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OVC and OVC-Sponsored Publications

Voice of the Victim: A Perspectives Spotlight Issue (2012) OVC-Sponsored, Grant, 100 pages, NCJ 238382.
Through OVC support, this special edition of the American Probation and Parole Association's Perspectives provides a collection of informative, thought-provoking articles to support community corrections professionals in incorporating victims' rights and services into daily practice. This resource teaches readers that victims' rights to information, notification, restitution, and participation are an integral component of community corrections.
Abstract | PDF
 
National Crime Victims' Rights Week (NCVRW) Resource Guide 2013 (December 2012) OVC, 130 pages, NCJ 239229.
This guide is designed to help communities and victim assistance providers promote awareness of crime victim issues, the Guide includes educational content, campaign materials, artwork, and a theme DVD. New this year are three pre-produced 30-second PSAs addressing child sexual abuse, child sex trafficking, and elder financial fraud.
PDF | HTML (English) | HTML (Spanish)
 
Directory of Training and Technical Assistance Resources for Anti-Human Trafficking Task Forces and Service Providers (December 2012) OVC, 26 pages, NCJ 240597.
OVC and BJA have launched a Directory of Training and Technical Assistance Resources for Anti-Human Trafficking Task Forces and Service Providers. The directory includes "distance learning," "in-person training" and "training by request" opportunities. It is an excellent resource for practitioners and task forces actively working in the field to expand and enhance their knowledge.
Abstract | PDF | HTML
 
National Crime Victims' Rights Week (NCVRW) Theme DVD 2013 (December 2012) OVC, 0 pages, NCJ 240784.
Part of the NCVRW Resource Guide, this DVD includes a 5-minute feature video —New Challenges. New Solutions. —and three 30-second television public service announcements (PSAs) that address the topics of child sexual abuse, child sex trafficking, and elder abuse. OVC encourages organizations to use the introductory theme DVD throughout the year at public awareness, education, and training events in local communities to promote and advance the cause of justice for victims of crime.
Abstract
 
Promoting Effective Criminal Investigations of Campus Sex Crimes, Summary Report (November 2012) OVC, 53 pages, NCJ 240177.
OVC, the Office on Violence Against Women, and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services partnered with the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators and the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights to conduct a forum that addressed the topic of enhancing criminal investigations of campus sex crimes. This report summarizes the discussion at the forum and provides a list of resources for those working to investigate sex crimes.
Abstract | PDF
 

OJP Publications

Firearm Violence, 1993-2011 (May 2013) BJS, Report, BJS Special Reports, NCJ 241730.
This report presents trends on the number and rate of fatal and nonfatal firearm violence from 1993 to 2011. The report examines incident and victim demographic characteristics of firearm violence, including the type of firearm used; victim's race, age, and sex; and incident location. The report also examines changes over time in the percentages of nonfatal firearm crimes by injury, reporting to the police, and the use of firearms in self-defense.

Part Of the BJS Special Reports Series PDF | TEXT
 
Workplace Violence Against Government Employees, 1994-2011 (April 2013) BJS, Report, BJS Special Reports, NCJ 241349.
This report presents information on both nonfatal and fatal forms of violence in the workplace against government employees, based on the Bureau of Justice Statistics' National Crime Victimization Survey and the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries.

Part Of the BJS Special Reports Series PDF | TEXT
 
Female Victims of Sexual Violence, 1994-2010 (March 2013) BJS, Report, BJS Special Reports, 17 pages, NCJ 240655.
This report presents trends in the rate of completed or attempted rape or sexual assault against females from 1995 to 2010. The report examines demographic characteristics of female victims of sexual violence and characteristics of the offender and incident, including victim-offender relationship, whether the offender had a weapon, and the location of the victimization.

Part Of the BJS Special Reports Series PDF | TEXT
 
Hate Crime Victimization, 2003-2011 (March 2013) BJS, Report, BJS Special Reports, 17 pages, NCJ 241291.
This report presents annual counts and rates of hate crime victimization that occurred from 2003 through 2011, using data from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). The report examines changes over time in hate crime victimizations, including the type of bias that motivated the hate crime, the type of crime, whether the incident was reported to police, and characteristics of the incident, offender, and victim.

