OJP Family Violence Working Group Text

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JUSTICE PROGRAMS ON FAMILY VIOLENCE A Report to: The Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs From: The Office of Justice Programs Family Violence Working Group June 1995 "Unless we do something about violence in the home, we'll never be able to do something about violence in the streets." Attorney General Janet Reno At the American Medical Association National Conference on Family Violence, Washington, D.C. March 13, 1994 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Mission and Goals of the OJP Family Violence Working Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 II. Problem Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 III. Family Violence Programs in the Office of Justice Programs A. Bureau of Justice Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 B. Bureau of Justice Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 C. National Institute of Justice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 D. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 E. Office for Victims of Crime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 F. Violence Against Women Grants Office . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 IV. OJP Publications on Family Violence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 V. OJP Family Violence Contacts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47I. MISSION AND GOALS OF THE OJP FAMILY VIOLENCE WORKING GROUP The mission of the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs Family Violence Working Group is to provide a more prominent OJP focus on violent crime within the family through improved intra-agency and interagency information exchange, coordinated planning, and collaboration on projects. This mission is guided by legislation authorizing the work of the OJP bureaus and offices and by legislation concerning family violence. The Violence Against Women Act of 1994 has provided additional impetus to the spouse and partner abuse emphasis of the Family Violence Working Group, and the Act also includes a new program addressing rural domestic violence and child abuse enforcement. The Act is directed toward a variety of criminal justice problems. "We still hear of police who refuse to take a report from a rape victim or who refuse to arrest an abusive husband. We still hear of prosecutors who dismiss cases and judges who do not put men who attack women behind bars. We still hear of a shocking tolerance in our society of violence among individuals who are acquainted." This description of the problem, by the OJP Assistant Attorney General Laurie Robinson at a March 1995, Washington, D.C. Workshop on Violence Against Women, was followed by a recommended direction: "We must do more to educate society about violence, particularly family violence. We must encourage communities to adopt coordinated, comprehensive approaches to preventing and intervening in these crimes and assisting crime victims. We must discover how to handle perpetrators and how to prevent violence from reoccurring." The Violence Against Women Act responds to the needs of millions of women who are the victims of violence each year. It also responds to the need for fundamental changes in addressing violence against women, and it responds to the special needs of women in minority and Indian communities who are violently victimized. It provides for a comprehensive approach to fighting all forms of violence against women through a broad array of legal and practical reforms. Under the Act a new federal offense of interstate domestic violence is created, and the first conviction has already been handed down. The defendant in the case faces up to 20 years in prison for severely beating his wife, locking her in his trunk, and driving across state lines from West Virginia to Kentucky. To implement the Act the Department of Justice established a Violence Against Women Office under the Associate Attorney General and a Violence Against Women Grants Office in the Office of Justice Programs. Bonnie Campbell is the Director of the Violence Against Women Office which is dedicated to carrying out the new vision of the Violence Against Women Act by encouraging coordination and cooperation among the various justice and service agencies at all levels of government. The Office is also working to transform public attitudes toward these crimes and dispel the notion that these acts of violence against women are private disputes not fit for public scrutiny or legal judgement. Chapter 2 under Subtitle A of the VAW Act is a major new effort to provide support to the States and Indian tribal governments for criminal justice responses and victim assistance efforts. It is being implemented by the Violence Against Women Grants Office which is administered by Kathy Schwartz. Details of the program are presented under the section on the Violence Against Women Grants Office. These VAW grants are intended to lay the foundation for on-going interventions that promote and increase an effective criminal justice system response to violence against women, and also to increase the range of services for the victims of such violence. The OJP Working Group on Family Violence was established by the Assistant Attorney General in November 1993 and is currently comprised of representatives from the six OJP bureaus and offices: the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS); and the Violence Against Women Grants Office (VAW). The Working Group on Family Violence is chaired jointly by Bernie Auchter of the National Institute of Justice and Kathy Schwartz of the Violence Against Women Grants Office. Other members of the Working Group include Cheri Crawford, Sam McQuade, Lois Mock, and Richard Titus from the NIJ; Marti Speights, Jackie McCann Clelland, Olga Trujillo and Ashley Oliver from OVC; Sharie Cantelon from OJJDP; Ronet Bachman and Michael Rand from BJS; Jennifer Knobe, Jill Kateman, and Alison Perkins from BJA; Catherine Pierce and Jacque Agtuca from VAW; and Mai Fernandez, Special Assistant to the Deputy Assistant Attorney General. The goals of the working group are to: Coordinate and collaborate in planning, funding, and knowledge dissemination activities within OJP and, sharing information with other Federal agencies having responsibilities in this area; Identify and assess the areas that need to be developed through research, evaluation, training, technical assistance, data collection, demonstration programs, and program funding through the bureaus and offices of OJP; Coordinate, as appropriate, with pertinent components in the Department of Justice including, especially the Violence Against Women Office, the Criminal Division, the Office of Policy Development, and the Executive Office of U.S. Attorneys. Develop an annual report to the Assistant Attorney General on OJP family violence programs and projects within the bureaus and offices. The report provides the status of these efforts, and contains general information on the dimensions of family violence, OJP publications, and a listing of contacts; Review and comment on proposed legislation regarding family violence issues and provide recommendations on family violence to the Assistant Attorney General as requested; Continue meeting monthly to exchange information and keep all bureaus and offices informed of significant events, publications, conferences and meetings that focus on family violence; and Continue a policy of encouraging involvement in the Working Group by having meetings that are open to all interested individuals and by inviting members and other staff to meetings with visiting practitioners, researchers and other family violence experts. II. PROBLEM STATEMENT Not many decades ago, what happened within the home was considered to be a private, family matter and was excluded from scrutiny by the public. During the last two decades, there has been an increase in awareness of the seriousness of child abuse and neglect, spouse/partner abuse, and elder abuse not only as serious societal problems but as crimes. As a result, there has been an increase in the use of the criminal process in addressing family and domestic violence. National incidence and research studies reveal the dramatic increase in family violence and the increasing tendency to respond to the problem not only as crime within the family but also as the prevention of crime outside the family. The Department of Justice began to address the family violence problem more directly eleven years ago with the report of the Attorney General's Task Force on Family Violence. The Task Force stated: "A great proportion of those who assault both strangers and loved ones were raised themselves in violent households. This is learned behavior. To tolerate family violence is to allow the seeds of violence to be sown into the next generation." A justice focus on family violence is therefore one that concerns violence prevention as well as a just outcome in individual cases. The nature and extent of violence within the family is tragic and alarming. It suggests a continued burden and challenge to our society. In 1994 approximately 1,271 children died as a result of child abuse and neglect; an estimated 3,140,000 children were reported for maltreatment; and, of those reported, an estimated 1,036,000 children were confirmed as victims of maltreatment by child protective services (National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse, April 1995). In 1994 approximately 11 percent of substantiated child maltreatment cases (approximately 113,960) involved sexual abuse (National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse, April 1995). About 15% of all victims of child maltreatment in 36 reporting states were removed from their homes in 1993. (Child Maltreatment 1993, National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect). Early childhood abuse and neglect place victims at an increased risk for delinquency, adult criminality, and violent criminal behavior. Being abused or neglected as a child increases the risk of arrest as a juvenile by 53 percent, as an adult by 38 percent, and for a violent crime by 38 percent. (The Cycle of Violence, Cathy Spatz Widom, NIJ, 1992). Co mpared to victims of childhood physical abuse and neglect, victims of childhood sexual abuse are at greater risk of being arrested for one type of sex crime: prostitution. (Victims of Childhood Sexual Abuse - Later Criminal Consequences, Cathy Spatz Widom, NIJ, 1995). In 43 percent of serious child abuse or neglect cases, at least one parent has a documented substance abuse problem. Alcohol, cocaine, and heroin were the most frequently abused drugs (Murphy, Jellinek, Quinn, Smith, Poitrast, and Goshko, Child Abuse and Neglect, V 15 N 3, 1991). The more a child is physically punished, the greater the probability that he or she will assault a spouse or someone outside his/her family (Murray Straus, "Discipline and Deviance: Physical Punishment of Children and Violence and Other Crime in Adulthood," Social Problems, 38 (2) 1991). 75 percent of men against whom restrainin g orders are issued have prior criminal records, and nearly half have histories of committing violent crime (Isaac, Cochran, Brown, and Adams, "Men Who Batter," Archives of Family Medicine, January 1994). Of fenders committed over a half million violent cri mes against a spouse or ex- spouse. Of these 9% were rapes or sexual assaults, 6% were robberies, 14% aggravated assaults, and 71% were simple assaults. ("Criminal Victimization 1993," Lisa Bastian, BJS, May 1995). Females were victimized by relatives at 4 times the rate of males (8 violennt victimizations per 1,000 females versus 2 per 1,000 males). (Criminal Victimization 1993," Lisa Bastian, BJS, May 1995). An analysis of assaults by family members and intimate acquaintances found that firearm assaults are over twelve times more likely to end in death than assaults involving other weapons (Arthur Kellerman, The American Medical Association National Conference on Family Violence, March 10, 1994). About 5 percent of the nation's elderly may be victims of moderate to severe abuse (Elder Abuse: A Decade of Shame and Inaction, Subcommittee on Health and Long-Term Care of the Select Committee on Aging of the U.S. House of Representatives, May 1990). The National Aging Resource Center on Elder Abuse estimates that nearly 1.57 million older people became victims of domestic elder abuse during 1991. While one out of three child abuse cases is reported, only one out of every eight cases of elder abuse is reported (based on a survey of States by the Subcommittee on Health and Long-Term Care). Ba sed on data from the redesigned National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) for 1992-93, we know that out of the nearly 5 m illion violent victimizations of women which occurred annuall y, 29% were perpetrated by intimates including husbands and exhusbands and boyfriends and exboyfriends. Over three-quarters of violent incidents against women were perpetrated by offenders known to the victim ("Violence Against Women: Estimates from the Redesigned Survey," Ronet Bachman and Linda Saltzman, BJS, August 1995). Rates of intimate perpetrated violence from the NCVS were more than six times higher for women than for men. Incidents of homicide from the Uniform Crime Report reveal similar victim/offender relationship patterns. Female victims of homicide in 1992 were significantly more likely to be killed by an intimate as male victims of homicide. For example, more than 1,400 women were killed by husbands and boyfriends in 1992 while just more than 630 men were killed by wives and girlfriends ("Violence Against Women: Estimates from the Redesigned Survey," Ronet Bachman and Linda Saltzman, BJS, August 1995). Also based on data from the NCVS, we know that women who experienced violence at the hands of an intimate were more likely to be injured as the result of their victimization compared to women who were victimized by a stranger ("Violence Against Women: Estimates from the Redesigned Survey," Ronet Bachman and Linda Saltzman, BJS, August 1995). A national survey of criminal justice practitioners reveals that virtually all police chiefs and sheriffs indicated that domestic violence contributed to workload problems. Over 91% of the responding prosecutors and 82% of public defenders cited domestic violence and child abuse cases as contributors to workload problems in their offices. Of the judges responding to the survey, 79% indicated child abuse cases contributed to workload problems and 85% indicated domestic violence cases contributed to workload problems. Finally, two-thirds of jail administrators report domestic violence as a moderate or major contributor