Google recently launched Google Grants, a program that provides free Google AdWords advertising to selected non-profits that apply to the program. MINCAVA's websites were selected to participate in the program, and our text-based ads now appear alongside or above Google search results whenever someone enters a search into Google that matches the keywords selected for our campaign. Clicking on the ad takes the searcher to our websites where additional information can be found.

MINCAVA welcomed back many familiar and a few new faces this fall. For the 2003-2004 academic year, three new graduate assistants joined our staff. In total, three full-time equivalent staff members, seven part-time graduate assistants, and Jeffrey Edleson, MINCAVA's Director, carry out MINCAVA activities.

On September 29, 2003, MINCAVA moved to a new location in Peters Hall, which houses the School of Social Work at the University of Minnesota. We are now mainly in Room 170 (and a few nearby offices) instead of Room 140 but our address remains the same: MINCAVA, 105 Peters Hall, 1404 Peters Hall, St. Paul, MN 55108

MINCAVA Electronic Clearinghouse underwent a complete reorganization and redesign in 2003. The site's redesign goals were to optimize navigational features and to categorically organize the website in an effort to accommodate a constantly growing library of documents, organizations and service providers related to research and education about violence prevention. Some of the site's new features include:

Violence Against Women Online Resources (VAWOR) continued to disseminate information and online resources to professionals, advocates, and others working to end violence against women. The site received a face-lift this year when it transferred to a new server and all documents were converted to XML. Each document now offers a table of contents, links to references, and added navigational links within the document. This conversion enhanced the site's overall usability and improved access for people with disabilities, particularly people with sight impairments who use screen readers.

VAWOR's advisory board and staff expanded the site's library by reviewing and posting 30 new, full-text documents related to domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking. VAWOR is also in the process of commissioning authors to draft eight new documents addressing:

VAWOR also supported practitioners' work by providing an information request service. Site users unable to easily locate information on VAWOR submitted requests for help via a new online form. VAWOR staff answered over 450 information requests from people in search of technical assistance, crisis support and advocacy, and other types of information.

MINCAVA's Child Assessment Tool Development Team has been working to develop a new clinical and research measurement tool that assesses child exposure to domestic violence and related events. This two year, faculty-student collaboration reviewed literature on the key issues of child exposure to domestic violence and how well current assessment tools gauge a child's exposure to domestic violence. The team found this domain to be a fundamental, albeit often neglected, component in decisions concerning the well being of children in domestic violence situations. Based on the team's findings, they have drafted the Child Exposure to Domestic Violence Scale (CEDV), which specifically measures the extent to which a child has been exposed to domestic violence including degree, type of exposure, and the presence of other risk factors in the child's situation. The draft tool will be administered to approximately 200 children affiliated with domestic violence programs in the Minneapolis metropolitan area.

MINCAVA recently completed a lengthy cross-training curriculum on the issue of children and domestic violence. The curriculum, designed for child welfare workers, domestic violence advocates, and others who work to intervene in cases where both children and women are at risk, will be available soon at www.mincava.umn.edu/rural which also holds a number of other excellent resources for this work.

The Link Research staff continued to develop new analyses of a four-city survey of battered mothers about their children's involvement in domestic violence events. Several papers are published or in press. Another paper addressing system responses to these families is being developed. More information is available at www.mincava.umn.edu/link.

MINCAVA and the Institute on Domestic Violence in the African American Community received a grant from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation to develop new thinking and information concerning the parenting of men who batter their female partners. Fifteen new papers are being developed that will culminate in a national meeting and a new book on the topic.

