Attitudes / Perception / Awareness Content Topic Results

Identifying and Preventing Gender and Intersectional Bias in Law Enforcement Responses to Domestic and Sexual Violence

berdman — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:13:06 +0000

Identifying and Preventing Gender and Intersectional Bias in Law Enforcement Responses to Domestic and Sexual Violence berdman Fri, 04/05/2019 - 11:13

Published

January 14, 2022

Author(s)

Carrie Bettinger-Lopez

Rosie Hidalgo

Olivia Garcia

Renu Sara Nargund

This special collection is a product of the COURAGE in Policing Project, jointly supported by the Human Rights Clinic at the University of Miami School of Law, Casa de Esperanza National Latin@ Network, and UN Women. [Note: Rosie Hidalgo contributed to the production of this Special Collection prior to January 2021, in her capacity as Senior Director of Public Policy, Casa de Esperanza (now Esperanza United).] The purpose of this special collection is to compile resources focused on improving the law enforcement responses to domestic violence and sexual assault.

Domestic violence, sexual assault, and other forms of gender-based violence (GBV) are pandemics that are globally ubiquitous, despite decades of efforts to address these ills through public health, criminal justice, education, and social welfare sectors. Despite the devastating prevalence of GBV, the United Nations (UN) has reported that in most countries, less than 40% of women who experienced violence sought any sort of help, and of those, less than 10% sought help from the police (United Nations Statistics Division 2015). This reflects a profound mistrust of state systems whose frontline responders are usually law enforcement officers and whose purported mission is to protect and serve.

The reasons behind the fraught relationship between survivors and law enforcement are complex. They range from a lack of effective trainings on responding to GBV and communicating with survivors, to the use of investigation and prosecution policies and practices that do not account for the effects of trauma on victims, to a lack of accountability mechanisms for misconduct, including GBV perpetrated by law enforcement officers themselves, to biases (gender, race, and otherwise) that are ingrained in the criminal legal system. These dynamics particularly impact survivors from marginalized or underserved communities, who often have a deep mistrust of the police. Recent surveys underscore the significance of gender, racial, and other forms of bias in police responses to GBV, and the effects of bias on how people engage with the criminal legal system.

While law enforcement response is only one component of a comprehensive approach to GBV, it is a critical piece, particularly in the context of high-risk situations and when survivors seek to engage with the police. In 2011, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) began stepping up its investigations into discriminatory law enforcement responses to GBV in several cities and, in 2015, the DOJ published a Guidance entitled Identifying and Preventing Gender Bias in Law Enforcement Response to Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence (DOJ 2015). The Guidance, which articulates eight principles, was created to improve responses to GBV by the 18,000 law enforcement agencies (LEAs) across the U.S.

The guidance provides a foundation for considering how law enforcement can improve responses to survivors, women and girls of color, and people from historically exploited and vulnerable communities, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ+) individuals, who are disproportionately impacted by sexual assault and domestic violence. Through eight sections (A-G), this collection offers resources for identifying and preventing gender, racial, and other forms of bias, especially for underserved and marginalized survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.

We hope that this special collection will provide various perspectives and resources for advocates, law enforcement leaders, and others who are considering ways to improve law enforcement responses to gender-based violence, particularly in underserved or marginalized communities. Our hope is to expand and improve pathways to safety for survivors.

We recognize that there are many unanswered questions that may come up for readers in the review of this special collection. These may include questions such as: how have advocates approached law enforcement issues? What is the historical impact of the work done by advocates? What is the ability of law enforcement to implement measurable and sustainable change? and how can law enforcement evaluate and correct itself at this point? While this special collection does not directly answer these questions, we recognize the importance of exploring these pertinent questions in future collections to better identify and prevent gender bias in the law enforcement response to sexual assault and domestic violence. We also acknowledge the need for rigorous evaluations of existing law enforcement training programs to bring greater accountability, enhance credibility, and bridge gaps in the program to ensure training effectiveness.

