Resources Library: Advocates

The Action Alliance and Public Policy

Added Tuesday, January 30, 2018 by Action Alliance

The Action Alliance is dedicated to enhancing Virginia's response to and prevention of sexual and domestic violence through public policy. This infographic highlights a few of our public policy priorities for the next five years.

The Economic Burden of Rape - a CDC Report

Added Thursday, February 16, 2017 by Action Alliance

The Economic Burden of Rape infographic previewSexual violence is a significant problem in the United States and prevention is a priority for CDC’s Injury Center. Studying the economic impact of rape helps us better understand the burden of sexual violence. According to the 2011 U.S. National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS), more than 23 million women and nearly 2 million men report experiencing rape at some point in their lives.

A new CDC study, “Lifetime Economic Burden of Rape among United States Adults” estimates the lifetime cost of rape in the U.S. Previous estimates focused on rape-related criminal justice costs—such as cost per sexual assault incident. CDC’s estimate includes more comprehensive information, including the cost per rape incident victims’ long-term mental and physical health outcomes.

Click below to download the report of the study or the summary infographic.

The Gold Standard? Comparing Privacy in HIPAA, VAWA, FVPSA, & VOCA webinar

Added Monday, October 24, 2016 by Action Alliance

(as presented by NNEDV and the Safety Net team on 10/18/2016)

HIPAA, VAWA, VOCA, and FVPSA all require protection of identifying information. But are they the same? Which is more protective?  Is there a "gold standard" to follow?  NNEDV's Safety Net team took an indepth look at the similarities and differences between privacy standards set by HIPAA and those required by VAWA, FVPSA, and VOCA, offering expert insight into how to check if programs are actually following appropriate and applicable privacy laws regarding client information and data, as well as clarity about the underlying goals of these federal laws and understand how they differ.

If you were unable to attend this webinar, the recorded version of the webinar is available at https://youtu.be/qCJagGiGiMQ.

Additional materials, handouts, and templates that you can adapt (such a model release forms and MOUs) can be found in their Confidentiality Toolkit at www.techsafety.org/confidentiality.

THE IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE AND SELF-CARE FOR VICTIM SERVICE PROVIDERS

Added Wednesday, July 06, 2016 by Action Alliance

"Understanding trauma can be complicated.  For victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking, trauma can stem from an isolated incident, from repeated incidents over a lifetime, or from a pattern of ongoing violence.  And, this violence and trauma can be compounded by multi-generational and/or historical trauma. Exposure to “cumulative emotional and psychological wounding over the lifespan and across generations, emanating from massive group trauma experiences” such as colonization, war, or genocide, can magnify an already devastating crime. It is important for services providers to remember that because of historical trauma, many survivors of violent crime, such as those from African American, immigrant and American Indian/Alaska Native communities, are forced to confront multiple layers of traumatic experiences as they recover and heal."

Click here for full article.

The Intersection of Spirituality, Religion And Intimate Partner Violence in the African American Community

Added Thursday, January 29, 2015 by Action Alliance

Black women look to their spiritual roots for solace and relief when coping with intimate partner violence.  This article explores the roles of the Black church in addressing intimate partner violence.  It offers suggestions for clergy on how they can facilitate healing for survivors and address perpetrators.  It concludes with a set of recommendations for domestic violence and sexual assault service providers on how they can incorporate spiritual elements into their programs.