Part Of the BJS Special Reports Series PDF | TEXT
 
Untested Evidence in Sexual Assault Cases (February 2013) NIJ-Sponsored, 6 pages, NCJ 241356.
In this article from the Sexual Assault Report™, NIJ staff member Nancy Ritter explores: whether every sexual assault kit (SAK) should be tested every kit - even ones that are 25 years old; should priority be given to certain kits, and if so, how do we decide; and how to handle cases in which the alleged perpetrator is already known. The article also explains where the weak spots are in collecting, storing, and testing kits; why the police might not send sexual assault kits to be tested; and what early evidence is showing about complex issues such as victim notification.
Abstract | PDF
 

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Each month the Nation's experts answer your questions about best practices in victim services. Below are upcoming and most recent session discussions in this topic:

On May 15 2013 at 2:00PM, John Evans, National Training Manager for Victim Services at Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and Carl McDonald, National Law Enforcement Initiative Manager for Mothers Against Drunk Driving, hosted a discussion on Drunk Driving and Child Endangerment

On Apr 19 2013 at 2:00PM, Hallie Martyniuk, author of Strengthening Military-Civilian Community Partnerships To Respond to Sexual Assault, and Major Matthew Youngblood, Victim Assistance Advisor for the U.S. Department of Defense Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office, hosted a discussion on Responding to Sexual Assault Victims through Military/Civilian Partnerships

On Apr 10 2013 at 2:00PM, Howard Davidson, director of the American Bar Association (ABA) Center on Children and the Law, and Catherine Heath, a Child and Family Program Specialist at the Children’s Bureau, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and Steven Toporoff, an attorney for the Division of Privacy and Identity Protection, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Federal Trade Commission (FTC), hosted a discussion on Child Welfare Agencies Responding to Child Identity Theft

On Mar 6 2013 at 2:00PM, Jean Bruggeman, Human Trafficking Fellow with the Office for Victims of Crime, and Robin Hassler Thompson, consultant on issues related to human trafficking and domestic and sexual violence law and policy, hosted a discussion on Meeting Legal Needs of Adult and Minor Victims of Human Trafficking

On Dec 5 2012 at 2:00PM, Regina Sobieski, project director for the U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Texas, Project Safe Neighborhoods, and Christopher Grant, nationally recognized gang specialist, with specific emphasis on Native American street gang and prison gang trends, hosted a discussion on Working With Victims of Gang Violence Session


What type of protection does the U.S. Department of Justice provide to trafficking victims?
Information for trafficking victims is available in the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) brochu... Read More

Where do I report Internet child pornography?
Information about how to report child pornography (and other cases of sexual exploitation of childre... Read More

How many people are robbed at automated teller machines (ATMs)?
The number of robberies at ATM machines is available in the Office of Community Oriented Policing Se... Read More

How many people are murdered in the United States each year?
Year by year homicide statistics can be accessed via the Homicide Trends in the United States sectio... Read More

How many homicide victims were killed with a handgun?
Statistics on homicides committed with a handgun are available in the Bureau of Justice Statistics (... Read More

More FAQs


FY 2013 An Evidence-Based Approach to Understanding and Addressing Vicarious Trauma in Victim Assistance Professionals, Law Enforcement Officers, and Other First Responders (PDF 208 kb)
Deadline: 06/13/2013
One cooperative agreement of $1,250,000 will be awarded to support the examination, assessment, identification, and pilot testing of evidence-based policies, practices, procedures, and protocols designed to facilitate an understanding of and comprehensive approach to addressing vicarious (or secondary) traumatic stress in victim assistance professionals, law enforcement personnel, and other first responders who are subject to the impact of traumatic stress due to large-scale incidents of criminal mass violence or a series of exposures to an accumulation of traumatizing incidents. Those applying are urged to begin in advance of the June 13, 2013, deadline.


FY 2013 Services for Victims of Human Trafficking (PDF 457 kb)
Deadline: 06/10/2013
Approximately seven cooperative agreements of up to $400,000 each will be awarded to provide timely, high-quality services to victims of human trafficking as defined by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, as amended, and to enhance interagency collaboration and coordination in the provision of services to such victims. Funding will support either a comprehensive array of services for all trafficking victims, or specialized services for trafficking victims. Funding also will support efforts to increase the capacity of communities to respond to victims through the development of interagency partnerships and professional training, public outreach, and awareness campaigns. Those applying are urged to begin in advance of the June 10, 2013, deadline.