In the future, the COURAGE project plans to develop a collection of resources highlighting the importance of different pathways to safety, particularly for survivors who want alternatives to the criminal legal system, such as “violence interruption” programs, restorative and transformative justice, collective healing, economic justice, and health and housing justice. We welcome your feedback and ideas.

We approach this work with the intention of dismantling misogynist, anti-black and racist norms that are prevalent throughout U.S. society, including in the criminal legal system. Indeed, it is well understood that many survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault choose not to engage with the criminal legal system for a variety of reasons, including: a history of violence by law enforcement and other state agents against women, black and minority communities; fear of the immigration, child welfare, public assistance, and other consequences for survivors and their family members; deportation, exploitation, and a desire to protect one’s family from justice system involvement. Nonetheless, for the victims who do interact with the criminal legal system, the focus of this initiative is to make existing law enforcement systems more trauma-informed, survivor-centered, and accountable.

While criminalization of individuals who inflict GBV has historically been viewed as a proxy for justice, advocates and scholars are proposing alternative frameworks, such as “violence interruption,” restorative justice, community justice, collective healing, economic justice, health and housing justice, and “police abolition.” We endorse these calls for increased research and investment in non-criminal approaches to preventing and responding to GBV, and we believe they are in line with a human rights-based, “due diligence” approach.

While we must develop and embrace a long-term vision for safety, justice, and healing for survivors, we also believe that we must develop viable models to improve police response to GBV for the foreseeable future. For such a devastating and deadly problem, we must approach the problem in the here-and-now with tactical precision. This means investing in the alternative approaches outlined above, while insisting on improvements to the criminal legal system that currently exists.

While the role of law enforcement will likely evolve in response to these crises, it remains an important system actor in the GBV context for the foreseeable future. It is thus critical that LEAs espouse and implement the following principles, expanding on the DOJ Guidance: accountability for officer-perpetrated GBV; trauma-informed interactions with survivors; effective investigation of GBV reports; and attention to intersecting forms of discrimination. Doing so will help prevent gender and other intersectional forms of bias, thereby improving responses to GBV and contributing to a safer world for all of us.

The authors are grateful to colleagues from UN Women who contributed feedback and ideas to this special collection: Mirko Fernandez, Laura Capobianco, and Caroline Meenagh.

Capacity Building for Domestic Violence Prevention Programming

ckeene — Wed, 10 Aug 2016 00:05:54 +0000

Capacity Building for Domestic Violence Prevention Programming ckeene Tue, 08/09/2016 - 20:05

Published

August 01, 2012

Domestic violence is preventable! As the movement to end domestic violence embraces this concept and explores the implementation of effective prevention programming, it is necessary to first examine the capacity of our networks, communities, and agencies to take on this work. The Missouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence defines organizational capacity for primary prevention as “the agency’s ability to support and implement domestic and sexual violence prevention efforts” (2012). When an agency fully embraces primary prevention, the work becomes part of the organizational culture, existing in all departments, volunteers, board members, and administrators (PreventConnect, 2012). It all begins with systems change within our organizations.

This collection provides materials to support the work of building this capacity for primary prevention work – primarily on the organizational level, but also as it relates to assessing and influencing change in individuals, communities, and institutions. The resources offered as part of this collection describe lessons learned from the CDC’s DELTA PREP project, provide capacity building guidelines, and review the necessary steps of readiness assessment, program development, training, evaluation, and planning for sustainability when it comes to implementing effective strategies to prevent domestic violence.

This collection was developed by the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence. Special thanks to PreventConnect, the National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence, the New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and the CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control for sharing their expertise and input to inform the content of this collection.

Press Release: NRCDV Responds to Dangerous Comments Minimizing Domestic Violence

berdman — Tue, 09 Sep 2025 17:35:03 +0000

Press Release: NRCDV Responds to Dangerous Comments Minimizing Domestic Violence berdman Tue, 09/09/2025 - 13:35

General Material

NRCDV Publications

Published Date

September, 2025

Publisher(s)

National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRCDV)

The National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRCDV) strongly disagrees with recent comments made by President Trump suggesting that “a little fight with the wife” should not be treated as a crime.

