A High-Tech Twist on Abuse: Technology, Intimate Partner Stalking, and Advocacy

This Violence Against Women Online Resources commissioned document summarizes the existing knowledge on the use of technology to stalk. The author uses both published literature and contributions provided by numerous survivors’ reports to provide current information on the variety of sophisticated tools that are being used to stalk current and former intimate partners. The article also provides specific strategies for advocates, including safety planning information, a resource list, and a handout for survivors.

Advocacy in a Coordinated Community Response: Overview and Highlights of Three Programs

This article gives an overview of advocacy - namely individual advocacy and systems advocacy and describes them as an integral part of community response. It also stresses the importance of each type of advocacy working collectively in enabling battered women to overcome obstacles.

Advocates Serve a Distinct and Different Role Than Paralegal Prosecution Staff

A report about the differences between advocates and paralegals and how each role affects the justice system.

Advocating for Domestic Violence Victims Who Have Been Arrested for Domestic Violence

This article examines the impact of increasing arrest rates of women in domestic violence investigations and offers advocates information on how to assist victims that have been arrested.

Advocating for Women in the Criminal Justice System in Cases of Rape, Domestic Violence and Child Abuse

The handbook consisits of various practical forms which were developed by advocates to evaluate criminal justice services for women in cases of rape, domestic violence and child abuse. It also has theoretical chapters on understanding how criminal justice systems can help and harm women.

An Advocate's Guide to Full Faith and Credit

This guide was developed for advocates who assist victims of domestic violence with orders for protection. It provides a glossary of full faith and credit terminology, advocate tips, and information about enforcement of full faith and credit legislation.

An Evaluation of Minnesota's Shelter Program for Battered Women: A Report to the Minnesota Legislature

This report is about Minnesota's shelters for battered women and their children. Shelters include residential facilities and a network of hotels, motels, and safe homes used by shelter providers. Residential shelters offer, at a minimum, security, lodging, and meals, and are available 24 hours per day. Shelter staff and volunteers also advocate for battered women and offer a variety of services to help women escape abuse and move on to a better life. Although shelters are independent, nonprofit entities, they receive most of their financial support from the state.

Assessing Social Risks of Battered Women (pdf)

This document explores the concept of safety planning. Specifically that effective risk assessment must take into account the diverse social factors of a battered woman’s life that impact her choices and decisions, especially regarding her experiences of battering.

Assessing the Justice System Response To Violence Against Women: A Tool for Communities to Develop Coordinated Responses

The third website installment profiles 13 communities that have undertaken efforts to reduce and prevent violence against women. The communities have developed a coordinated criminal justice response while maintaining a focus on victim safety and offender accountability.

Assisting Immigrant and Refugee Women Abused by Ther Sponsors: A Guide for Service Providers (pdf)

This guide is written for social service providers in Canada who deal with immigrant and refugee women who are abused by their visa sponsors under the family sponsorship program.

Broken Rainbow Conference Report 2002

The report summarizes the Broken Rainbow Conference, which was held in London, England on May 12, 2002 to discuss how to change the situation of LGBT people facing domestic violence and abuse.

Building Bridges Between Domestic Violence Organizations and Child Protective Services

This paper provides both background information and a framework for collaboration with child protection agencies that will support the work of domestic violence advocates as they try to improve safety for women and their children.

Building Bridges to Stop Violence against Immigrant Women: Effective Strategies & Promising Models for Reaching and Serving Immigrant Women

Contents Include: Barriers Facing Immigrant Victims of Violence against Women; Effective Strategies for Reaching & Serving Immigrant Victims of Violence against Women; Promising Models for Reaching & Serving Immigrant Victims of Violence against Women. The .pdf file size is very large.

Building Opportunities for Battered Women's Safety and Self-Sufficiency

Practice paper from a series of papers for an initiative to provide technical assistance to state administrators and domestic violence advocates implementing the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) in TANF and child support enforcement (CSE) contexts. This initiative is a partnership between the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRC) and the Administration for Children and Families, DHHS. This paper, Practice Paper #1, includes background information about domestic violence and the options battered women need to be safe and self-sufficient, and concise discussions of key implementation issues.

Building the Rhythm of Change: Developing Leadership and Improving Services Within the Battered Rural Immigrant Women's Community (pdf)

This manual provides suggestions and guidance on how to organize projects at improving services and eliminating barriers for ensuring safety for battered rural immigrant women.