to their jail crowding problems. (National Institute of Justice, National Assessment Program: 1994 Survey Results, June 1995). Given the important role of the criminal and civil justice systems, the limited resources available to address family violence, and the goals relative to family violence that are embodied in the Crime Act, particularly the Violence Against Women Act, it is important that DOJ and OJP closely examine current efforts, prioritize the use of available funds and resources, and coordinate efforts within OJP, DOJ, and other responsible Federal agencies. The Department of Justice has begun to respond with an expanded and coordinated focus on the many justice related needs surrounding this grave national problem of violence within families. The following sections detail the ways in which the OJP bureaus and offices are addressing the problem. III. THE OFFICE OF JUSTICE PROGRAMS: FAMILY VIOLENCE PROGRAMS BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE I. Legislative Mandate The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) administers the Edward Byrne State and Local Assistance Program, which was established by the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986 and re-authorized by the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988. The Byrne program consists of a Discretionary and a Formula Grant Program. The Discretionary Program is designed to determine what is most effective in criminal justice and drug control, to disseminate that information to State and local agencies, and to assist in the replication of effective programs and practices. The Formula Grant Program provides States with funds that are distributed to State and local criminal justice agencies to implement each State's drug control and violent crime strategy. These funds can be used to replicate effective demonstration proposals. Family violence is one of twenty-two purpose areas in the State and local assistance program. II. Background and History Following the Attorney General's Task Force on Family Violence in 1984, which advocated criminal intervention and prosecution in appropriate cases, BJA funded a series of local demonstration programs between 1986 and 1990, primarily in prosecutors' offices, showing that the criminal justice system can successfully prosecute, convict, and sentence abusers. These programs have also determined that cooperation between criminal justice systems and social services systems is desirable, if, early on, an approach is fostered and maintained by a coordinating body comprised of the leaders of the participating agencies. These demonstration programs, with accompanying evaluation efforts, involved eleven spouse abuse intervention projects and seven child abuse prosecution efforts, for a total investment of over $3.5 million. They were designed to develop and document improved justice system practices for handling family violence cases. The Family Violence Program resulted in a comprehensive document entitled "Family Violence: Intervention for the Justice Systems." This publication is a current and valuable source of information for initiating or enhancing criminal justice intervention and treatment efforts in a jurisdiction. III. Current Programs Discretionary Grant Program The discretionary grant program includes six projects: Violence Against Women--Demonstration Sites. Currently funding three pilot projects, this effort is an attempt to identify mechanisms and procedures which affect the jurisdiction-wide coordination of criminal justice agencies, victim services, social services, medical services and others, as appropriate, to ensure that a jurisdiction's issues and problems concerning violence against women are handled effectively. There is a city-wide program in Baltimore, Maryland; a county-wide program in Santa Clara, California; and a statewide program through the Administrative Office of the Supreme Court of the Commonwealth of Virginia. These three pilot programs provide BJA with a basis for determining a prototype to enhance and coordinate jurisdiction-wide responses to issues concerning violence against women. Violence Against Women--Training and Technical Assistance. The American Prosecutors' Research Institute, in cooperation with the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (sub-contractors) acts as a resource center for the three demonstration sites that address coordinating councils for violence against women. Both professional organizations provide technical assistance to support implementation of critical elements that outline the tasks and responsibilities of the coordinating councils in the demonstration sites. The scope of the technical assistance includes practitioners in the criminal and civil courts as well as those working in related areas such as social services, mental health, battered women's shelters, victim advocacy, and batterer and substance abuse treatment. Domestic Abuse Response Team (DART). Operated through the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office, The Domestic Violence Response Team (DART) provides a centralized, coordinated, multi-disciplinary response to domestic violence. It emphasizes victim safety and prevents further and more serious violence or injury to children. The project's goals include contacting victims of domestic violence within 24 hours of arrest; offering multi-service coordinated intervention; prosecuting abusers promptly; seeking appropriate sentences and/or treatment for abusers; and implementing intensive case management. The program utilizes vertical prosecution, through which the same prosecutor handles all aspects of a case. Interagency Strategies on Domestic Violence and Stalking. This program explores the relationship between drugs (including alcohol) and domestic violence. The purpose of this program by the American Prosecutors' Research Institute is to provide practical, substantive responses to documented needs of prosecutors in effectively handling domestic violence and stalking cases. The program is divided into two components: the first addresses the issue of substance abuse and other factors in the context of domestic violence, and the second addresses the issue of stalking as it relates to domestic violence. A Regional Seminar Series for States on Implementing Anti-Stalking Codes. The purpose of this effort by the National Criminal Justice Association is to assist public policy makers and criminal justice officials in making informed judgements about the effectiveness of stalking laws. This project includes model code provisions and commentary that arose in drafting the code, contains a profile of the existing State stalking statutes, addresses bail and sentencing decisions, discusses code implementation strategies, and offers recommendations for stalking-related research. Intervening in Family and Domestic Violence: A Resource Manual for Community Corrections Professionals. This project enhances the ability of community corrections professionals to intervene effectively with perpetrators of family and domestic violence by preparing a resource manual on family and domestic violence, providing workshops, and conducting two pilot programs. The project is being conducted and dissemination plans are being developed by the American Probation and Parole Association. The manual will be available in July 1995. Formula Grant Program BJA provides funds for many family violence programs throughout State and local jurisdictions. Funding is determined by the Statewide strategy submitted annually to BJA. These programs are diverse, including prevention, intervention, treatment, child abuse, elder abuse, spousal abuse, response teams, prosecution, and multi-agency cooperative efforts. BJA's publication, Domestic and Family Violence: Highlighted Programs from the State Annual Reports, outlines many of the current formula grant funded family violence programs. Publications produced from BJA's Innovative Programs working meetings are another valuable resource. The following programs are selected examples of the variety of projects supported under the formula grant program: COLORADO Parenting as Prevention Program. Regional training brings together parents, educators, community members, and law enforcement officers. These individuals return to their communities to offer training in parenting skills. The Colorado Federation of Parents offers technical assistance follow-up, including initiation of parenting groups, assistance with training and resources, and working with the media. An annual television broadcast of a six session Active Parenting Program is shown each year on public service television. HAWAII Domestic and Family Violence. The objectives of the program are to provide the police department with specific training to respond to domestic violence calls; to immediately link up victims and family members to services; to increase the amount of interagency cooperation; and to reduce the number of domestic violence incidents through this consistent and systematic response. Domestic and Family Violence Response Team. The prosecutor team is trained to expedite investigation and prosecution of domestic violence perpetrators and to provide counseling services to domestic violence victims and family members. Coordination with other criminal justice agencies has been increased to develop staff training opportunities and services to domestic violence victims. Domestic Violence Prosecution Program. The objectives of the program are to establish a domestic violence prosecution unit and increase the number of domestic violence cases prosecuted using a vertical prosecution model; to establish a career criminal classification system to identify repeat offenders; and to provide training and networking opportunities for the domestic violence prosecution unit. MASSACHUSETTS Massachusetts Attorney General's Elderly Protection Project. The Project provides multi-disciplinary training designed to promote collaboration between police officers and local elder protective service workers, which enhances officers' skills in reducing, reporting, and responding to instances of abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation of older citizens. Training explores the following topics: the demographics of an increasing elder population and its implications for police services; myths and facts about aging; effective communication techniques, including background on the concerns, fears, and vulnerabilities of the elderly; enhanced investigation through detailed report writing and photographs; financial exploitation in its various forms; the elder abuse reporting law and coordination with the protective services system; understanding domestic violence and its applicability to the elderly; mental health issues; police response to missing persons with Alzheimer's Disease; and case studies in elder abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation. This is the only comprehensive, statewide law enforcement training program concerning elder issues in Massachusetts. NEW MEXICO San Felipe Domestic Violence Program. The program components include early intervention, public service campaigns to increase the reporting of domestic violence, and projects which provide direct treatment to victims and perpetrators. The funded projects include two Indian Pueblos. The San Felipe program attempts to increase the reporting of domestic violence incidents, develops case studies, establishes a coordinated referral system between tribal court and community social services, and decreases the incidence of abuse. The program establishes, develops, and maintains over 161 client contacts. These include in-home visits, phone contacts, coordination with other programs, and referrals. Once a contact is made, a risk scale is utilized to measure the level of abuse. The scale is administered by a family and domestic violence counselor to determine the at-risk behaviors of both victim and perpetrator. NORTH CAROLINA Child Abuse Response Team (CART). The CART Program focuses on family violence, particularly child abuse, by improving investigations of child abuse cases, strengthening the prospect of successful prosecution of cases brought to trial, and creating a working model of operations that can be duplicated by other jurisdictions. The CART serves as a model for use in other departments, with a cross-training component with other agencies. Child Victim Assistance Project. The program provides direct assistance to child victims and their families with the help of trained volunteers coordinated by the District Attorney's Office and the Attorney General's Office. Child victims are given one-on-one attention by the State during the criminal prosecution process. The program involves cooperation from the District Attorney's Office and volunteer coordinators. A project director represents the Attorney General's Office in the program. OREGON Combatting Violent Crimes. The purpose of this project is to reduce crimes in domestic situations. The Domestic Violence Reduction Unit, consisting of six officers and a sergeant, reviews all police reports of domestic violence and conducts investigations to increase the number of domestic violence prosecutions. The unit contacts each victim and helps him or her obtain shelter services, counseling, and legal assistance. Investigated cases are referred to the Multnomah County District Attorney's special prosecution unit. Convicted offenders are offered the opportunity to enter Multnomah County's deferred sentencing program which includes intensive supervision and treatment. Services include emergency housing, transportation, intensive intervention such as drug and alcohol treatment, legal advocacy, access to gang reduction programs, support groups, and counseling. PENNSYLVANIA Enhanced Child Abuse Prosecution Project (ECAP). Allegheny County's Enhanced Child Abuse Prosecution Project is a collaborative effort among the District Attorney's Office and significant local agencies to enhance the prosecution of child abuse cases and reduce the effects of victimization. Three assistant district attorneys in the Crime Persons Unit prosecute only child abuse cases. As a result, assistant district attorneys are available to investigators to conduct joint interviews of child abuse victims, regularly attend preliminary hearings, consult with victims and their families, and consult with agencies providing services to the victim. Armstrong County Batterer Intervention Group. ARC Manor (a drug and alcohol center) and HAVIN (a domestic violence shelter) form the Batterer Intervention Group. The group, which meets weekly, is facilitated by a treatment specialist. The overall goal of the intervention group is to reduce the incidence of physical, mental, and emotional violence. Clients