“Domestic violence is not a ‘little fight.’ It is a crime in every state,” said Pamela Jacobs, CEO of NRCDV. “Language that downplays abuse puts lives at risk. Domestic violence is a serious issue that affects 1 in 4 women and 1 in 9 men in their lifetimes. It’s the leading cause of death for pregnant and postpartum women. When leaders minimize violence in the home, it sends a message that survivors don’t matter and that those who use violence won’t be held accountable. That message is incredibly dangerous.”

Full press release available here.

Associated Files

Attachment	Size
Press Release: NRCDV Responds to Dangerous Comments (English)	245.54 KB
Press Release: NRCDV Responds to Dangerous Comments (Spanish)	446.28 KB

Material Categories

Raising Awareness

Attitudes / Perception / Awareness

Domestic Violence

Sexual Violence

WEBINAR: Navigating the Media Spotlight

ckeene — Tue, 08 Apr 2025 18:06:14 +0000

WEBINAR: Navigating the Media Spotlight ckeene Tue, 04/08/2025 - 14:06

General Material

NRCDV Publications

Training Tools

Published Date

May, 2025

Publisher(s)

National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRCDV)

Author(s)

Renée Williams

Kim Goldman

Nela Kalpic

For better or worse, media coverage of crime is here to stay. Crime survivors and victim advocates know the media glare can be unwelcome and intrusive. There are also times it can be useful, such as renewing investigators’ attention on unsolved crimes or raising awareness of victims’ issues and resources for survivors. The National Center for Victims of Crime has published a guide to help victims and advocates navigate media coverage. Learn how to use this guide and get tips about how to protect survivors, including those of domestic violence, from unwanted attention, how to leverage coverage for positive results, and more. Join this panel of advocates who helped create the guide for an informative discussion.

Learning outcomes:

Learn how to access and use NCVC’s media guides
Hear from experts with lived experience about dealing with media pressure, encouraging victim-centered storytelling, and protecting survivors’ privacy and rights
Get a basic understanding of common media terms and learn how to use NCVC’s media survival tip sheets

Associated Links

NCVC’s media guides: Media Ethics and 'True Crime'

Webinar Recording - English

Webinar Recording - Spanish

Associated Files

Attachment	Size
Webinar Slides	14.55 MB

Material Categories

Media Advocacy / Literacy

Raising Awareness

Staff Development

Privacy & Confidentiality

Attitudes / Perception / Awareness

WEBINAR: #TriumphOverTrauma Launch Party

ckeene — Tue, 08 Apr 2025 17:39:42 +0000

WEBINAR: #TriumphOverTrauma Launch Party ckeene Tue, 04/08/2025 - 13:39

General Material

NRCDV Publications

Training Tools

Published Date

May, 2025

Publisher(s)

National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRCDV)

NRCDV’s Youth Advisory Board is excited to introduce the Triumph Over Trauma Campaign in observance of Mental Health Awareness Month 2025. This youth-led campaign invites us to normalize and destigmatize experiences of trauma and adversity, and explore the ways we grow from these experiences towards resilience and healing. The launch party will center the voices of youth leaders who will share their experiences and reflections in celebration of survivorship. Join us to learn more about the #TriumphOverTrauma campaign and how you and your community can be part of it!

Associated Links

Campaign Page

Launch Party Registration

Campaign Flyer - English & Spanish

Awareness Highlights Blog Post

Launch Party Recording - English

Launch Party Recording - Spanish

Xaimara - Affirmations

Zofia - How did it change the way you see or move in the world?

Reid - Who do you lean on?

Rai-Elle - What did you learn about yourself?

Leyla - Who do you lean on?

Kiera - What are some of your coping strategies?

Katja - What are some of your coping strategies?

Julia - How did it change the way you see or move in the world?

Dee - What would you say to others who struggle to see their own strength in th…

Clementina - How did it change you?

Chenaya - What motivates you to move forward?

Cassie - What motivates you to move forward?