Casa de Esperanza: Mobilizing Latinas and Latino Communities to End Domestic Violence

This issue of the BCS newsletter features the strengths-based, community engagement approach of Casa de Esperanza, of St. Paul, MN. The main article describes their work of mobilizing Latinas and Latino communities to end domestic violence. Lessons learned are highlighted.

Child Abuse and Domestic Violence: Creating Community Partnerships for Safe Families - Suggested Components of an Effective Child Welfare Response to Domestic Violence

November 1997. This paper is meant to serve as a working document rather than the "last word," and it will be subject to revision as child welfare and domestic violence agencies on the vanguard of creating partnerships learn more about the link between child abuse and domestic violence, and how to best protect both children and their abused mothers. While the suggested practices and policies are by no means exhaustive, it is hoped that setting them out will save agencies from having to "reinvent the wheel," and will, at the same time, motivate them to add additional "spokes."

Child Abuse and Domestic Violence: Creating Community Partnerships for Safe Families - Suggested Components of an Effective Child Welfare Response to Domestic Violence

November 1997. This paper is meant to serve as a working document rather than the "last word," and it will be subject to revision as child welfare and domestic violence agencies on the vanguard of creating partnerships learn more about the link between child abuse and domestic violence, and how to best protect both children and their abused mothers. While the suggested practices and policies are by no means exhaustive, it is hoped that setting them out will save agencies from having to "reinvent the wheel," and will, at the same time, motivate them to add additional "spokes."

Confidentiality & Information Sharing (pdf)

This document addresses the legal and confidentiality issues advocates face when working with the child protection system and juvenile courts. It also encourages advocacy, and focuses on the information issues advocates face when they counsel battered mothers whose children have been placed in the child protection system. Advocates need to know what to do with the information they gather from victims of domestic violence and what the laws say about how they use that information. Each section offers tips and suggestions for advocates, questions for their consideration, and examples of effective practices. The appendix features worksheets that expand upon the topics addressed in each section.

Covering Domestic Violence: A Guide for Journalists and Other Media Professionals (pdf)

The information in this guide will help link journalists to domestic violence advocates in their community, who can be utilized as sources to improve coverage. By accurately covering domestic violence homicides and avoiding sources and questions that perpetuate myths, journalists can make a significant difference in helping the community understand how domestic violence can go unchecked to the point of murder.

Criminal Prosecution of Domestic Violence

This article identifies appropriate goals to be pursued in woman battering and the special challenges these cases present to prosecutors. It offers guidelines for improving collaboration between prosecutors and advocates.

Domestic Violence and Family Support Programs: Creating Opportunities to Help Young Children and Their Families (pdf)

This paper is part of series of paper that addresses the way to mobilize community and programatic resources to provide responsive help to children and families affected both by domestic violence and poverty. This particular paper provides recommendations to family support staff and administrator to address issue of domestic violence.

Elder Abuse Speaker's Kit (pdf)

A resource kit for protecting older people and people with disabilities.

Eliminating Barriers to Services for Latina/o Survivors of Sexual and Intimate Partner Violence (pdf)

This is the position statement by Latino advocates to address barriers to services for Latina/o survivors of sexual and intimate partner violence

Enough Not Yet Enough: An Educational Resource Manual On Domestic Violence Advocacy For Persons With Disability in Washington State

The goal of this manual is to expand the definition of what is "enough" when it comes to domestic violence advocacy, so that all domestic violence services are as accessible as possible to all persons regardless to disability.

Evaluating Coordinated Community Responses to Domestic Violence

This VAWnet report presents a summary and analysis of research on coordinated community responses to domestic violence. It provides an overview of different mechanisms for coordination, examines the individual components of a coordinated community response, and addresses the overall response. The focus here will be on the justice system, advocacy and programs for abusers.

Evaluations of Advocacy Efforts to End Intimate Male Violence Against Women

This VAWnet paper describes the available research that has evaluated advocacy efforts to end intimate violence against women. The first section describes evaluation of Community Intervention Projects, while the second section presents a longitudinal and experimental evaluation of an advocacy intervention.

Every Life Lost is a Call for Change: Findings and Recommendations from the Washington State Domestic Violence Fatality Review (pdf)

This report provides the most recent statistics on Washington state domestic violence fatalities; findings and recommendations from the reviewed cases of the past two years; and tips for utilizing the Fatality Review reports to mobilize change in your community.

Expanding Solutions for Domestic Violence and Poverty: What Battered Women with Abused Children Need from Their Advocates

This paper was originally delivered as a talk at the Violence Institute of New Jersey, June 21, 2000. This paper discusses the links between the abuse of women and the maltreatment of their children and the connection between domestic violence and poverty.