The National Electronic Network on Violence Against Women (VAWnet) is an online resource for advocates working to end domestic violence, sexual assault and other violence in the lives of women and their children. MINCAVA facilitates the Applied Research Forum of VAWnet, a component of VAWnet designed to provide applied research information to state coalitions to aid in their work. The AR Forum provides users with concise analyses and interpretations of current research topics. This year, the VAWnet Applied Research Forum is commissioning authors to write general violence against women documents on the following topics:

In addition to documents, MINCAVA staff are creating an interactive online case study designed to teach professionals and others about elder abuse. The case study will guide users through a situation of escalating violence toward an elder family member and incorporate current issues, policies and legal obligations. The project is based on a similar case completed in 2000 (www.globalvp.umn.edu). Based on this case study, MINCAVA discovered that many professionals are looking for new and creative ways to learn and teach about violence. An interactive case study provides a dynamic environment in which learners can explore their knowledge of a topic, challenge themselves to a series of questions related to a specific case, and immediately receive feedback and links to pertinent online research. The case is scheduled to be available at the Global Violence Prevention website in June 2004.

Several MINCAVA staff volunteered time this past year to help launch the Sheila Wellstone Institute (SWI), a program of Wellstone Action. On November 13, 2003, an inaugural conference was held at the University of Minnesota's Coffman Memorial Union Great Hall. Over 500 people gathered to carry on the work of Sheila Wellstone, who tirelessly advocated for women and children affected by intimate violence.

The conference, dedicated to working toward solutions for battered women as they seek safety for themselves and their children, examined challenges mothers and children face in family court and child welfare systems. Conference presenters highlighted research of batterers' abusive parenting practices as well as models of effective collaboration between systems' professionals.

Conference attendees represented practitioners in the field of domestic violence, advocates, prosecutors, judges, lawyers, county human service professionals, social workers, psychologists, public officials and members from the general public. At the action-oriented wrap up session, attendees worked together to prioritize issues for further action and chart the future course of SWI. Conference priorities are posted on www.wellstone.org.

MINCAVA Electronic Clearinghouse Coordinator, Jennifer Root, worked with a small collective of professionals from the Injury and Prevention Unit at the Minnesota Department of Health to collect and post online resources that increase the healthcare community's capacity to address issues of domestic violence and sexual assault.

In April 2003, MINCAVA displayed information about child abuse and sexual violence in the atrium of Peters Hall in recognition of Child Abuse Prevention Month and Sexual Violence Awareness Month. Staff also created and affixed a door hanger with relevant statistics about child abuse and sexual violence to each office door in the School of Social Work.

On Sept 23, 2003, MINCAVA hosted Get Carded 2003 as a part of RAINN's (Rape, Abuse &Incest National Network) back-to-school national outreach effort to reach 500,000 college students on more than 300 college campuses across the United States. MINCAVA provided written information about sexual assault resources to students within the College of Human Ecology.

In recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness month, MINCAVA hosted a variety of events for the public during October 2003:

Figure 1. Photos of Domestic Violence Awareness Month Activity

Figure 2. The Clothesline Exhibit

Figure 3. The Silent Witness Exhibit

The Transgender Day of Remembrance was set aside to memorialize those who were killed due to anti-transgender hatred or prejudice. The event was held in November to honor Rita Hester, who was murdered on November 28th, 1998. MINCAVA designed a memorial to honor those who died due to transgender violence. Photos and bios of over 300 victims were displayed. The memorial educated others about the violence transgender people face for simply having a different gender identity.

MINCAVA and the Gender Violence in Global Perspectives class marked the 16th day of "The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence" with a Women In Black silent vigil on December 10, International Human Rights Day. Students, faculty and community members gathered at Peters Hall and walked in silent vigil to the St. Paul Student Center. Participants dressed in black as a sign of solidarity with the International Women in Black movement that works to end violence against women worldwide. The group walked holding signs and placards as a powerful display of protest against violence against women. Following the vigil, the group returned to Peters Hall, where MINCAVA provided warm drinks and a chance to debrief about the experience. Later that same day, MINCAVA sponsored a panel discussion focused on a human rights perspective of violence against women.

Figure 4. Photo of the Women In Black Silent Vigil