Office on Violence Against Women

Announcements

►Webinar: New STOP Rule Clarifies Several Issues

On Jan 5, OVW attorneys explained the new final rule about the STOP Forumla Grant Program. The presentation will be available soon. The new rule was published in the Federal Register on Nov 29, 2016.

►Webinars about Keeping Housing Both Safe and Fair

On Nov 16, experts discussed enforcement of nuisance abatement ordinances, fair housing and how to keep housing free of crime by using data. Get the Presentations [PDF].
On Oct 20, experts explained the impact of nuisance abatement ordinances, what HUD’s new guidance means for families who experience domestic violence and how to use HUD’s complaint process.Get the Presentations [PDF].

►Funds Awarded under the Rape Survivor Child Custody Act

For the first time, in fiscal year 2016, OVW awarded funds under the Rape Survivor Child Custody Act (RSCCA). States were eligible to receive additional funds in their Stop Violence Against Women (STOP) and Sexual Assault Services Program (SASP) formula awards (up to 10% of the three-year average of combined STOP and SASP formula grant funds, with 75% of that amount supplementing the SASP award, and 25% supplementing the STOP award) if the state meets the requirements of the Act. To qualify, the state must have a law that allows the mother of a child conceived through rape to seek court-ordered termination of the parental rights of the rapist with regard to that child, which the court is authorized to grant upon clear and convincing evidence of rape. States are eligible to receive the funds a total of four times.

The following states with qualifying statutes applied for and received additional funding in their fiscal year 2016 STOP and SAP awards: Alaska, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Texas, Wisconsin.

News

January 13, 2017

Press Release

Justice Department Awards $500,000 to Initiate Video-Based Services for Deaf Victims

October 7, 2016

Press Release

Justice Department Announces ‘Safer Families, Safer Communities’ Website to Enforce Domestic Violence Firearm Prohibition

October 5, 2016

Press Release

Department of Justice Awards $9.85 Million to Identify and Prevent Gender Bias in Policing

September 30, 2016

Press Release

Justice Department Announces Nine Studies Focused on Approaches to Life-Saving Work Authorized by the Violence Against Women Act

September 29, 2016

Press Release

Justice Department Awards $25 Million to Address Sexual Violence on Campuses

MORE NEWS

Blog

Thursday, January 19, 2017

Farewell Message from Bea Hanson

Bea Hanson lead the Office on Violence Against Women from May 2011 to January 2017. In her farewell message, she highlights a few of the major achievements of those years -- achievements that were possible only because of the collaboration of advocates, law enforcement, prosectutors, judgies, health care providers, those in government and those working with non-profit organizations.

Tuesday, January 17, 2017

Working with Men to Prevent Gender-Based Violence

Research shows that, unsurprisingly, men and boys are influenced by each other. But what we sometimes forget is that men are most influenced by what they assume other men think – and men tend to assume that other men think violence against women is okay, even though most men are actually opposed to it. More and more men are speaking up and changing this misunderstanding; thus, engaging men and boys in prevention work is an important strategy to reduce domestic and sexual violence and stalking.

Tuesday, January 17, 2017

Office on Violence Against Women Issues White Paper on Sexual Assault Kit Testing Initiatives and Non-investigative Kits

Balancing the duty to protect the public with the duty to keep victims safe can be a tricky business when it comes to testing sexual assault kits. The Office on Violence Against Women has issued a white paper explaining why it should not be standard operating procedure for law enforcement agencies to submit sexual assault kits for testing without consent from the victim.

Sunday, January 15, 2017

Emerging Issues for Improving the Law Enforcement Response to Domestic and Sexual Violence: Three New Reports Now Available

OVW announces the release of reports that address emerging issues related to improving the law enforcement response to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. They discuss body worn cameras, open police data initiatives, and identifying and preventing gender bias.

Sunday, January 15, 2017

Expanding Options for Pursuing Safety, Accountability and Community Engagement

A recurring theme has emerged in meetings and conversations with stakeholders and survivors: Being survivor-centered means listening to victims and providing them with meaningful choices. This article summarizes several Roundtable discussions, including topics on mediation, restorative practices and the impact of incarceration and mandatory minimums on black women and girls.

Friday, January 13, 2017

Trauma-Informed: What It means for Survivors of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault

More and more professionals who work with survivors of violence use the terms "trauma-informed services" and "trauma-informed care." To understand how the trauma-informed approach is both viewed and applied in addressing sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking, the Office on Violence Against Women commissioned a project to capture the national landscape. This article describes the main findings from the report, which is now available from the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault.

Wednesday, January 11, 2017

Sexual Assault: Key Lessons Learned in Multi-Year Demonstration Project

Findings from a multi-year, six-site project that delved deeply and systematically into the outreach, services and community partnerships of organizations that serve victims of domestic and sexual violence. Lessons learned: Enhancing sexual assault services in dual and multi-service programs requires acknowledgement that sexual assault survivors are not getting what they deserve. Programs must engage in an honest and critical self-assessment that includes reflection on whether the organization is ready to accept feedback and acknowledge that "they don't know what they don't know."

Wednesday, January 11, 2017

Child Custody Decisions in Cases Involving Domestic Violence: Guiding Principles

Approximately one-third of all domestic violence incidents involving women take place in homes with children under the age of 12. OVW launched a project to help court systems increase their ability to make sound decisions about child custody and parenting time. The project has now released 16 guiding principles that communities can use to enhance their processes and decision-making around child custody when domestic violence is a factor.

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