Forced Bonding or Community Collaboration? Partnerships Between Science and Practice in Research on Woman Battering

This paper explores factors contributing to successful collaborations between practitioners and researchers studying the impact of adult domestic violence and the effectiveness of services aimed at stopping it. The paper identifies potential challenges to research partnerships and, through interviews with the researchers and practitioners from four successful collaborations, highlights strategies for effectively navigating these challenges. It concludes by arguing that collaborative partnerships between science and practice communities strengthen the process of scientific inquiry and program development.

Form for Evaluating Police Response to Domestic Violence: For Use by Victims and Advocates

This form was put together for use by domestic violence victims and their advocates. It's designed to assist in evaluating the police response and the police report on domestic violence calls. The form should help identify problems in police response so that these problems can be corrected. It can also be used provide feedback to the police department and to the community on how well police are responding to domestic violence cases.
This form is also availabe in PDF format http://www.justicewomen.com/police_evaluation.pdf

This form is also available in Spanish at http://www.justicewomen.com/help_police_evaluation_sp.html (HTML version) and http://www.justicewomen.com/police_evaluation_sp.pdf (PDF version).

Guidelines for Conducting Family Team Conferences When There is a History of Domestic Violence (pdf)

These guidelines are meant to assist workers who are participating in or facilitating FTCs when there has been a history of domestic violence. The goal is to ensure that the safety of all family members is addressed in a supportive and empowering manner throughout the process of FTC.

Guidelines for Public Child Welfare Agencies Serving Children and Families Experiencing Domestic Violence

The guidelines describe model policies, practices, programs, and protocols that address the multiple needs of families and children affected by domestic violence and child maltreatment. They are based on recommendations contained in the Greenbook and on the thoughtful recommendations provided by public child welfare agency directors, domestic violence advocates, child advocates, and legal representatives.

Healing Shattered Lives: Assessment of Selected Domestic Violence Programs in Primary Health Care Settings

It profiles promising programs that address domestic violence at community health care organizations. This document is designed to encourage primary health care providers to treat domestic violence among their client base and to engage providers, administrators, policymakers and others in a coordinated, community-wide response to domestic violence.

Helping Children Thrive - Supporting Woman Abuse Survivors as Mothers: A Resource to Support Parenting (pdf)

This 76-page resource is written for service providers assisting women who have survived woman abuse. Material addresses the needs of abused women as mothers, how abusive men parent, how abusive men affect family dynamics, effects of power and control tactics on mothers, the potential impact of woman abuse on children of different ages, and strategies used by young people to cope with violence in their homes. Guidance on parenting children who have lived with violence is also offered. Forty-four pages are designed as handouts for women, to be distribued as an adjunct to individual or group interventions on woman abuse or on parenting.

Helping Young Children Affected by Domestic Violence: The Role of Pediatric Health Settiings (pdf)

This paper is part of series of paper that addresses the way to mobilize community and programatic resources to provide responsive help to children and families affected both by domestic violence and poverty. This particular paper addresses importance of pediatric health care and mental health care in addressing domestic violence.

Housing and Battered Women: A Case Study of Domestic Violence Programs in Iowa

The purpose of this paper is to increase the domestic violence advocacy communitys knowledge about housing issues, federal housing programs, and strategies to comprehensively address battered women's needs for housing.

Housing and Battered Women: Increasing Battered Women's Access to Federal Housing Programs

This paper encourages advocates to collaborate in an effort to support proposed federal housing regulations that begin to address some of the housing needs of battered women and to submit comments to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to support those sections of the proposed regulations that could give battered women faster access to housing.

Housing and Battered Women: Using Housing Vouchers to Assist Battered Women Move from Welfare to Work

This paper provides domestic violence advocates with information and strategies to promote the use of this housing program as a resource to assist battered women moving from welfare to work.

How to Write a Letter to the Judge for Victims of Rape, Domestic Violence and Child Abuse

Gives information that should help you write a more effective letter. Provides four examples of different kinds of letters you as a victim or victim advocate, may want to write to the judge in the criminal case. Also available in Spanish.

Impact: Feature Issue on Violence Against Women with Developmental or Other Disabilities

Examines how disability service providers, sexual and domestic violence programs, law enforcement, researchers, and women with disabilities can work together to respond to a major civil rights, quality of life, and health issue for women with disabilities - the presence of violence in their lives.