More Funding Opportunities


Publications

OVC and OVC-Sponsored Publications

Voice of the Victim: A Perspectives Spotlight Issue (2012) OVC-Sponsored, Grant, 100 pages, NCJ 238382. Through OVC support, this special edition of the American Probation and Parole Association's Perspectives provides a collection of informative, thought-provoking articles to support community corrections professionals in incorporating victims' rights and services into daily practice. This resource teaches readers that victims' rights to information, notification, restitution, and participation are an integral component of community corrections.
Abstract | PDF
 
National Crime Victims' Rights Week (NCVRW) Resource Guide 2013 (December 2012) OVC, 130 pages, NCJ 239229. This guide is designed to help communities and victim assistance providers promote awareness of crime victim issues, the Guide includes educational content, campaign materials, artwork, and a theme DVD. New this year are three pre-produced 30-second PSAs addressing child sexual abuse, child sex trafficking, and elder financial fraud.
PDF | HTML (English) | HTML (Spanish)
 
Directory of Training and Technical Assistance Resources for Anti-Human Trafficking Task Forces and Service Providers (December 2012) OVC, 26 pages, NCJ 240597. OVC and BJA have launched a Directory of Training and Technical Assistance Resources for Anti-Human Trafficking Task Forces and Service Providers. The directory includes "distance learning," "in-person training" and "training by request" opportunities. It is an excellent resource for practitioners and task forces actively working in the field to expand and enhance their knowledge.
Abstract | PDF | HTML
 
National Crime Victims' Rights Week (NCVRW) Theme DVD 2013 (December 2012) OVC, 0 pages, NCJ 240784. Part of the NCVRW Resource Guide, this DVD includes a 5-minute feature video —New Challenges. New Solutions. —and three 30-second television public service announcements (PSAs) that address the topics of child sexual abuse, child sex trafficking, and elder abuse. OVC encourages organizations to use the introductory theme DVD throughout the year at public awareness, education, and training events in local communities to promote and advance the cause of justice for victims of crime.
Abstract
 
Promoting Effective Criminal Investigations of Campus Sex Crimes, Summary Report (November 2012) OVC, 53 pages, NCJ 240177. OVC, the Office on Violence Against Women, and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services partnered with the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators and the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights to conduct a forum that addressed the topic of enhancing criminal investigations of campus sex crimes. This report summarizes the discussion at the forum and provides a list of resources for those working to investigate sex crimes.
Abstract | PDF
 

OJP Publications

Firearm Violence, 1993-2011 (May 2013) BJS, Report, BJS Special Reports, NCJ 241730. This report presents trends on the number and rate of fatal and nonfatal firearm violence from 1993 to 2011. The report examines incident and victim demographic characteristics of firearm violence, including the type of firearm used; victim's race, age, and sex; and incident location. The report also examines changes over time in the percentages of nonfatal firearm crimes by injury, reporting to the police, and the use of firearms in self-defense.
Part Of the BJS Special Reports Series
PDF | TEXT
 
Workplace Violence Against Government Employees, 1994-2011 (April 2013) BJS, Report, BJS Special Reports, NCJ 241349. This report presents information on both nonfatal and fatal forms of violence in the workplace against government employees, based on the Bureau of Justice Statistics' National Crime Victimization Survey and the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries.
Part Of the BJS Special Reports Series
PDF | TEXT
 
Female Victims of Sexual Violence, 1994-2010 (March 2013) BJS, Report, BJS Special Reports, 17 pages, NCJ 240655. This report presents trends in the rate of completed or attempted rape or sexual assault against females from 1995 to 2010. The report examines demographic characteristics of female victims of sexual violence and characteristics of the offender and incident, including victim-offender relationship, whether the offender had a weapon, and the location of the victimization.
Part Of the BJS Special Reports Series
PDF | TEXT
 
Hate Crime Victimization, 2003-2011 (March 2013) BJS, Report, BJS Special Reports, 17 pages, NCJ 241291. This report presents annual counts and rates of hate crime victimization that occurred from 2003 through 2011, using data from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). The report examines changes over time in hate crime victimizations, including the type of bias that motivated the hate crime, the type of crime, whether the incident was reported to police, and characteristics of the incident, offender, and victim.
Part Of the BJS Special Reports Series
PDF | TEXT
 