are referred through HAVIN or the legal system. The project uses the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence program standards for batterer intervention. Other activities include educating the criminal justice system about the availability of and necessity for such intervention, addressing the attitudes of a rural population regarding battering, and ensuring the victim's safety during the intervention services. Philadelphia Childsaf. The goal of the program is to successfully prosecute the abuser while providing support to the child victim. Program components include a multi-disciplinary approach in which a prosecutor from the Child Abuse Unit and a social worker from the Support Center for Child Advocates work together to identify and follow through on cases; vertical prosecution which is especially useful for serious child abuse cases because of the victim's heightened need for consistency; and pre- and post-conviction services which allow the social worker on the CHILDSAF team to make referrals to outside agencies, provide limited counseling, and follow-up after prosecution. Prevention of Violence and Victimization Among Teens. Turning Point's Family/Dating Violence Prevention program serves school districts in Lehigh and Northampton Counties. The goal of the program is to identify and prevent abusive dating relationships and to end the cycle of violence through education. Turning Point provides two programs, one for middle school students focusing on family violence and one for high school students focusing on dating violence. Each program is one hour in length for two sessions. Through films and discussion, students learn the definitions of abuse and domestic violence and identify the three types of domestic abuse and examples of each. Gender stereotypes are examined and linked to domestic abuse. SOUTH CAROLINA Criminal Sexual Assault Investigator. The overall goal of the Child Sexual Abuse Special Investigator is to enhance investigation, and thereby prosecution, of child sexual abuse cases. The Special Investigator receives reports of child sexual abuse through an incident report, referral letter from the Department of Social Services, or schools or hospitals. The investigator, who is assigned solely to sexual abuse cases, then initiates an investigation that includes interviews, medical examinations, and witness statements. When appropriate, charges are filed. If the Department of Social Services is involved, the Special Investigator testifies at the DSS Family Court hearing. In the interim between preliminary hearing and general sessions, the investigator maintains contact with the child victim and addresses any needs of the victim. He or she prepares the child for court during this time. The Special Investigator is able to provide comprehensive services because his or her time is not divided among a larger caseload. TENNESSEE Special Prosecution Unit on Domestic Violence. A vertical prosecution unit with specially trained attorneys handles all felony domestic violence cases. The unit works closely with the Family Violence Police Unit, Victim Witness advocates, and community and court agencies which serve the victims of domestic violence and their batterers. A coordinated, continuous relationship exists between the Victim Intervention Program and the Special Prosecution Unit on Domestic Violence. Shelter advocates are notified of court proceedings involving victims receiving shelter services. The Victim Advocates in the Special Prosecution Unit on Domestic Violence also work closely with the Peace Program and other batterers' programs. UTAH Child Abuse Protection Program. The Child Abuse Prosecution Unit operated out of the Utah Attorney General's Office responds to the problems of physical and sexual child abuse. The Child Abuse Unit supports a multi-disciplinary approach to child abuse cases, encouraging the Division of Family Services, law enforcement, and prosecutors to work together and share information. The Child Abuse Unit also provides training statewide and has assumed a leadership role in proposing and lobbying for legislative changes to child abuse laws. Unit personnel provide assistance to prosecutors and investigators who need technical assistance, advice, and consultation. The unit also assumes the prosecution and/or investigation function when requested by the County Attorney. Other responsibilities include reviewing and responding to complaints referred to the Attorney General's Office regarding inadequate investigative or prosecutorial efforts in child abuse cases, and maintaining up to date training on all developments in the area of child abuse investigation and prosecution, with the goal of being a resource for others involved in the prosecution of these cases. WASHINGTON Domestic Violence Legal Advocacy Program. The goal of the Domestic Violence Legal Advocacy program is to decrease the incidence of domestic violence in the State of Washington by facilitating victims' access to and use of currently available legal sanctions and social services. The program's objectives are to increase the domestic violence victims' ability to protect themselves and their children through legal sanctions and to obtain needed services in order to end the violence in their lives. The program assists victims in filing criminal justice protection orders and anti-harassment orders; processing civil remedies to domestic violence such as divorce and separation filings, child custody, visitation orders, or parenting plans; and accessing needed financial aid and social services. WEST VIRGINIA West Virginia Family Violence Project. This project provides seven eight-hour training sessions in law enforcement response to family violence. Pre-trained volunteer trainers use updated curriculum and manuals. This project also reprints and distributes updated training manuals to approximately 250 law enforcement officers throughout the State. One project goal is to make available to law enforcement professionals and policy makers training and materials dealing with the law enforcement response to domestic violence. This is accomplished by informing members of the Family Protection Training Teams of this project; organizing volunteer training teams willing to present the training session; and arranging for trainers, curriculum, and sites needed to comply with the Law Enforcement Training directives of the Governor's Committee on Crime, Delinquency, and Correction. The second goal is to make available to law enforcement professionals and policy makers information dealing with legislative changes mandated during the 1994 legislative session. The training manual incorporates the rules and regulations for the law enforcement response to domestic violence currently being developed by the Advisory Committee of the Governor's Committee on Crime, Delinquency, and Correction, and is being updated. The third goal is to produce and distribute at least 250 revised manuals on family violence to law enforcement professionals by working with Prison Industries to incorporate new materials into the existing manuals and to reprint them; providing manuals free of charge to approximately 250 training participants; and including a copy of the revised manual in curriculum repositories at the Police training facilities and the Criminal Justice Department at Marshall University. IV. Anticipated Plans In June 1995, the National Criminal Justice Association's final report on implementing anti-stalking codes will be available. The report will apply the model code and provide commentary and recommendations to help the criminal justice community explore legislative and programmatic approaches to addressing the issue of stalking. In July 1995, The Bureau of Justice Assistance will have available a publication that discusses the policy and operational aspects of the Philadelphia District Attorneys Office's "Domestic Abuse Response Team." This publication will be provided to all local prosecutors' offices interested in replicating the D.A.R.T. approach to domestic violence intervention and treatment. Federal funding to support the replication of this program could be awarded by BJA formula grant funds provided that the State has included domestic violence in the current funding strategies. Other future publications relating, in part, to family violence are: "State and Local Programs: Treatment, Rehabilitation, and Education," "State and Local Programs: Understanding and Combatting Violence," and "State and Local Programs: Preventing Violence and Drug Abuse." In addition, a State and Local Working Meeting on Family Violence is currently under consideration. BUREAU OF JUSTICE STATISTICS I. Legislative Mandate The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) collects, analyzes, publishes, and disseminates statistical information on crime including criminal victimization, criminal offenders, and the operations of justice systems at both all levels of government and internationally. These objective data and analyses are used by key policy makers at the Federal, State, and local levels in their efforts to combat drugs and crime. BJS also provides technical and financial support to State statistical and operating agencies responsible for the collection and analysis of State criminal justice data and statistics. Additionally, BJS administers a major program, funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, to assist State and local governments in improving their criminal history records and information systems. Within several of these domains, the etiology of family violence is given particular attention. II. History and Current Programs The National Crime Victimization Survey The primary source of information sponsored by BJS on family violence comes from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). This survey, which began in 1973, collects data on personal and household victimizations through an ongoing national survey of residential addresses. Specifically, the survey provides measures for the following types of crimes including attempts: rape, sexual assault, robbery, assault, larceny, burglary, and motor vehicle theft. Detailed information about each victimization incident and its consequences is recorded as well as the characteristics of the offender insofar as the victim can report them. The current sample consists of approximately 50,000 housing units and 101,000 persons age 12 or older. Individuals are interviewed every 6 months for a period of 3 years; the average response rate is over 95 percent. Estimating violence against women that occurs "behind closed doors" at the hands of an intimate remains a difficult task for the NCVS. Many factors inhibit women from reporting their victimizations to researchers, including the private nature of the event, the perceived stigma associated with one's victimization, the belief that no purpose will be served in reporting it, as well as fear of retaliation from the offender. After an extensive 10-year redesign project, the NCVS now utilizes a new survey instrument which more directly queries respondents about rape and other acts of violence perpetrated by intimates. Included in the screener instrument, after the general questions concerning acts of violence or theft, is an item that asks the following: Other than any incidents already mentioned, has anyone attacked or threatened you in any of these ways: (a) With any weapon, for instance, a gun or a knife - (b) With anything like a baseball bat, frying pan, scissors, or stick - (c) By something thrown, such as a rock or bottle - (d) Any grabbing, punching or choking - (e) Any face to face threats - OR (f) Any attack or threat or use of force by anyone at all? Please mention it even if you are not certain it was a crime. After this question is asked, respondents are further queried about any attacks or threats of attack which have been committed by family members. The next question asks: People often don't think of incidents committed by someone they know. (Other than any incidents already mentioned,) did you have something stolen from you OR were you attacked or threatened by (a) Someone at work or school, (b) A neighbor or friend, (c) A relative or family member, (d) Any other person you've met or known? The redesigned NCVS survey also queries respondents much more directly about their experiences with unwanted sexual contact, including those with intimates such as husbands/boyfriends or other family members. To ascertain information on rape experienced by both males and females, respondents are now asked the question: Incidents involving forced or unwanted sexual acts are often difficult to talk about. (Other than any incidents already mentioned), have you been forced or coerced to engage in unwanted sexual activity by (a) Someone you didn't know before, (b) A casual acquaintance, or (c) Someone you know well? If a respondent replies yes, an incident report is completed. At this time, the interviewer is asked to clarify exactly what type of sexual activity occurred by asking the respondent: "Do you mean forced or coerced sexual intercourse?" Again, if the answer is affirmative, the incident is coded as a rape. If there is some confusion by what "sexual intercourse" implies, interviewers are provided with a very explicit definition of rape adopted by the NCVS. This definition can be used for reference or can be read to respondents at any time during the interview. It states: Rape is forced sexual intercourse and includes both psychological coercion as well as physical force. Forced sexual intercourse means vaginal, anal, or oral penetration by the offender(s). This category also includes incidents where the penetration is from a foreign object such as a bottle. Depending on the respondent's reply, an incident can be categorized into the following very specific types of sexual victimization: Completed Rape, Attempted Rape, Verbal Threat of Rape, Attempted Verbal Threat of Rape, Completed Sexual Attack (Grabbing, Fondling, etc.), Verbal Threat of Sexual Attack, and Unwanted Sexual Contact. For all acts of violence measured by the NCVS, if a respondent revealed that s/he had been attacked or otherwise victimized by someone known to him/her, the relationship of the victim to the offender can be categorized within one of the following categories: known by sight only, a casual acquaintance, spouse at time of incident, ex-spouse at time of incident, parent or step-parent, own child or step-child, brother/sister, other relative, boy/girlfriend or ex-boy/girlfriend, friend or ex-friend, roommate or boarder, schoolmate, neighbor, someone at work, or other non-relative. Estimates of violence against women from the redesigned NCVS instrument reveal that out of the nearly 5 million violent victimizations against