Innovative Strategies to Address Domestic Violence in Asian and Pacific Islander Communities: Examining Models, Themes and Interventions

This report addresses API domestic violence intervention strategies within the U.S. as both accommodations and alternatives to mainstream domestic violence programs. They have adopted mainstream assumptions and approaches. And, they have crafted innovations based upon necessity and, in some cases, vision and intentionality. Emerging themes as discussed by the API women interviewed in this report highlight a number of areas which capture our attention for further exploration. While the findings of this report bring up broad, diverse and, at times, contradictory policies and practices among API programs, existing models, themes and interventions for the future programs are examined.

Innovative Strategies to Provide Housing for Battered Women

This paper highlights how eight domestic violence organizations are responding to the housing needs of battered women in their communities.

Integrating Anti-Poverty Work into Domestic Violence Advocacy: Iowa's Experience (pdf)

This document describes how the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ICADV) approached integrating economic advocacy into its work in order to better respond to the financial concerns of battered women and their families. Domestic violence programs in Iowa incorporated this work into their services by training advocates, developing new collaborative partnerships, and providing economic advocacy to battered women at three pilot sites. In addition, the ICADV secured funding to support its commitment to the institutionalization of economic advocacy in 2001.

Justice and Safety for All: Promoting Dialogue Between Public Defenders and Victim Advocates (pdf)

This document explores the relationship between the lawyers who defend individuals charged with domestic violence and the advocates who work for the rights and needs of victims of domestic violence. Because defenders and advocates often serve the same families, improving their relationship is part of providing just and safe resolutions in domestic violence cases. Filled with the voices of a handful of defenders and advocates talking about each other and their work, Justice and Safety for All is written to help other advocates and defenders begin their own conversations.
A film accompanies this publication. "In Their Own Words" is a 15-minute documentary that explores public defenders' and victim advocates' opinions about each other and their work on domestic violence cases. Copies of the film can be obtained from the National Associates Programs department of the Vera Institute of Justice, 212-334-1300.

Model Protocol for Advocates Working with Battered Women Involved in the Child Protection System (pdf)

This protocol includes policy and practice recommendations for advocates who work with battered women involved in the child protection system.

Model Protocol on Working with Friends and Family of Domestic Violence Victims (pdf)

This protocol includes examples of programs that can engage friends and families in dealing with ending domestic violence.

Model Protocols on Working with Battered Women and Their Teenage Boys in Shelter (pdf)

This model protocol is useful for domestic violence shelters who do not set age limits for male children in shelter. It is equally useful for those who critically examine safety of all children and women in shelter.

Multi-disciplinary Teams Including Child Protection Teams Framework for Co-Occuring Domestic Violence and Child Maltreatment (pdf)

This series was created through a collaboration of the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, the Vermont Department for Children and Families and the Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services. Part V describes the structure and purpose of child protection teams, provides guiding questions for domestic violence advocate members of such teams and highlights recommendations.

New Challenges for the Battered Women's Movement: Building Collaborations and Improving Public Policy for Poor Women

Originally presented by Susan Schechter as a talk at the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence Statewide Training Institute, March 17, 1997, Harrisburg, PA and revised for the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence Administrative Development Conference, May 8, 1997, Ames, Iowa.

Not a Minute More: Ending Violence Against Women (pdf)

This report highlights many of the achievements towards the empowerment of women and indicates what must be done to build on them. It provides examples of practices as well as efforts that did not meet the goals set out for them — and explores why. It looks at the challenges ahead and asks what the most fruitful next steps might be.

Passport to Safety: Some Concluding Remarks

Under VAWA, gender-motivated violence is a form of sex discrimination and as such requires civil rights protection. In this concluding chapter the volume editors revisit salient issues and suggest strategies for multiagency coordination and cooperation.

Police Domestic Violence: A Handbook for Victims

This handbook highlights some of the most significant advantages and disadvantages of the personal, financial, and legal options that victims of law enforcement perpetrators must consider.

Providing a Way Station: A study of the Joint Apna Ghar -The Enterprising Kitchen Program to Provide Employment Services to Immigrant Women Victimes of Domestic Violence (pdf)

This report examines innovative partnership designed to assist the employment needs of immigrant women who are survivors of domestic violence.

Raising Our Voices: Queer Asian Women's Response to Relationship Violence

This report is based on information derived from both the local and national groups. For purposes of the report all are referred to as focus groups. The goal of this report is to encourage all domestic violence programs to provide services to not only the queer Asian women's community, but to all under-served communities.