Untested Evidence in Sexual Assault Cases (February 2013) NIJ-Sponsored, 6 pages, NCJ 241356. In this article from the Sexual Assault Report™, NIJ staff member Nancy Ritter explores: whether every sexual assault kit (SAK) should be tested every kit - even ones that are 25 years old; should priority be given to certain kits, and if so, how do we decide; and how to handle cases in which the alleged perpetrator is already known. The article also explains where the weak spots are in collecting, storing, and testing kits; why the police might not send sexual assault kits to be tested; and what early evidence is showing about complex issues such as victim notification.
Abstract | PDF
 

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Related Resources

OVC Funded Resources

ARC Community Services, Inc.
ARC Community Services, Inc. is a private, not-for-profit, 501(c)3 agency providing innovative, women responsive, strengths-based, family focused, community-based wraparound services since 1976, to women and their children/families in the Metropolitan Area of Madison, Wisconsin. With funding from OVC, ARC provides services for victims of human trafficking.
 
Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach
Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach (formerly Nihonmachi Legal Outreach), is a community-based, social justice organization serving the Asian and Pacific Islander communities of the Greater San Francisco, California Bay Area. This organization provides legal, social, and educational services in more than a dozen languages and dialects including Cantonese, Chiu-Chow, Hindi, Ilocano, Japanese, Korean, Lao, Mandarin, Spanish, Tagalog, Taiwanese, Urdu, and Vietnamese.
 
Community Services Program, Inc.
Operating in Orange County, California, this program provides services to at risk youth in order to divert them from the juvenile justice System and we assist victims of crime, including human trafficking victims, as they are processed through the justice system.
 
International Rescue Committee (Washington)
The IRC provides assistance to refugees, displaced persons and others fleeing persecution and violent conflict throughout the world. Often one of the first agencies on the scene of an emergency, the IRC delivers critical medical and public health services, food, and shelter. Once a crisis stabilizes, it provides education, training, economic assistance and, if necessary, resettlement assistance.
 
The Use of Technology to Stalk: An Online Course
Produced by the Stalking Resource Center of the National Center for Victims of Crime with funding from OVC, this free self-paced, interactive online training will help increase the ability of criminal justice professionals and victim service providers to recognize how stalkers use technology and, ultimately, enhance their ability to work with victims of stalking. This course highlights: how stalkers use technologies to locate, harass, and surveil their victims; steps to assist in investigating stalking crimes; and how to support victims of stalking.
 

Federal Resources

Administration for Children and Families
ACF promotes the economic and social well-being of families, children, individuals, and communities. Through its Children's Bureau, ACF assists states in the delivery of child welfare services. Its Web site presents related initiatives, statistics, ACF programs, funding, and information systems.
 
Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force (FFETF)
Created in 2009 to hold accountable those who helped bring about the last financial crisis and to prevent another crisis from happening, FFETF is made up of Federal agencies, US Attorneys Offices and state/local partners working to combat financial fraud.
 
Office for Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP): Easy Access to the FBI's Supplementary Homicide Reports (EZASHR)
EZASHR provides access to more than twenty years of national and State data on homicide victims and known homicide offenders, including information on the age, sex, and race of victims and offenders, the victim-offender relationship, and the type of weapon used.
 
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Office of Women in Development (WID)
USAID's WID program supports the education of girls and fosters economic and political opportunities for women. These programs help create conditions that lessen the vulnerability of women and children to traffickers. USAID also funds direct anti-trafficking programs, which are described in more detail in Trafficking in Persons: USAID's Response.
 
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR)
ORR helps refugees and other special populations (such as adult victims of severe forms of trafficking) obtain economic and social self-sufficiency in the United States. ORR is responsible for certifying adult victims of human trafficking so that they may receive federally funded benefits and services to the same extent as refugees. More information about ORR benefits and services to victims of human trafficking is located on their Web site.
 

Non-Governmental Resources

American Bar Association (ABA): Commission on Domestic Violence
The Commission on Domestic Violence Web site provides ABA policies, training materials, legal briefs, and sample legal forms relevant to domestic violence issues and proceedings. The site also includes information about upcoming events and training opportunities and links to other resources and organizations.
 
Family Research Laboratory (FRL)
FRL works to understand family violence and the impact of violence in families.
 
Human Rights Watch: Campaign Against the Trafficking of Women and Girls
HRW works to protect the human rights of people around the world and campaigns against trafficking. The Web site provides research reports and other publications, news and current events, and strategies for organizational and individual activism.
 