women which occur annually, 29% were perpetrated by intimates including husbands and exhusbands, and boyfriends and exboyfriends. Over three-quarters of all violent incidents against women were perpetrated by offenders known to the victim. Rates of intimate perpetrated violence from the redesigned NCVS were found to be over 6 times higher for women than for men. Intimate perpetrated violence affected women of all races and ethnic backgrounds to about the same extent. The redesigned NCVS screening instrument has been but one step in the evolution of our thinking about issues relating to rape and family violence. It is important to remember, however, that research, including the NCVS, cannot be divorced from the social context in which it is conducted. Existing attitudes and stereotypes pertaining to family violence undoubtedly affect the extent to which all surveys, including the NCVS, can accurately quantify the problem. The NEISS Program BJS has also contracted the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to utilize the CPSC's ongoing National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) to obtain injury data related to intentional injuries, especially injuries related to violence or abuse within households. The CPSC began collecting data for the BJS Intentional Injury Study at 31 hospitals throughout the nation on October 1, 1993. Under the NEISS program, specially trained coders at each hospital examine the record of every patient treated in the hospital's emergency room for information about the cause of any injury for which the patient is being treated. For the Intentional Injury Study, the coders use information present on the record to code whether or not the injury was caused intentionally, or whether information on the record is consistent with an intentional injury. To date, the 31 hospitals in the sample have obtained information on 18,666 patients with injuries treated. Of these, 1,853 (10 percent) were coded as "intentional" injuries, and 222 (1 percent) were coded as possible intentional injuries. Survey of Prison and Jail Inmates In addition to ascertaining characteristics of victims (e.g. relationship to offender, age, etc.), new questions have been added to the BJS sponsored Survey of Prison and Jail Inmates which measure the extent to which inmates experienced either physical or sexual abuse as children. Specifically, the first question solicits information by asking inmates, "Have you ever been physically or sexually abused?" Subsequent questions determine the age at which this (these) victimization(s) occurred (before age 18 or older), the age of the abuser (adult, minor), and the relationship of the abuser (parent or guardian, spouse, relative, boy/girlfriend, friend or acquaintance). A recent BJS publication, Women in Prison, found that 43 percent of women inmates and 12 percent of male inmates had been either physically or sexually abused. The majority of these victimizations had occurred while the inmate was under the age of 18. III. Anticipated Plans Using data for 1992 and 1993 from the redesigned National Crime Victimization Survey, BJS released a Special Report entitled, "Violence Against Women: Estimates from the Redesigned Survey" in June of 1995. In addition, a forthcoming publication called, Violence Against Women: An Examination of Vulnerabilities, will examine violence against women and how the contextual characteristics of this violence compares to violence against men. This report will also examine the consequences of violence against women including injuries sustained, medical costs, and police intervention to this violence by different victim and offender relationships. NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF JUSTICE I. Legislative Mandate The National Institute of Justice is the research and development agency of the United States Department of Justice. NIJ was established to prevent and reduce crime and to improve the criminal justice system. Specific mandates established by Congress in the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, as amended, and the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 direct the National Institute of Justice to: Sponsor special projects and research and development programs that will improve and strengthen the criminal justice system and reduce or prevent crime; Conduct national demonstration projects that employ innovative or promising approaches for improving criminal justice; Develop new technologies to fight crime and improve criminal justice; Evaluate the effectiveness of criminal justice programs and identify programs that promise to be successful if continued or repeated; Recommend actions that can be taken by Federal, State, and local governments as well as private organizations to improve criminal justice; Carry out research on criminal behavior; and Develop new methods to prevent and reduce crime and delinquency. II. Background and History The National Institute of Justice has conducted research on child abuse and spouse assault for many years. In recent years, family violence research and evaluation addressing primarily the concerns of the justice system has been developed into a major program area at NIJ. Thus, the mandates cited above concern both serious crime committed by strangers as well as violence within the family and among other intimates. The program includes the sponsorship of applied and basic research. The results of these projects have informed criminal justice practitioners across the nation through a variety of useful publications. The more recent publications are cited under the publications section of this report. Experimental research on spouse assault has addressed primarily the police response to the problem. An initial experiment in Minneapolis found positive effects of arrest in decreasing repeat offenses, while several replications in other cities produced mixed results. One interpretation of these data suggests that being employed is a key factor in determining the positive effects of arrest for spouse assault. More recent research on spouse and partner assault has gone beyond this initial focus on the police response. Past NIJ sponsored projects on child abuse have addressed a variety of topics including: the impact of the juvenile and criminal court process on the child; police investigations of child abuse; the impact of child abuse and neglect on later criminality; improvements in interviewing techniques with children; trial considerations in the prosecution of child abuse; and an examination of the penalties imposed for sexual abuse when the victim is a child compared to an adult. In addition to the publications resulting from these research projects, many informative presentations on the project findings have been made at various professional meetings. Some recently concluding projects have addressed topics such as: the impacts of arrest on the social control of violence among intimates; evaluations of the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act and the Virginia Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Program; and an examination of how the nation's probation and parole agencies are responding to the increased demand for supervision and management of sex offenders. Data collected from these and other projects will serve as a valuable source of information for upcoming publications. III. Current Program The current program for NIJ-sponsored research and evaluation has been solicited within six major goal areas. The goal areas are: reduce violent crime, reduce drug- and alcohol-related crime, reduce the consequences of crime, improve the effectiveness of crime prevention programs, improve law enforcement and the criminal justice system, and develop new technology for law enforcement and the criminal justice system. The family violence research program cuts across all of these goals and currently includes more than twenty projects. NIJ funding on family violence related research over the past several years has averaged approximately $1.4 million annually. In the current fiscal year the passage of the Violence Against Women Act has added new responsibilities to NIJ's program in family violence and, more broadly, violence against women research. In addition, a portion of several major NIJ contracts, such as the National Criminal Justice Reference Service, are responsive to numerous requests for family violence information. A Partnerships Against Violence Network (PAVNET) provides an online search and retrieval system that currently has promising programs, information sources and technical assistance, and funding sources from various federal agencies. Family violence programs are included in PAVNET. While a number of basic research projects are underway, the current program of research and evaluation on family violence has largely an applied focus. Many of these studies will be concluding in the current calendar year with preliminary results presented in July 1995 at NIJ's Research and Evaluation Conference sponsored with the Bureau of Justice Assistance and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. A keynote speaker and a number of panels on family violence research and evaluation will be highlighted at the conference. A current project addressing family violence interventions is being supported by NIJ, various HHS agencies, and the Carnegie Corporation of New York. This comprehensive effort involves a multidisciplinary panel of experts convened by the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences. The study committee is in the process of 1) documenting the impact of family violence on public and private sector services in the United States, especially in the area of spousal abuse, 2) synthesizing the relevant research literature and developing a conceptual framework for clarifying and critiquing what is known about roles and relationships among risk and protective factors associated with family violence, and 3) characterizing what is known about both prevention efforts and selected interventions in dealing with family violence. This project will conclude early in 1997 and will suggest directions for the future. Child Maltreatment Current projects on childhood victimization are addressing a number of significant issues. Recent research has begun to document the relationship between child abuse and neglect and later violent criminal behavior in a way that researchers, practitioners, and policy makers recognize and are willing to accept. While no single factor by itself is likely to account for the development of violence, childhood victimization has been found to increase risk for violence significantly. Research now underway will have accumulated approximately 22 years of information on arrests for delinquency and adult criminality for a large sample of 1,575 individuals, approximately half of whom were exposed to childhood victimization (physical and sexual abuse or neglect). The other half are controls who have been matched on widely recognized risk co-factors. The overall purpose of the research is to gather complete current criminal histories on the 1,575 individuals who were in the sample in the original NIJ study of childhood victimization and later violent offending. Among the goals: to document the prevalence of criminality and violence in this sample of previously abused and/or neglected children and controls; to determine the extent to which childhood victimization influences characteristics of offending, including chronicity, age of onset, continuance of violent offending (from adolescence to young adulthood), and patterns of violent offending; to determine the extent to which these individuals have arrests for child abuse and spouse abuse; and to examine the extent to which there are race and sex-specific differences in the relationship between childhood victimization and violent offending. The National Survey of Adolescents being supported by NIJ assesses a nationally representative household sample of 3000 adolescents and their parents, and an oversample of 1000 adolescents and their parents living in households in central cities. A random digit dialing methodology has been used in obtaining the sample. The interview gathered information regarding lifetime exposure to violent crime (including sexual assault, physical assault, witnessing violence at home, in school, and in the neighborhood), specific emotional problems (including Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Major Depression), substance abuse, and delinquent behaviors. Analysis of the survey is currently underway. The results should improve our understanding of factors associated with the development of serious behavioral problems among adolescents, including substance abuse and delinquency. A number of child maltreatment studies directed toward the needs of the justice system are also in progress and nearing conclusion. Since the national picture of justice system processing of child abuse cases remains incomplete, a study supported jointly by NIJ and OJJDP was commissioned. The research is tracking child abuse cases through child protective services, law enforcement, prosecution, and the courts to case disposition. This project also supported a case study of child abuse prosecution in San Diego, a jurisdiction that aggressively prosecutes child physical abuse as well as sexual abuse cases. This case study was recently published as a Research in Brief. Another concluding effort is directed toward improving coordination of multiple judicial proceedings involving child maltreatment cases. This study involved surveying courts, case studies of several innovative jurisdictions, and a close examination of the legal issues involved in improving court coordination. Also, since children's hearsay statements play a vitally important role in domestic violence and child abuse cases, a study of child hearsay is being conducted to demonstrate effective ways of introducing children's testimony in these cases. There has also been research documenting the serious, adverse effects of domestic violence upon children. According to this research, children of battered women display a range of somatic complaints, psychological disorders, and a propensity to rely on violence as a primary conflict resolution strategy. Much of this research has focused on children who reside with their mothers in emergency shelters after leaving home. Of the few interventions that have aimed to ameliorate the negative impact of domestic violence on children, most are located in emergency shelters. The limited work in this area is now being extended by an NIJ supported project to develop our knowledge of the needs of the children of battered women, regardless of where they are living. This work focuses on the children of domestic abuse victims