that she or someone close to her would be harmed or killed.
• One in 19 men has experienced the same level of stalking.
• Women were particularly likely to be stalked by a current or former intimate partner.

Stalking behaviors can include seemingly innocuous acts, such as making unwanted phone calls; sending unsolicited or unwanted letters or emails; or leaving unwanted items, presents or flowers, but when taken together, and when feared by the victim, may constitute a criminal act.  Other forms of stalking include following or spying on the victim; showing up without a legitimate reason at places where the victim is likely to be; waiting at places for the victim; and posting information or spreading rumors about the victim on the internet, in a public place, or by word of mouth.

Newer technologies, such as text messaging, emails, and electronic monitoring devices (including cameras and GPS), are also used by perpetrators to stalk victims.  Stalking is also frequently a precursor to much more serious, and sometimes lethal, acts.   In fact, 76 percent of female intimate partner murder victims had been stalked by their partners prior to their death.

Stalking is a crime across the country.  Despite the fact that millions are victimized each year, stalking remains a widely misunderstood and hidden crime and tends to go unreported. It is one of four crimes addressed in the Violence Against Women Act.

OVW is taking steps to ensure that we create secure and supportive communities for stalking survivors.  In 2000, we launched a partnership with the Stalking Resource Center of the National Center for Victims of Crime (NCVC).  The Stalking Resource Center provides training and technical assistance to enhance responses to stalking and is committed to collecting the best knowledge about stalking, including researching policy and tracking program success.

The KNOW IT. NAME IT. STOP IT. awareness campaign is a call to action to maintain an ongoing dialogue, increase recognition of stalking as an important issue, and provide resources to those in need.

In the words of President Obama:

“Though stalking can occur in any community, shame, fear of retribution, or concerns that they will not be supported lead many victims to forego reporting the crime to the police.  As we strive to reverse this trend, we must do more to promote public awareness and support for survivors of stalking.”

During this month and throughout the year ahead, we are committed to spreading the word that stalking will not be tolerated.  For more information, please visit the Stalking Awareness Month website at:  http://stalkingawarenessmonth.org.

For more information about the Office on Violence Against Women, visit ovw.usdoj.gov. We remind all those in need of assistance, or other concerned friends and individuals, to call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE or the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE.

Seventeen years after its original passage, the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) was introduced for reauthorization last month with the bipartisan leadership and support of Senator Patrick Leahy and Senator Mike Crapo.

The act, the current authorization of which expired in September, was first championed by then Senator Joe Biden, passed by Congress in 1994, and reauthorized in 2000 and 2005.  Each time it was considered by Congress, the legislation has enjoyed broad bipartisan support.

This support reflects the very real concern that abuse knows no bounds – victims can be young and old, of all racial and ethnic backgrounds, all genders, from every corner of the country, urban and rural, tribal and territorial.

This week, the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services are holding our 6^th annual Tribal Consultation in New Mexico.  We are participating in discussions with tribal leaders from all over the country that will help us better serve women who are abused, raped and murdered, at rates which are nothing short of abominable. VAWA Reauthorization will be a major focal point of this dialogue.

VAWA has been the cornerstone of the federal government’s efforts to end sexual violence, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking.  The Act supports programs serving all segments of society, and encourages close collaboration among community service providers and professionals to coordinate efforts to end violence.  Since its passage, well over $4 billion has been awarded for victim services and hundreds of programs around the country such as transitional housing, supervised visitation and legal assistance.

The impact of VAWA cannot be overstated:  it has profoundly improved lives, has saved lives, and has led to a paradigm shift whereby domestic and sexual violence are no longer private matters, but recognized for the public health, legal and social issues that they are.

While violence has been reduced substantially as a result of VAWA, much remains to be done.  The proposed legislation includes a number of important updates and improvements to the law, including a greater emphasis on meeting the needs of survivors of sexual violence addressing, domestic homicides and on reaching traditionally underserved communities.

Major improvements are also proposed to address the incredibly high rates of violence committed against women in tribal communities.  Among other things, the legislation proposes to strengthen tribal responses by recognizing certain tribes’ concurrent jurisdiction to investigate, prosecute, convict and sentence both Indians and non-Indians, and clarifies that tribal courts have full civil jurisdiction to issue and enforce certain protection orders.

In conjunction with the Tribal Consultation this week, the Task Force created under Title IX of VAWA is meeting to hear updates from the National Institute of Justice about their program of research regarding violence against the American Indian and Alaska Native community.

Reports from this meeting, along with additional information about the Task Force and the Office on Violence Against Women, can be found at www.ovw.usdoj.gov.

We remind all those in need of assistance, or other concerned friends and individuals, to call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE or the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE