Jewish Women International National Alliance to End Domestic Abuse Webinar June 20, 2012 Bea Hanson, Acting Director Office on Violence Against Women

The Mission of the Office on Violence Against Women To provide federal leadership in developing and expanding the nation’s capacity to reduce violence against women. To administer justice for and strengthen services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

OVW Programs OVW grant programs fund States, local governments, tribal governments, and nonprofit organizations to help communities across America develop innovative strategies to respond to violence against women. With OVW funding, communities have enforced protection orders, provided legal assistance and other services to victims, trained police officers, prosecutors, and judges, and supported local efforts to respond to violence against women.

Funded Activities Direct Services Legal Assistance Training Crisis Intervention Prevention Education Transitional Housing Law Enforcement Court Improvement

Specific Populations Rural Women in Later Life Culturally and Linguistically Specific Children and Youth College and University Campuses Tribal People with Disabilities

OVW Key Priorities 1. Sustaining financial commitments during tough economic times; 2. Reducing domestic violence-related homicide; 3. Expanding support for sexual assault victims and educating communities about the realities of rape and its impact on victims, families, and society; 4. Ensuring that underserved populations are provided with culturally-appropriate services; and 5. Working with Congress to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act.

Priority One 1. Sustaining financial commitments to prevent and respond to domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking, even during tough economic times.

OVW Enacted Budget Over 3 Years Fiscal Year 2010: $418,500,000 Fiscal Year 2011: $417,663,000 Fiscal Year 2012: $409,500,000

Priority Two 2. Reducing domestic violence-related homicide.

Domestic Violence Homicides Intimate partner homicides account for 14% of all homicides in the U.S. For every woman killed, at least nine are nearly killed. Domestic violence homicides are predictable and often preventable.

11-city study comparing women who had been killed with a control group of abused women Significant differences in the severity and pattern of abuse. Most of the women who were killed had experienced: attempted strangulation threats with weapons stalking sexual assault obsessively jealous and controlling behavior by their partners

Civil Protection Orders: A Guide for Improving Practice Provides guidance to advocates, attorneys, judges, law enforcement officers and prosecutors to ensure that protective orders are issued, served and enforced throughout the United States. Includes strategies to reduce DV homicides.

OVW Homicide Reduction Initiative Focus group of experts in domestic violence homicide Round table of state and local practitioners who have successfully reduced domestic violence related homicides Call for concept papers from states and localities

Priority Three 3. Expanding support for sexual assault victims by increasing victim support services and enhancing the criminal justice system’s response to sexual assault, including the arrest and prosecution of perpetrators; and educating communities about the realities of rape and its impact on victims, families, and society.

“Rape is rape is rape” - Vice President Biden Nearly 1 in 5 women and 1 in 71 men in the U.S. have been raped at some time in their lives, translating to approximately 22 million women and 1.6 million men.

The Sexual Assault Demonstration Initiative Enhance the range of service options for victims of sexual assault. Improve the overall treatment of sexual assault victims. Enhance the skills and knowledge of advocates working with victims and survivors. Identify barriers and document and disseminate solutions for replication.

Victimization Starts Early in Life Approximately 80% of female victims experienced first rape before age 25 and almost half before age 18. About 35% of women who were raped as minors were also raped as adults. 28% of male victims of rape were first raped when they were 10 years old or younger.

The Case of College Students Studies have shown: Over 80% of undetected college rapists reported committing rapes of women who were incapacitated because of drugs or alcohol. Only 2% of victims of incapacitated rape report the assault to law enforcement. 63% of college rapists reported committing repeat rapes, averaging six rapes each.

Campus Grant Program Encourages institutions of higher education, in partnership with community- based nonprofit victim advocacy organizations and local criminal justice or civil legal agencies, to adopt comprehensive, coordinated responses to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

Three Fundamental Realities: 1. Most interpersonal violence is perpetrated by individuals who in some way are known to the victim. 2. Most of this violence is never reported to authorities. 3. Most perpetrators of this violence are never prosecuted.

Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) Definition of Rape 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.

UCR Definition of Rape History and Background O LD D EFINITION Forcible rape: The carnal knowledge of a female, forcibly and against her will. - Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) Summary Reporting System (SRS)

The New Definition 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.

Office on Violence Against Women Programs and Resources  Grants to Encourage Arrest Policies and Enforcement of Protection Orders (Arrest Program)  Services, Training, Officers, and Prosecutors (STOP) Violence Against Women Formula Grants to States

Priority Four 4. Ensuring that underserved populations are provided with culturally-appropriate services.

Culturally and Linguistically Specific Services for Victims of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Program (CLSSP) CLSSP supports the development of innovative culturally and linguistically specific strategies and projects to enhance access to services and resources for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

Serving Diverse Needs and Diverse Communities E LIGIBILITY : Community-based programs whose primary purpose is providing culturally and linguistically specific services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Community-based programs whose primary purpose is providing culturally and linguistically specific services who can partner with a program having demonstrated expertise in serving victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

Fiscal Year 2010 Grantees Demographic Distribution

Priority Five 5. Working with Congress to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act.

Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Passed in 1994 by Congress in recognition of the severity of crimes associated with domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

VAWA VAWA 2000 improved protections for battered immigrants, elderly victims, victims with disabilities, and victims of dating violence. VAWA 2005 increased services for vulnerable and underserved victims, tribal communities, sexual assault and stalking victims, and young people.

VAWA Current Status What’s Next…

Additional Administration Priorities Federal domestic violence in the workplace policy Trafficking and the commercial sexual exploitation of children Intersection of HIV/AIDS and violence against women and girls

In the Words of the Attorney General “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.”

Bea Hanson, Acting Director Office on Violence Against Women (202)