in Lawrence, Massachusetts. The study is gathering data on mothers who apply for temporary restraining orders and tracking the whereabouts of the children over a 12-month period through telephone contacts with their mothers at six-month intervals. Projects that focus on issues that link child abuse and spouse/partner abuse will continue to be of interest to NIJ in the future. Two other child maltreatment related studies being conducted complete the current NIJ research portfolio on child abuse issues. One study in Washington, D.C., examined the use of parental drug testing to aid judicial and social service system collaboration in preventing further maltreatment in child abuse and neglect cases. This project will provide information on the procedures, costs, outcomes, and legal and policy issues in using urinalysis to monitor child maltreatment cases in which a parent is involved with substance abuse. The second study is an assessment of a BJA supported program on the use of closed circuit television and videotaped testimony in child sexual abuse trials. Spouse and Partner Abuse NIJ is supporting a variety of projects on spouse and partner assault through the family violence research program and projects under the new violence against women initiative. Projects to increase our understanding of the dimensions and the antecedents of the problem include a national survey on violence and a study of the antecedents of partner violence. The project on violence and threats in America will survey 8,000 women and 8,000 men over the age of 18. The project is being conducted with major support from the Centers for Disease Control. A telephone survey will provide national estimates on the prevalence and characteristics of different types of violence and threats of violence, data on the characteristics of victims and offenders, an examination of the links between threats and actual occurrences of violence against women, and an examination of women's general fear of violence and their response to victimization. The project will produce policy-oriented summaries with recommendations for improving legislation, policy, and practice. A study on the developmental antecedents of partner violence is using the most comprehensive prospective longitudinal data base in the world for addressing such questions. The data base includes psychological, social, educational, criminological, family, and health data gathered at ages 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 18, and 21. Through this project, the backgrounds of perpetrators of partner violence will be studied, the issue of whether risk factors are particular to perpetrators of partner violence as opposed to posing a risk for crime in general will be examined, and prevalence rates for perpetration and victimization and other associated factors will be examined. A study of the effectiveness of civil protection orders is being conducted in Denver, Wilmington, and Washington, D.C. The study builds on the pioneering studies of civil protection orders by examining and documenting how protection orders are processed, what types of relief are encompassed by the orders, what ancillary services are available to the victims, the extent of coordination of those services by the court, and how orders are monitored and enforced. The findings from the study will assist judges, court administrators, prosecutors, law enforcement officials, and providers of ancillary services to victims in improving practices and policies relating to granting, monitoring, and enforcing civil protection orders. Preliminary analysis suggests that victims in the three locations regard the protection order process favorably. The protection order has helped reduce the violence and has brought more stability to their lives. A study on prosecution and domestic violence also is nearing conclusion. It involves a national survey of a representative cross-section of local prosecutors' offices on their efforts in prosecuting these cases. The project includes three case studies in Seattle, Duluth, and San Francisco. Domestic violence victims are being surveyed at each of the case study sites to solicit their views on the domestic violence prosecution programs. One of the key objectives of the project is to identify the most significant determinants of domestic violence prosecution success. Preliminary results suggest that approximately half of the respondents have specialized prosecution units and more than half use formal protocols for screening domestic violence cases. The final report will present information on "no drop" and proarrest policies based on the survey, results of the victim surveys, the case studies, and recommendations. Evaluative projects continue to be a major component of the overall family violence program. A study in Dade County, Florida, is continuing its examination of some basic assumptions regarding domestic violence offenses in a major urban setting, including the role of substance abuse among offenders. A new domestic violence court established in Milwaukee is the subject of another evaluation in which the effectiveness of the court, as well as its ability to address many of the problems associated with traditional court processing, will be examined. A field test being conducted in New York City is attempting to measure the usefulness of victims services programs, as well as batterer treatment programs, in a coordinated effort to reduce repeat violence. And a new project in Quincy, Massachusetts, will also focus on reabuse by perpetrators and the perceptions of victims and batterers of the judicial process and the interventions imposed. In a project jointly supported with the State Justice Institute, the coincidence of domestic violence and custody disputes is being examined. Through intensive case study in several sites, this project seeks to identify effective court responses to these cases and the feasibility of using mediation. In an analysis of previously collected data, a separate project is examining the effectiveness of court-advised counseling during the process of separation and divorce. Another secondary analysis project is using data on arrests for domestic violence cases to examine issues relating to injury in spouse assault. This effort is supported under a larger project of the Centers for Disease Control. In the correctional field, a study to determine the response of probation and parole agencies to the increased demand for supervision and management of sex offenders is nearing completion. The study involves an analysis of legislation and a survey of state probation and parole agencies. A new and important area of domestic violence research involves the corporate sector. NIJ is supporting a project on the corporate sector response to domestic violence, which includes a survey of individuals working in employee assistance programs (EAPs), other corporate professionals, and an in-depth case study of the Polaroid Corporation in Boston. Polaroid has taken unusual steps in response to the issue of domestic violence, both among its own employees and within the community. The products of this research will provide a baseline measure of corporate sector response and should suggest some of the most productive avenues for enhancing both the internal handling of this problem and the integration of the corporate sector with other respondents. Under the Violence Against Women Act, NIJ is currently supporting four projects: A National Academy of Sciences panel of experts from various disciplines to develop a research agenda to improve the development of preventive, educative, social, and legal strategies, including the needs of underserved populations; An assessment of the feasibility of creating centralized state databases on the incidence of sexual and domestic violence; A study on the means by which the addresses of victims of domestic violence may be obtained by abusive partners; and A project addressing: 1) medical and psychological testimony on the validity of battered women's syndrome as a psychological condition, 2) a compilation of State, tribal, and Federal court cases in which evidence of battered women's syndrome was offered in criminal trials, and 3) an assessment by State, tribal, and Federal judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys on the effects that evidence of battered women's syndrome may have in criminal trials. This project is being conducted with support and cooperation from the State Justice Institute and the National Institute of Mental Health. Other NIJ responsibilities under the Violence Against Women Act include the development of a report on the status and impact of stalking laws and the development, management, and dissemination of an evaluation program that provides ongoing findings to refine policy and programs on violence against women. IV. Anticipated Plans Family and domestic violence will continue to be a major focus of the NIJ research program. Research and evaluation on child abuse; violence against women, including domestic violence and stalking; and elder abuse will continue to be solicited in the years ahead. With the new Violence Against Women Act, NIJ has a particular focus on evaluative research in this area. An initial FY 95 request for proposals addresses the evaluation and research requirements related to the Act. The announced solicitation responds to both the Congressional and public demand for accountability and the need to develop a knowledge base that examines policy and programmatic experiences and continually recommends improvements to them. This is the first announcement of a planned multi-year evaluation strategy. The solicitation drew upon a strategic planning workshop that NIJ held with HHS in March 1995. The solicitation seeks to support a national implementation evaluation; individual program evaluations; and other research and evaluation projects concerning the Violence Against Women Act, related issues, and family violence issues. Thus, over the next several years, an ongoing refinement of the program is anticipated as research and evaluation informs the program development process. The various family violence studies that are concluding this year will result in NIJ publications that offer insights and recommendations for improvements in the criminal justice system response to family violence. Included among new publications is a descriptive study of Hawaii's hospital-based home visitation program for identifying parents at risk of committing child abuse and neglect, which was commissioned under NIJ's Research Applications Contract. Studies to be supported over the next year will build upon this expanding knowledge base on family violence and address the next critical questions for improvements in criminal justice policy and practice. Over the next year, the Institute will look for new partnerships, as well as continue current ones, with bureaus in the Department of Justice, other Federal agencies, and private foundations, in order to effectively address the multidimensional problem of violence within our families. OFFICE OF JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION I. Legislative Mandate The mission of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) is to provide national leadership, direction, coordination, and resources to prevent, treat, and control juvenile delinquency; improve the effectiveness and fairness of the juvenile justice system; and address the problem of missing and exploited children. In fulfilling this mission, OJJDP contributes to developing the full potential of America's most valuable resource - its youth. In 1974, Congress enacted the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (JJDP) Act (Public Law 93-415, 42 U.S.C. 5601 et seq.). This landmark legislation established OJJDP to provide Federal leadership and support to State and local governments in their efforts to prevent delinquency and improve the juvenile justice system. The Act requires OJJDP to address juvenile justice issues in a comprehensive, coordinated manner and to support research, training, and program initiatives that respond to a broad spectrum of juvenile justice issues. Specifically, Section 261(a)(4 and 5) of the JJDP Act of 1974, as amended, states OJJDP's mandate regarding families as "establishing or supporting programs (including self-help programs for parents) stressing advocacy activities aimed at improving services to juveniles affected by the juvenile justice system, including services that provide for the appointment of special advocates by courts for such juveniles, including programs that work with families during the incarceration of juvenile family members and which take into consideration the special needs of families with limited-English speaking ability; and developing or supporting model programs to strengthen and maintain the family unit in order to prevent or treat juvenile delinquency." OJJDP carries out its policies, programs, and goals through the coordinated activities of its seven components: 1) Research and Program Development Division, 2) Training and Technical Assistance Division, 3) Special Emphasis Division, 4) State Relations and Assistance Division, 5) Information Dissemination and Planning Unit, 6) Concentration of Federal Efforts Program, and 7) Missing and Exploited Children's Program. The 1992 reauthorization of the JJDP Act authorizes OJJDP to support a number of new priority program areas, including: hate crime education, gender bias and gender-specific services, mentoring, boot camps, due process and right to counsel, services to juveniles in secure custody, graduated sanctions, and family involvement in the treatment of delinquents. The reauthorizations of the JJDP Act focus our attention and activities on family violence and other pressing juvenile justice issues of the day. Through a variety of initiatives, OJJDP continues to address the important issues of family violence. II. Background and History Prevention, intervention, treatment, and the study of family violence are common threads through many OJJDP endeavors, even though previous programs or research projects have not focused solely on "family violence" or utilized it as a main theme. The Missing and Exploited Children's Program has addressed family violence issues while meeting its mandate to coordinate activities pertaining to missing and exploited children--preventing abductions, investigating cases, locating missing and exploited children and reuniting them with their families, providing treatment, and prosecuting abductors. Since 1984, OJJDP has been the principal funding source for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), a private nonprofit organization spearheading national efforts to locate and recover missing children and raise public awareness about