Xaimara - Why this campaign matters to me

Associated Files

Attachment	Size
Speaker Profiles	13.3 MB
Launch Party Slides	3.65 MB

Material Categories

Raising Awareness

Self Care / Vicarious Trauma

Trauma Informed Approach

Attitudes / Perception / Awareness

Mental Health

Young People

2024 National Prevention Town Hall

ckeene — Thu, 29 Aug 2024 16:57:40 +0000

2024 National Prevention Town Hall ckeene Thu, 08/29/2024 - 12:57

General Material

NRCDV Publications

Training Tools

Published Date

August, 2024

New Resources Added

August 29, 2024

Publisher(s)

National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRCDV)

What does prevention look like when rooted in community and culture, outside of systems? As we continue to navigate the impact from COVID and the many related shifts we’ve experienced in the past years, our values have transformed and so must our strategies. The 5th annual National Prevention Town Hall features anti-violence prevention approaches in the Mountain region of the United States.

This space offers a virtual gallery tour of innovative change-making projects, collectives, and approaches that fuel us all forward. This gallery tour can allow us to learn about what’s being mobilized beyond the systems we often work in for violence prevention. A panel follows the gallery tour so we can weave together meaningful connections and address questions about reconnection, restoration, and re-indigenizing practices in the Mountain region.

Presenters explore creative, sustainable approaches for advancing social change in the face of uncertainty. Across all aspects of our movement work - from housing rights to survivor healing to restorative justice - each of us plays a critical part in creating the world we wish to live into together. In the words of Gwendolyn Brooks, “We are each other's harvest; we are each other's business; we are each other's magnitude and bond.”

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

¿Cómo se ve la prevención cuando está cimentada en la comunidad y la cultura, al margen de los sistemas? A medida que seguimos enfrentando el impacto del COVID y los muchos cambios que hemos experimentado en los últimos años, nuestros valores se han transformado y así también deben hacerlo nuestras estrategias. El 5º Congreso Nacional de Prevención presentará los enfoques de prevención de la violencia en la Región Montañosa de los Estados Unidos.

Este espacio ofrecerá un recorrido virtual por las galerías de diferentes proyectos, colectivos y enfoques innovadores que impulsan el cambio y nos permiten avanzar a todes. Esta visita a la galería puede permitirnos conocer lo que está sucediendo en materia de prevención de violencia más allá de los sistemas con los que solemos trabajar. Luego de la visita a la galería, se llevará a cabo una mesa redonda en la que se establecerán conexiones significativas y se abordarán preguntas con relación a la reconexión, la restauración y las prácticas de reindigenización en la Región Montañosa.

Únete a nosotres para explorar los enfoques creativos y sostenibles que impulsen el cambio social frente a la incertidumbre. En todos los aspectos del trabajo que realiza nuestro movimiento, desde el derecho a la vivienda y la sanación de sobrevivientes, hasta la justicia restauradora, cada une de nosotres juega un papel fundamental en la creación del mundo en el que queremos vivir juntes. En palabras de Gwendolyn Brooks, “Somos la cosecha del otre; somos el asunto del otre; somos la magnitud y el vínculo del otre”.

Associated Links

Registration Link

Video Recording - Day 1 (English)

Video Recording - Day 1 (Spanish)

Video Recording - Day 2 (English)

Video Recording - Day 2 (Spanish)

Associated Files

Attachment	Size
Event Program (English)	5.7 MB
Event Program (Spanish)	3.16 MB
Presentation Slides - Day 1 (English)	15.51 MB
Presentation Slides - Day 2 (English)	11.18 MB
Presentation Slides - Day 1 (Spanish)	14.46 MB
Presentation Slides - Day 2 (Spanish)	9.35 MB
Graphic Recording - Day 1 (English)	7.5 MB
Graphic Recording - Day 1 (Spanish)	7.38 MB
Graphic Recording - Day 2 (English)	7.66 MB
Graphic Recording - Day 2 (Spanish)	7.57 MB
Banner Image	1.67 MB