Let’s End Human Trafficking
This community awareness campaign is an initiative of the New York City Office of the Mayor. The campaign is designed to raise awareness about human trafficking, its impact on victims, and to encourage victims to seek help. The campaign encourages victims and citizens with tips to immediately report incidents to 911 in an emergency. Individuals wishing to learn more about the campaign can contact 311 (within New York City) or may call a toll-free National Hotline at 1-888-3737-888. The campaign site also provides resources and information on training for allied professionals.
 
National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center
The National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center is devoted to achieving a better understanding of the impact of criminal victimization on adults, children, and their families.
 

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Web Forum Discussions

Each month the Nation's experts answer your questions about best practices in victim services. Below are upcoming and most recent session discussions in this topic:

On May 15 2013 at 2:00PM, John Evans, National Training Manager for Victim Services at Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and Carl McDonald, National Law Enforcement Initiative Manager for Mothers Against Drunk Driving, hosted a discussion on Drunk Driving and Child Endangerment

On Apr 19 2013 at 2:00PM, Hallie Martyniuk, author of Strengthening Military-Civilian Community Partnerships To Respond to Sexual Assault, and Major Matthew Youngblood, Victim Assistance Advisor for the U.S. Department of Defense Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office, hosted a discussion on Responding to Sexual Assault Victims through Military/Civilian Partnerships

On Apr 10 2013 at 2:00PM, Howard Davidson, director of the American Bar Association (ABA) Center on Children and the Law, and Catherine Heath, a Child and Family Program Specialist at the Children’s Bureau, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and Steven Toporoff, an attorney for the Division of Privacy and Identity Protection, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Federal Trade Commission (FTC), hosted a discussion on Child Welfare Agencies Responding to Child Identity Theft

On Mar 6 2013 at 2:00PM, Jean Bruggeman, Human Trafficking Fellow with the Office for Victims of Crime, and Robin Hassler Thompson, consultant on issues related to human trafficking and domestic and sexual violence law and policy, hosted a discussion on Meeting Legal Needs of Adult and Minor Victims of Human Trafficking

On Dec 5 2012 at 2:00PM, Regina Sobieski, project director for the U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Texas, Project Safe Neighborhoods, and Christopher Grant, nationally recognized gang specialist, with specific emphasis on Native American street gang and prison gang trends, hosted a discussion on Working With Victims of Gang Violence Session


FAQs

What type of protection does the U.S. Department of Justice provide to trafficking victims?
Information for trafficking victims is available in the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) brochu... Read More

Where do I report Internet child pornography?
Information about how to report child pornography (and other cases of sexual exploitation of childre... Read More

How many people are robbed at automated teller machines (ATMs)?
The number of robberies at ATM machines is available in the Office of Community Oriented Policing Se... Read More

How many people are murdered in the United States each year?
Year by year homicide statistics can be accessed via the Homicide Trends in the United States sectio... Read More

How many homicide victims were killed with a handgun?
Statistics on homicides committed with a handgun are available in the Bureau of Justice Statistics (... Read More

Back to Top

Funding

FY 2013 An Evidence-Based Approach to Understanding and Addressing Vicarious Trauma in Victim Assistance Professionals, Law Enforcement Officers, and Other First Responders (PDF 208 kb)
Deadline: 06/13/2013
One cooperative agreement of $1,250,000 will be awarded to support the examination, assessment, identification, and pilot testing of evidence-based policies, practices, procedures, and protocols designed to facilitate an understanding of and comprehensive approach to addressing vicarious (or secondary) traumatic stress in victim assistance professionals, law enforcement personnel, and other first responders who are subject to the impact of traumatic stress due to large-scale incidents of criminal mass violence or a series of exposures to an accumulation of traumatizing incidents. Those applying are urged to begin in advance of the June 13, 2013, deadline.


FY 2013 Services for Victims of Human Trafficking (PDF 457 kb)
Deadline: 06/10/2013
Approximately seven cooperative agreements of up to $400,000 each will be awarded to provide timely, high-quality services to victims of human trafficking as defined by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, as amended, and to enhance interagency collaboration and coordination in the provision of services to such victims. Funding will support either a comprehensive array of services for all trafficking victims, or specialized services for trafficking victims. Funding also will support efforts to increase the capacity of communities to respond to victims through the development of interagency partnerships and professional training, public outreach, and awareness campaigns. Those applying are urged to begin in advance of the June 10, 2013, deadline.

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National Calendar of Crime Victim Assistance-Related Events
Upcoming Event(s)

Online Directory of Crime Victims Services.