the prevention of child abduction, molestation, and sexual exploitation. The OJJDP/NCMEC partnership coordinates the efforts of law enforcement agencies, social service providers, elected officials, judges, prosecutors, educators, and public and private organizations to address crimes against children. OJJDP Research and Program Development Division projects have touched on family violence issues in a number of studies. Among the most notable are "Families of Missing Children, Final Report" prepared by the Center for the Study of Trauma, University of California, San Francisco, and submitted to OJJDP in 1992, "Child Victim as Witness Research and Development Program: Final Report," prepared by D. Whitcomb, et al.; and "Strengthening America's Families: Promising Parenting Strategies for Delinquency Prevention, User's Guide," prepared by the University of Utah and the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation and submitted to OJJDP in 1992. OJJDP's Program of Research on Causes and Correlates has clarified the relationship between the family and serious, violent, and chronic juvenile delinquency. Low family socioeconomic status has been found to be associated with chronic delinquency. In addition, low family socioeconomic status is correlated with other risk factors that have been linked with delinquency, including large family size, perinatal complications, parental mental illness, and low levels of parent education. Research has shown that poor family attachment is directly related to both serious delinquency and drug use. Poor parenting behavior (failure to communicate with and monitor children) and parental conflicts (inconsistency of punishment and avoidance of discipline) are also related to subsequent serious delinquency. These OJJDP studies have shed new light on the relationship between domestic violence and subsequent violent behavior by children in violent families. This research, conducted at the State University of New York at Albany, shows that: Abused children are more likely to commit violent offenses when they get older than are children not abused in the home; The percentage of children committing violent offenses increases over 20% when they are exposed to only one form of family violence (domestic violence, family climate of hostility, and child maltreatment); and Adolescents from multiple violent families are twice as likely to be violent as those from non-violent families. OJJDP has developed "A Comprehensive Strategy for Serious, Violent, and Chronic Juvenile Offenders" that calls for early intervention in troubled families that produce such juvenile offenders. Program development work is underway that will identify effective prevention, intervention, and treatment programs for inclusion in the strategy. An Implementation Guide containing an inventory of promising and successful program models will be provided to all interested jurisdictions. Priority is being given to identifying successful programs that work with troubled families that have children zero to three years old and treatment programs for violent offenders. OJJDP has provided support to the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges to develop model practices for juvenile and family courts in handling domestic violence cases. Improved coordination among social services, child care agencies, and the courts is expected to result from adoption of these practices. III. Current Programs National Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). OJJDP has provided more than $4 million since 1986 to the National Court Appointed Special Advocate Association (CASA) to assist in the development of new CASA programs, that provide trained volunteer advocates for abused and neglected children in the court system. Improving the Juvenile and Family Courts' Handling of Child Abuse and Neglect Cases: A Model Training and Technical Assistance Program. The purpose of this project is to develop model approaches and programs to improve juvenile and family court systems' handling of child abuse and neglect cases. The model programs developed by the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges will be designed to assist State courts in the implementation of training and technical assistance for judicial personnel, attorneys and other key people in juvenile and family courts; administrative reform in juvenile and family courts; and improve procedures for determining whether child service agencies have made "reasonable efforts" to prevent placement. Child Abuse and Exploitation Investigative Techniques Training Program. Since 1982, OJJDP has provided training for thousands of national, State and local law enforcement officers on the investigation of child abuse and exploitation as well as technical assistance on the investigation of specific cases of child abuse. The five-day program utilizes experienced, active child abuse investigators for this training and technical assistance. A second advanced course on investigative techniques and resources on missing and exploited child cases is now being offered to those who have completed the basic course: This three-day advanced training and technical assistance program is handled through a contract with Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton, Wisconsin. Training is provided as requested by individual police departments. The program utilizes active law enforcement investigators experienced in missing and exploited child cases as trainers. Child Abuse Prosecution Training and Technical Assistance. A grant was awarded to the American Prosecutors Research Institute to support programs of the National Center for the Prosecution of Child Abuse. A major goal of the Center is to improve the quality of child abuse prosecution by assisting elected or appointed prosecutors at the local, State and Federal levels. The Center's major services to prosecutors include providing training, technical assistance, and publications in the subject area. The workshops, conferences, and informational materials also benefit law enforcement, social workers, therapists, and other personnel handling child abuse cases. Child Abuse and Exploitation Team Investigative Program. CAE-TIP is an intensive "team" program designed for a four-member local team. Participants for this course are four-member local teams represented by law enforcement, prosecution, social services, and medical (optional). The focus of the program is the development of an interagency process and protocols for the enhanced enforcement, prevention and intervention of child abuse cases. Hands-on, team activity involving investigations, case preparation and prosecution form the basis of this fast-paced offering. Teams are assisted in the development of their own interagency implementation plan for the improved management and investigation of these important and sensitive cases. Basic Investigative Techniques for Missing and Abducted Child Cases (BITMAC). This 40 hour investigative techniques training program is specifically designed for law enforcement personnel charged with the responsibility of investigating and managing cases of missing and abducted children. The program was designed, developed, and is presented by law enforcement personnel with specific hands-on expertise in investigating cases of missing and abducted children. The program is designed to address the needs of both large and small law enforcement agencies. The instruction in this program is continually updated to incorporate the most recent research and state-of-the-art techniques available. National Network of Children's Advocacy Centers. A grant was awarded to the National Network of Children's Advocacy Centers to provide training and technical assistance to help develop or expand local children's advocacy centers. The Network helps communities respond to child abuse by facilitating multi-disciplinary cooperation and coordination through customized, subsidized training at local sites. Model Treatment and Services Approaches for Mental Health Professionals Working with Families of Missing Children. A grant was awarded to the Western Center for Child Protection to provide mental health personnel with effective treatment approaches for rehabilitating families traumatized by child abduction and faced with re-establishing a state of normalcy in its aftermath. Investigation and Prosecution of Parental Abduction Cases. A grant was awarded to the American Prosecutors Research Institute to assist local prosecutors in bringing more informed and more effective prosecution of non-custodial parents who abduct their children. The project, among other things, identifies the legal and social issues in these cases, analyzes and summarizes existing research in this area, identifies experts who handle these cases, and produces and disseminates legal analysis and guidelines for local prosecutors and law enforcement agencies concerning such cases. Remember, They're Children: Using Video to Train Law Enforcement. A grant was awarded to the University of Southern Maine to minimize the negative impact of law enforcement investigative procedures on maltreated children. This was accomplished by developing and innovatively disseminating to law enforcement personnel a comprehensive video training curriculum designed to improve investigative responses to child victims of maltreatment. The National Child Welfare Resource Center will provide small- and medium-sized departments with the resources to train and support their staff on how to conduct effective, but non-traumatizing, child abuse investigations. Missing and Exploited Children Comprehensive Action Program (MCAP). A grant was awarded to the Public Administration Service to manage MCAP, a multi-agency juvenile services coordination community action program. Primary program activity provides directed and supportive training and technical assistance to encourage, guide, and focus community development and planning on important missing and exploited children issues. The resulting program development provides programmatic, policy, and procedural approaches. It also encourages multi-agency community organization planning and delivery of services to focus more cooperatively and responsively on recognized missing and exploited children problems and needed services. Family Life, Delinquency, and Crime: A Policymaker's Guide. This report was prepared by Kevin N. Wright, Ph.D., and Karen E. Wright, M.S.W., under an interagency agreement between OJJDP and the Bureau of Justice Assistance. Published by OJJDP in May 1994, the report advances our understanding of the significant effects of family life on delinquency and crime. It describes how positive parental involvement deters delinquent behavior, while its absence--or worse, its negative counterpart--fosters misconduct. The monograph reviews the research literature that explores the development of delinquent and criminal tendencies. It is written for policymakers, administrators, and agency personnel who may have considerable practical experience in crime control and delinquency prevention and treatment, but who may not have an extensive background in research methodology. Study of Child Abuse Offenders. Under the National Child Protection Act of 1993, Section 2(f) requires the Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) to study and report on child abuse offenders. The report will be based on a secondary analysis of existing data, namely the Bureau of Justice Statistics' (BJS) Survey of Inmates in State Correctional Facilities from 1991. Once completed the report will reflect what is known about the most serious and dangerous child abusers in the nation. Additionally, the report will detail current projects and ongoing research that OJJDP and BJS have funded in this subject area. It is anticipated that this report, developed by OJJDP in cooperation with BJS, will be delivered to Congress in the Fall of 1995. Incentive Grants for Local Delinquency Prevention Programs. The 1992 amendment to the JJDP Act authorized Title V, "Incentive Grants for Local Delinquency Prevention Programs." Through this program, funds are provided to States for sub-granting to local governments that may support prevention activities focused on at-risk children, teenagers, and their families. Some of the risk factors relating to adolescent problem behaviors that will be addressed by Title V Prevention Programs include: family history of high risk behavior, family management problems, family conflict, and parental attitudes and involvement. IV. Anticipated Plans The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention is committed to designing programs to help parents, communities, and practitioners address the problems of juvenile crime and help stem the wave of violence that is plaguing our nation. As a major component of this effort, OJJDP developed "A Comprehensive Strategy for Serious, Violent, and Chronic Juvenile Offenders." OJJDP has used this strategy to formulate a major, discretionary program concept entitled "SafeFutures: Partnerships to Reduce Youth Violence and Delinquency." Through a range of SafeFutures program components from Family Strengthening and Mentoring to Day Treatment and Graduated Sanctions through Aftercare, OJJDP is providing each of five SafeFutures' sites with funding and a comprehensive technical assistance package. With these resources, the sites are focusing program efforts on a targeted neighborhood to: 1) concentrate efforts on preventing youth violence and delinquency through reducing risk factors and increasing protective factors; 2) develop a continuum of care for juveniles consisting of both institutional and systems change and a focused effort on the most at-risk youth and families in the jurisdiction; 3) build the capacity to institutionalize and sustain coordinated efforts; and 4) focus on outcomes. The continuation of the SafeFutures program will be a major priority of OJJDP over the next few years. Because dysfunctional or violent families are a risk factor for delinquency and related negative behaviors, OJJDP will use the SafeFutures program to address these family-related issues in Fiscal Year 1996. OFFICE FOR VICTIMS OF CRIME I. Legislative Mandate The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) was established in 1984 as a result of the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA). OVC is responsible for administering and managing deposits into the Crime Victims Fund. Furthermore, OVC makes grants available for training and technical assistance to eligible crime victims compensation programs, including programs compensating victims of domestic violence; and eligible crime victims assistance programs, with priority given to those programs that provide assistance to victims of sexual assault, spousal abuse