Category: Health Professionals

Sexual violence on college and university campuses is a complex issue requiring collaboration and integrated approaches to support survivors. Approaches that engage the entire community in addressing sexual assault on campus are essential. Partnerships between various campus programs and departments and community-based resources help ensure access for members of the college community, including those who have experienced sexual violence, to much needed resources, strengthen the accountability of institutions to the community, increase knowledge about the impact of sexual assault on campus, and link community-based advocacy resources with campuses. This web conference is for campus administrators and advocates interested in expanding their partnerships to support survivors and address sexual violence both on and off campus.

Watch Webinar

The Department of Justice’s National Institute of Justice (NIJ) recently released a report on National Best Practices for Sexual Assault Kits: A Multidisciplinary Approach. The report describes a victim-centered approach to sexual assault cases that positively impacts sexual assault response, the experiences of victims, and ultimately results in safer communities. The report emphasizes the importance of victim engagement.

The recommendations call for careful, step-by-step medical-forensic examinations performed by health care professionals specifically trained in sexual assault examinations. They include laboratory guidelines and timelines for efficiently generating CODIS-eligible DNA profiles and a call for mandatory training of all who respond to or deal with incidents of sexual assault.

This resource from the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (PCAR) provides information on the steps to implement a SART as well as recommendations for and lessons learned about successful collaboration. Although this document by Hallie Martyniuk through the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (PCAR) mostly emphasizes how a SART works under PREA, it is helpful for any institution trying to implement a well-organized and pervasive SART.

The purpose of this guide from the Department of Justice’s Community Oriented Policing Services is to help community law enforcement entities understand and address stalking in their campuses.