Responding to Child Maltreatment and Domestic Violence

This article discusses the ongoing debate between child protection workers and domestic abuse advocates. It also outlines the similarities between the two groups as they work towards similar goals.

Serving Women with Developmental Disabilities: Strategies for the Justice System

Women with developmental disabilities experiencie a far higher rate of sexual assault and rape than other women, and experience this victimization repeatedly. This article explores some of the issues facing police, prosecutors, judges, advocates, and other members of the criminal justice system, and provide some suggestions for how they can better serve women with developmental disabilities.

Stop Violence Against Women: Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)

This website is a tool for the promotion of women's human rights in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). This site addresses violence against women as one of the most pervasive human rights abuses worldwide. The STOPVAW site provides women's rights advocates with information focused on ending the most endemic forms of violence against women in the region

The Community Engagement Continuum: Outreach, Mobilization, Organizing and Accountability to Address Violence Against Women in Asian and Pacific Islander Communities (pdf)

This report conceptualizes the Community Engagement Continuum in order to categorize a range of community based approaches in the anti-violence movement and to clarify the goals of engagement. The four points on the continuum--community outreach and education, community mobilization, community organizing, and community accountability--are defined by the level to which the strategies used lead to increases in the community's capacity to transform relations of power.

The Evaluation of the Coordinated Response to Domestic Violence in Omaha (Phase II): High-Risk Case Review and Information Technology

This report documents the findings from the Phase II evaluation of the coordinated response to domestic violence in Omaha and Douglas County.

The Military Response to Victims of Domestic Violence: Tools for Civilian Advocates

This handbook is designed for civilian advocates working with military victims of domestic violence—both active duty victims and partners of active duty service members—to help advocates respond to the uniquely challenging needs of this population of survivors.

The New Welfare Law: Implications for Battered Women

This paper is the first in a series of three papers that aim to provide relevant and practical information about the new "Welfare Law" and its effects on battered women and their children to domestic violence advocates and others working in the field.

Tips for Social Workers, Counselors, Health Workers, Teachers, Clergy and Others Helping Victims of Rape, Domestic Violence, and Child Abuse

This is a good introduction to advocacy concepts used when working with victims of intimate violence, rape and child abuse. It is designed for use both as a workshop outline and as a guide for direct interactions with individual clients.

Trafficking: Considerations and Recommendations for Domestic Violence Advocates

Offers domestic violence advocates some considerations and recommendations for working with victims of trafficking. After a brief overview of statistics and issue analysis, the document provides considerations and recommendations for advocates in seven key areas: (1) Arrest, (2) Custody and Release, (3) Legal representation and the investigation process, (4) Endangerment and confidentiality, (5) Shelter Services, (6) Complex traumas and oppressions, and (7) Medical records and care.

Transitional Housing Services for Victims of Domestic Violence: A Report from the Housing Committee of the National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence

This paper describes results of phone interviews with twelve domestic violence transitional housing programs across the country. Key considerations for new and emerging programs are offered. Program profiles are also provided.

UNIFEM Annual Report 2004/2005 (pdf)

The Annual Report documents UNIFEM's work to foster women's empowerment and gender equality around the world. It highlights some of the organization's initiatives during the year 2004–2005, among which were initiatives in promoting women's political participation and leadership in post-conflict situations, easing the burden of HIV/AIDS on women, promoting women's right to own land, and supporting the creation and implementation of gender-responsive budgets.

VAWA Grassroots Organizing Toolkit (pdf)

This step-by-step guide shows communities how to organize support for the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act.

Welfare and Domestic Violence Against Women: Lessons from Research

This VAWnet paper provides a succinct summary of welfare research, with a focus on the aspects that have implications for advocates and others who work with women who receive TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families- the program established under PRWORA).

What New Public Opinion Research Tells Us About Men's Willingness to Support Efforts to Prevent Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault

This page links you to scripts, slides, and handouts from a web conference that, "featuring one of the nation's leading experts on violence against women and one of its top pollsters -- explored the latest research into men's views on domestic violence and sexual assault. Do men think this violence is common? Do they worry about the safety of women they know? What exactly are they willing to do to help stop violence? What messages resonate most with men? How can advocates engage men more effectively in prevention? In addition to reviewing the results of a new poll, experts discussed effective strategies for engaging men."

Witnessing Domestic Violence: The Effect on Children

The author discusses the conequences of child exposure to domestic violence across various ages, as well as prevention and screening techniques. Community advocacy is emphasized.