or child abuse. II. Background and History The 1988 amendment to VOCA mandates that State compensation programs extend benefits to victims of domestic violence as a condition of continued eligibility for Federal funding. Prior to these amendments, victims of domestic violence were often denied compensation benefits solely based on their relationship to the offender. Since these mandates, over half of all VOCA victims assistance grant funds are awarded to public and private nonprofit organizations providing services to victims of domestic violence, including victims of child abuse. OVC has given priority consideration to awarding state formula victim assistance funding to programs serving victims of sexual assault, spousal abuse and child abuse. Furthermore, OVC has awarded discretionary grants to crime victims assistance programs for technical assistance services and training for criminal justice system professionals and victim service providers. VOCA also requires the OVC to review Federal law enforcement compliance with Federal victim assistance statutes and strengthen and expand services for Federal crime victims. The Victims of Child Abuse Act (passed as part of the 1990 Crime Control Act) emphasizes children's rights and requires the Federal justice system to adapt procedures to the needs and abilities of child victims and witnesses. Examples of requirements in that Act include speedy trials; alternatives to live, in-court testimony; appointment of a guardian ad litem or adult attendant; and a multidisciplinary approach to reduce the number of child interviews. III. Current Programs Discretionary Grant Program OVC initiated the Children's Justice Act Discretionary Grant Program for Native Americans (CJA) in 1990. Annually, OVC awards 8 to 10 grants to Indian tribes to improve the investigation, prosecution, and handling of cases of child sexual abuse and serious child physical abuse in a manner that increases support for and reduces trauma to child victims. The program goal is to strengthen existing child abuse programs or develop new programs that deal effectively with cases of child sexual abuse and serious child physical abuse and to promote these projects as models for other tribes to use in developing similar programs. The CJA program is the only source of Federal funding for tribes that focuses on improving the criminal justice process for Native American child abuse victims and their families. A total of $1,500,000 is available annually for this grant program. Grants are made directly to Indian tribes and tribal organizations to address a range of systemic improvements. Since CJA was established in 1989, OVC has funded 28 different tribal programs to support training for multidisciplinary teams, revision of tribal codes to address child sexual abuse, child advocacy services for children involved in court proceedings, development of protocols for reporting, investigating, prosecuting, and treating child sexual abuse; and improved case management and treatment services. In 1994, OVC funded a $100,000 project to provide training and technical assistance to the tribes that received CJA grants. That project will be continued through fiscal year 1996. Multijurisdictional, Interagency Model for Investigating and Prosecuting Cases of Child Pornography and Juvenile Prostitution. A $224,974 grant was awarded to the Education Development Center of Newton, Massachusetts. The grant combines the resources of the Office for Victims of Crime and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to develop a model victim services component/protocol for multijurisdictional task forces working on cases of child pornography and juvenile prostitution. A prototype of this model has been implemented at one site. The model links criminal justice personnel to sources of victim assistance when child victims are identified in juvenile prostitution or pornography cases. The project also initiated an effort to raise public awareness of the harm associated with the various forms of child sexual exploitation. A manual featuring the protocol and the process for its development and implementation has also been published to facilitate replication in other cities. Victim Assistance in Indian Country Program (VAIC). The VAIC grant program provides funding to States to establish "on-reservation" victim assistance programs for Federal crime victims in Indian country, where the U.S. Government is responsible for investigating and prosecuting crimes. Recently, OVC has funded approximately 35 programs which provide services such as crisis intervention, emergency shelter for family violence victims, mental health counseling, and court advocacy. To date, $5,438,640 has been expended on this program. In FY 1994, 19 states received a total of $773,045 to make awards directly to Indian tribes to establish victim assistance programs in Native American communities. These programs provide many services to child victims. National Scope Training and Technical Assistance Projects OVC has funded national scope training and technical assistance projects that focus on special categories of victims, such as child victims, the elderly, and minorities. Other projects targeted specific professional groups, such as law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and judges, as well as corrections, probation, and parole personnel. In addition, training and technical assistance have been provided to victim service providers and allied professionals who work with victims, such as mental health professionals and the clergy. Some projects have addressed multidisciplinary audiences, composed of representatives from different fields. In Fiscal Year 1994, OVC provided funds to 11 States to help support nine statewide, and two regional multi-disciplinary, victim-related training conferences. One common theme that runs through each of these projects is an emphasis on the recognition, importance, and dynamics of family violence, and how best to assist those who have been victimized within their family environment. Other training and technical assistance projects funded by OVC have focused specifically on family violence issues. One such project provided support to the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children to convene a National Colloquium in June 1993. The Colloquium brought together a range of 500 professionals who serve child victims and provide intensive, interdisciplinary training and discussion on the most resistant problems they face in treating and advocating for children. In another project, the Fernside Center for Grieving Children conducted a series of conferences for educators, victim service providers, and school professionals to respond more effectively to inner city and Native American children who have lost a loved one through violent crime. The Police Executive Research Forum was funded to develop a training curriculum for law enforcement policymakers and officers on the most effective procedures and policies for responding to incidents of family violence involving elderly people, and to insure that the curriculum developed could be easily integrated with other police academy curricular materials. Parents of Murdered Children (POMC), a national self-help organization for parents and their children who experience a violent homicide in their family, was awarded a grant to develop a POMC Chapter Leader and Contact People Training Manual and present regional training seminars for leaders who wish to initiate POMC Chapters in their own communities. Services they provide include: self-help groups that meet regularly; information about the grieving process and the criminal justice system; and communication with professionals in the helping fields about the problems faced by those surviving a homicide victim. From 1986 to 1992, OVC received funds from the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to administer the Law Enforcement Training and Technical Assistance portion of the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act. During that time, a total of $3.4 million was transferred to OVC from DHHS. This money provided funding for 27 projects nationwide to improve law enforcement's response to family violence incidents by promoting pro-arrest or mandatory arrest policies; encouraging full reporting; increasing coordination with other community services; improving on-scene investigations; establishing policies and procedures guiding the law enforcement response to these cases; and producing and disseminating informational materials for victims. Training and Technical Assistance for Federal Criminal Justice Officials. Efforts include training programs for Federal prosecutors, investigators, and victim-witness coordinators on handling child abuse cases in the Federal criminal justice system. Since 1988, OVC has sponsored the participation of Federal criminal justice personnel at the National Symposium on Child Sexual Abuse in Huntsville, Alabama. U.S. Attorneys' Offices nominate multidisciplinary teams consisting of Federal prosecutors, criminal investigators, and victim-witness coordinators to attend this specialized training. A Federal Training Day precedes the symposium and focuses on handling child sexual abuse cases in the Federal criminal justice system. A cooperative agreement among OVC and other Department of Justice components to provide training to Federal prosecutors on preparing and prosecuting child sexual abuse and exploitation cases resulted in a specialized training course that was presented to over 70 Federal prosecutors in June 1993. OVC co-sponsored the "Four Corners Indian Country Victims' Rights - Child Abuse Conference," which brought together approximately 200 Federal, tribal, and State prosecutors, law enforcement officials, and health, social services, and victim assistance professionals who work in Indian country on behalf of child victims, in Durango, Colorado, in August 1993. Four contiguous U.S. Attorneys' Offices jointly presented this four-day conference which featured interactive, regional problem-solving workshops and concluded with a very successful Federal child sexual abuse mock trial. This effort was so successful that OVC has designated $50,000 to fund similar multi-disciplinary training efforts in individual Federal Districts in Fiscal Year 1994. OVC sponsored up to 30 scholarships for Federal law enforcement officers to attend the 1994 "Crimes Against Children" seminar presented by the Dallas Police Department and the Dallas Children's Advocacy Center. The three-day seminar focused on investigating and handling child homicide, serious child physical and sexual abuse, and child exploitation cases. Formula Grant Program The Victim Assistance State Grant Program is a rich source of services for domestic violence and child abuse victims. From 1986 through 1994 States have allocated over 50 percent of VOCA victim assistance funds (over $185 million) to this area. Services under these programs included intervention, group therapy, court accompaniment, transportation, emergency shelter, and counseling for victims of domestic violence and child abuse. The State Crime Victim Compensation Program is another major resource for child victims and their families. Surpassing all other categories of victims seeking financial assistance from victim compensation programs, the number of innocent child victims receiving benefits has accelerated dramatically since the inception of the Federal VOCA Crime Victim Compensation Program. Awards for child victims surged from approximately $13 million in FY 1986 to over $48 million in FY 1994. Additionally, nearly 30 percent of all compensation awards were paid on behalf of adult and child victims of domestic violence in FY 1994. Support for Grieving and Bereaved Children is a cooperative agreement with the National Organization for Victim Assistance to further OVC's commitment to assist victim service providers to aid children who are grieving as a result of violent crime, whether it be as victims themselves, as relatives of injured or murdered victims, or as witnesses of violent acts. Additionally, OVC will continue to integrate information focusing on family violence into training and technical assistance activities and into materials produced by the majority of the discretionary projects funded by the Office. Specifically, the topic will be covered in the training and technical assistance that will be provided to corrections personnel, the clergy, mental health practitioners, the media, and law enforcement. The subject will also be highlighted as a segment of a curriculum for youth on the impact of crime on victims, which is to be developed under one of the new initiatives. Finally, another series of State and regional multi-disciplinary training conferences on victims' issues will be sponsored, all of which will include a number of workshops on family violence. The regional workshops on elder abuse will be co-sponsored with the Administration on Aging (HHS), the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the National Institute of Justice, the National Sheriff's Association and the American Association of Retired Persons. The initial law enforcement "train the trainers" grants designed to provide officers with the best methods to respond to family violence have been completed. And as planned, the curricular materials have been incorporated in the regular police academy training requirements in all the states where the grants were awarded. Fiscal Year 1995 Program Plan Expanding Resources for Children's Advocacy Centers OVC will provide $100,000 to combine efforts with OJJDP and private non-profit organizations to identify and fill current needs of children's advocacy centers (CACs) and other service providers. OVC will collaborate with these organizations to fund programs that expand resources for multidisciplinary teams and extend the concept of teamwork used by CACs to other kinds of crimes, such as family violence. Violence Against Women: Training and Technical Assistance to Combat Violence Against Women OVC will provide $200,000 to help the Department implement the recently enacted Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). OVC funding will be allocated for the development of model policies and procedures on implementation and enforcement of the Full Faith and Credit provisions, and to train state and local criminal justice components and advocates. IV. Anticipated Plans Under VOCA, Federal money has effectively augmented State money to create cooperative partnerships for the benefit of victims of all violent crimes, including domestic violence; however, additional funding must be acquired to address the needs of increased numbers of crime victims and newly-recognized, complex victimization issues. Significant