Material Categories

Coalition Building

Collaboration / Bridge Building

Community Organizing / Mobilization / Engagement

Coordinated Community Response

Movement Building

Cultural Competence

Nontraditional Programming

Prevention Programming

Disability Rights

Immigration / Resettlement

LGBTQ Rights

Racial Justice

Attitudes / Perception / Awareness

Communities of Color

Disability

Domestic Violence

Health / Public Health

Immigrant / Refugee

Race

Supporting Survivor Health + Wellbeing: Strategies for Advocates

fdaza — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 10:30:53 +0000

Supporting Survivor Health + Wellbeing: Strategies for Advocates fdaza Mon, 09/29/2025 - 06:30

General Material

Published Date

July, 2024

New Resources Added

September 29, 2025

Publisher(s)

National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma & Mental Health (NCDVTMH)

This toolkit includes:

Health as a core value of domestic and sexual violence programs
Creating a culture of wellbeing in domestic and sexual violence advocacy programs
Health promotion strategies
Increasing healthcare access through partnership
Policy advocacy

This resource was developed in collaboration by the National Health Resource Center on Domestic Violence at Futures Without Violence, the National Center for Domestic Violence, Trauma, and Mental Health, the National Domestic Violence Hotline, and Promising Futures: Specialized Services for Abused Parents and their Children.

Associated Links

Download Resource

Material Categories

Media Advocacy / Literacy

Raising Awareness

Prevention Programming

Attitudes / Perception / Awareness

Bystander / Upstander

Telling Our Stories: Ending the Cycle of Shame

berdman — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 13:23:37 +0000

Telling Our Stories: Ending the Cycle of Shame berdman Wed, 03/13/2024 - 09:23

General Material

Published Date

March, 2024

Publisher(s)

Intercambios

Creating room for stories can unveil the complex web of chains that trap TQLGB survivors in an unending cycle of shame. This resource from Intercambios proposes a shift in perspective. Instead of wondering why individuals from TQLGB communities are hesitant to share/disclose their stories, let's redirect the focus inward and ask: "How might I or my agency be contributing to the narrative of shame?"

Associated Links

Telling Our Stories: Ending the Cycle of Shame

Material Categories

Attitudes / Perception / Awareness

Gender

Sexual Orientation / Gender Identity

Understanding Domestic Violence in the LGBTQ+ Community Zine

berdman — Tue, 28 May 2024 19:33:56 +0000

Understanding Domestic Violence in the LGBTQ+ Community Zine berdman Tue, 05/28/2024 - 15:33

General Material

Published Date

February, 2024

Publisher(s)

National LGBTQ Institute on IPV

This zine from the National LGBTQ Institute on Intimate Partner Violence serves as a survivor-defined, trauma-informed, intersectional guide for the community by the community. Readers will gain an understanding of domestic violence, learn how the LGBTQ+ community is uniquely impacted, and get resources for safety plan and get support.

Associated Links

Understanding Domestic Violence in the LGBTQ+ Community Zine

Material Categories

Raising Awareness

Attitudes / Perception / Awareness

Domestic Violence

Sexual Orientation / Gender Identity

Sexual Violence

2022 U.S. Trans Survey

berdman — Thu, 15 Feb 2024 19:01:26 +0000

2022 U.S. Trans Survey berdman Thu, 02/15/2024 - 14:01

General Material

Published Date

February, 2024

Publisher(s)

National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE)

Author(s)

Sandy E. James

Jody L. Herman

Laura E. Durso

Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen

The 2022 U.S. Trans Survey (USTS) was fielded from October 19 to December 5, 2022. As a community-based survey, the USTS was developed with the assistance of dozens of individuals and organizations with robust connections to trans people and communities throughout the United States and with subject-matter expertise.

The 2022 USTS was expanded to address lessons learned from the 2015 USTS, respond to the evolving sociopolitical landscape, and increase knowledge of the lives and experiences of trans people in the United States.

Associated Links

2022 U.S. Trans Survey

2022 U.S. Trans Survey: Early Insights

Material Categories

Civil Legal Rights & Protections

LGBTQ Rights

Attitudes / Perception / Awareness

Gender

Sexual Orientation / Gender Identity