challenges, not contemplated at the time VOCA was enacted in 1984, are emerging. Violence against women issues are now receiving attention, and legislative approaches to the injustice are being formulated. Law enforcement officers and prosecutors are challenged by practical enforcement issues as well as constitutional issues arising with respect to new anti-stalking legislation enacted across the country. The solutions to these issues are not easy; they will require money, effort, commitment, and an openness to innovative possibilities. As the Federal agency charged with advocating for victims, OVC has worked to identify emerging issues that must be addressed to strengthen the rights and advance the fair treatment of crime victims. The Office's discretionary grant program plans, grantee and subgrantee performance reports, and special initiatives reflect the quality of OVC's leadership in the field. Increased deposits into the Crime Victims Fund will enable OVC to make larger formula awards to the States, improve training opportunities for victim service providers and criminal justice system professionals, and expand services to victims of Federal crimes. VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN GRANTS OFFICE I. Legislative Mandate The Violence Against Women Grants Office was created within the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) in 1994 to establish the policy for and administer the formula and discretionary grant programs authorized by the Violence Against Women Act of 1994, which is part of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994. The Office provides technical assistance to State and tribal government officials in planning innovative and effective criminal justice responses to violent crimes committed against women. II. Current Programs S T O P Violence Against Women Formula Grants The Violence Against Women Act authorizes formula grants to develop and enhance effective law enforcement and prosecution strategies to combat violence against women, and also create and expand the array of services available for victims of such violence -- in effect, a seamless system for women who have been, or potentially could be, victimized by violence. The grant program is called S T O P (Services Training Officers Prosecutors) Violence Against Women. The grants are intended to promote a new dialogue among law enforcement officials, prosecutors, and victim service providers to create an integrated criminal justice system response to the needs of battered and sexually assaulted women. The goal of the program is to encourage States and localities to restructure and strengthen the criminal justice response to be proactive in dealing with violence against women. States that receive S T O P Violence Against Women formula grants funds are required by statute to engage in a multidisciplinary planning process involving law enforcement; prosecu- tion; non-profit, non-governmental victim service providers, including domestic violence and sexual assault coalitions; key criminal justice practitioners; and community leaders to develop a coordinated and integrated strategy to address violence against women. Funds may be used to support seven broad purposes: Training for law enforcement officers and prosecutors to identify and respond more effectively to violent crimes against women; Development, training, or expansion of special units of law enforcement officers and prose- cutors to respond to violent crimes against women; Development and improvement of data collection and communications systems linking police, prosecutors, and courts, or to identify and track arrests, protection orders, violations of protection orders, and convictions; Development and implementation of more effective police and prosecution policies and services for preventing and responding to violent crimes against women; Creation or enhancement of victim services programs, including the delivery of programs to previously underserved populations, such as minorities and disabled women; Development of programs addressing stalking; and Development and enhancement of programs that focus on the special needs of Indian tribes in addressing violent crimes. States must allocate 25 percent of the amount they receive each year to police programs, 25 percent to prosecution programs, and 25 percent to nonprofit, nongovernmental victim services programs. The remaining 25 percent of the grant may be allocated as each State sees fit, as long as it is used to support one of the Act's seven purposes. The Fiscal Year 1995 grants will be awarded by June 1995. The Violence Against Women Grants Office is holding a conference for all formula grantees on July 27 - 29, 1995, in Washington, D.C. The conference will showcase promising programs that operate in the context of a seamless system. Strategies to enhance collaborative efforts among police, prosecution, and nonprofit, nongovernmental victim services programs and create a seamless system will be highlighted. Follow-up technical assistance also will be available to formula grant recipients through site visits to carefully selected promising programs. S T O P Violence Against Indian Women Discretionary Grants The Violence Against Women Act stipulates that four percent of the amount appropriated each year under the law enforcement and prosecution grants will be available for Indian tribal governments. Therefore, in addition to the formula grant program, the Violence Against Women Grants Office will award, in Fiscal Year 1995, discretionary grants of up to $75,000 directly to Indian tribal governments. The grants may be used for the same general purposes as the formula grants. The goal is to develop and strengthen the tribal justice system's response to violent crimes committed against Indian women. III. Anticipated Plans The funding authorized for these grant programs in Fiscal Year 1995 is only a down payment to support the initial phase of a six-year commitment to address a range of criminal justice issues relating to violence against women. The authorized funding level increases fivefold for Fiscal Year 1996. Such a commitment of funds will further enhance States' and Indian tribal governments' ability to provide services and resources to previously underserved populations, and increase the number and types of programs available to women who have been, or potentially could be, victims of violent crime. Funding is authorized through the year 2000. In addition to the S T O P Violence Against Women formula and discretionary grant programs, the Violence Against Women Act authorizes three other initiatives that the Violence Against Women Grants Office will implement in Fiscal Year 1996, assuming Congressional appropriations. Grants to encourage mandatory arrest or pro-arrest programs and policies in police departments in connection with domestic violence incidents will be available to States, local jurisdictions, and Indian tribal governments. These grants will permit jurisdictions to coordinate communications between police, prosecutors, and criminal and family court judges and managers through computer systems that will track events like violations of protection orders; centralize and coordinate police enforcement, prosecution, and judicial responsibility for domestic violence cases through the introduction of special police and prosecution units and domestic violence courts; enhance criminal and family court judges' understanding of the dynamics of domestic violence and appropriate sanctions for offenders; and strengthen legal advocacy and service programs for victims of domestic violence. The unique problems domestic violence and child abuse cases pose for rural States and jurisdictions will be the focus of a separate grant program beginning in Fiscal Year 1996. These grants will permit rural States and localities, Indian tribal governments, and other public or private entities in rural States and jurisdictions to implement or expand cooperative efforts among law enforcement officers, prosecutors, victim advocacy groups, and others to investigate and prosecute domestic violence and child abuse cases; provide treatment and counseling to victims of these crimes; and work with the community to develop comprehensive education and prevention strategies. Finally, the Violence Against Women Act authorizes a comprehensive training program for probation and parole officers and other criminal justice personnel who work with released sex offenders. The goal is to enhance the manner in which they manage such cases and supervise such offenders. All of these programs recognize that change will not occur in the manner in which cases involving violence against women are handled unless the various components of the criminal justice and victim service systems work together to provide a comprehensive and integrated array of sanctions for offenders and services for the women they victimize. IV. OJP PUBLICATIONS RELATED TO FAMILY VIOLENCE "Bitter Earth: Child Sexual Abuse in Indian Country," A 45-Minute film produced under the sponsorship of the Office for Victims Of Crime, 1993. "Child Rape Victims, 1992," Patrick A. Langan and Caroline Wolf Harlow, Crime Data Brief, Bureau of Justice Statistics, June 1994. "Criminal Victimization 1993," Lisa Bastian, Bureau of Justice Statistics, May 1995. "Criminal Victimization in the United States, 1991," National Crime Victimization Survey Report, Bureau of Justice Statistics, December 1992. "The Cycle of Violence," Cathy Spatz Widom, Research in Brief, National Institute of Justice, October 1992. "The Emotional Effects of Testifying on Sexually Abused Children," Deborah Whitcomb, Gail S. Goodman, Desmond K. Runyan, and Shirley Hoak, Research in Brief, National Institute of Justice, April 1994. "Family Life, Delinquency, and Crime: A Policymaker's Guide," Kevin N. Wright and Karen E. Wright, Research Summary, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, May 1994. "Family Strengthening in Preventing Delinquency - A Literature Review," Karol Kumpher, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 1994. "Family Violence: Interventions for the Justice System," Program Brief, Bureau of Justice Assistance, October 1993. "Female Victims of Violent Crime," Carolyn Wolf Harlow, Bureau of Justice Statistics, January 1991. "Helping to Prevent Child Abuse and Its Future Criminal Consequences: Hawaii Healthy Start," Ralph Earle, Program Focus, National Institute of Justice, 1995. "Highlights from 20 Years of Surveying Crime Victims," The National Crime Victimization Survey, 1973-92, Bureau of Justice Statistics, October 1993. "Improving the Police Response to Domestic Elder Abuse: Instructor Training Manual," Prepared by the Police Executive Research Forum for the Office for Victims of Crime, September, 1993. "Joint Investigations of Child Abuse: Report of a Symposium," Research Report, National Institute of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect, July 1993. "Missing, Abducted, Runaway and Thrownaway Children in America," David Finklehor, Gerry Hotaling, Andrea Sedlak, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 1990. "Murder in Families," John M. Dawson and Patrick A. Langan, Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report, July 1994. "New Approach to Interviewing Children: A Test of Its Effectiveness," Research in Brief, National Institute of Justice, May 1992. "Obstacles to the Recovery and Return of Parentally Abducted Children," Linda K. Girdner and Patricia M. Hoff, Research Summary, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 1994. "Parental Abductors: Four Interviews," Geoffrey Greif, Video in VHS format, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 1993. "Police and Child Abuse: New Policies for Expanded Responsibilities," Susan E. Martin and Douglas J. Besharov, Issues and Practices, National Institute of Justice, June 1991. "Preserving Families To Prevent Delinquency," Juvenile Justice Bulletin, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 1992. "Prosecuting Child Physical Abuse Cases: A Case Study in San Diego," Barbara Smith, Research in Brief, National Institute of Justice, June 1995. A Report of the Violence Against Women Research Strategic Planning Workshop, Sponsored by the National Intitute of Justice in Cooperation with the Department of Health and Human Services, March 31, 1995. "Strengthening America's Families: Promising Parenting and Family Strategies for Delinquency Prevention," Karol Kumpfer, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 1992. "Victims of Childhood Sexual Abuse - Later Criminal Consequences," Cathy Spatz Widom, Research in Brief, National Institute of Justice, March 1995. "Violence Against Women," Ronet Bachman, National Crime Victimization Survey Report, Bureau of Justice Statistics, January 1994. "Violence Against Women: Estimates from the Redesigned National Crime Victimization Survey," Ronet Bachman and Linda E. Saltzman, Bureau of Justice Statistics, June 1995. "Violence Between Intimates," Marianne Zawitz, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Selected Findings, November 1994. "VOCA: Helping Victims of Child Abuse," Robin V. Delany-Shabazz, Fact Sheet, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, June 1995. "When the Victim is a Child," Deborah Whitcomb, Issues and Practices, National Institute of Justice, March 1992. For additional publications and reports on justice issues in family violence contact the National Criminal Justice Reference Service, Box 6000, Rockville, MD 20850. Phone Toll Free 800 851-3420 or Locally 301 251-5500. V. FAMILY VIOLENCE CONTACTS Office of Justice Programs Noel Brennan, Deputy Assistant Attorney General 202 307-5933 Mai Fernandez, Special Assistant to the Deputy Assistant Attorney General 202 616-3205 Indian Desk Ada Melton 202 616-9053 Violence Against Women Grants Office Kathy Schwartz, Administrator 202 307-6026 Catherine Pierce 202 307-3913 Jacqueline Agtuca 202 307-6015 Bureau of Justice Assistance Robert Kirchner 202 307-5974 Jennifer Knobe 202 616-3212 Crime Act Support Division Patricia Dobbs, Chief 202 307-0907 Edison Aponte 202 307-3180 Kim Cross 202 307-3159 Felicia Wintz 202 307-1437 Bureau of Justice Statistics Michael Rand 202 616-3494 National Institute of Justice Bernard Auchter, Family Violence/Violence Against Women 202 307-0154 Cheri Crawford 202 514-6210 Sam McQuade 202 307-0200 Lois Mock 202 307-0693 Richard Titus, Victimization Research 202 307-0695 Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Barbara Allen-Hagen 202 307-1308 Sharie Cantelon 202 616-3658 Ron Laney, Missing and Exploited Children's Program 202 616-3637 Office for Victims of Crime Jackie McCann Cleland 202 307-5948 Marti Speights 202 514-6444 Duane Ragan 202 307-5948 Olga Trujillo 202 616-3585