Understanding the Impact of COVID-19 on Victim Services
The COVID-19 pandemic had a detrimental impact on communities across the nation and significantly affected various aspects of individuals’ lives. One of the negative impacts was an increase in gender-based violence accompanied by shifting barriers to accessing services and support. Victims and victim service providers faced various challenges dealing with the increase in need for services, navigating barriers to help-seeking, and addressing logistical issues.
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2023 NIJ Research Conference Opening Ceremony
The theme of NIJ’s 2023 Research Conference was “evidence to action,” and our goal was to bring researchers and practitioners together to learn about the latest research evidence and how it can be implemented to promote safety, equity, and justice.
The opening ceremony included remarks from U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs Amy Solomon, and NIJ Director Nancy La Vigne.
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Driving Down Gun Violence, Part 1
Three LEADS Scholars serving in different law enforcement agencies and positions discuss their experiences with identifying and implementing evidence-based interventions to reduce gun violence. NIJ Senior Advisor Dr. Tamara Herold hosts this conversation with guests Police Chief Cecilia Ashe (Milford Delaware Police Department), Chief of Staff Lieutenant Matthew Barter (Manchester, NH Police Department), and Analytical Services Manager Mr. Jason Schiess (Durham, NC Police Department).
Defining and Studying Elder Abuse Polyvictimization
NIJ Social Science Analyst Yunsoo Park shares her knowledge about elder abuse, a widespread issue in the U.S. and around the world, particularly polyvictimization — the experience of a range of different types of abuse and maltreatment. As much as 11% of community-residing older adults experienced some form of abuse or mistreatment in the past year. Yunsoo discusses risk factors, difficulties in defining and studying elder abuse polyvictimization, and strategies for intervention and prevention. Stacy Lee Reynolds, a Communications Assistant with NIJ, hosts.
Understanding, Preventing, and Responding to Human Trafficking
Economic Justice for Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence
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Gender-Based Violence and the Latinx Community
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What's Possible with Rapid DNA Technology?
NIJ scientist Tracey Johnson joins science writer Sarah Michaud in this episode. They discuss Rapid DNA technology, and Tracey explains the complexities of this technology – its pitfalls and its possibilities.
Reading and Resources from NIJ:
Just Trauma-Informed Approaches and Advocacy for Vulnerable Populations
In the final episode of our 2022 Sexual Assault Awareness Month mini season, Just Science sat down with Natasha Alexenko, a sexual assault survivor, advocate, author, and founder of Natasha's Justice Project, to discuss advocacy for vulnerable populations and trauma-informed approaches to sexual assault. As a sexual assault survivor and advocate, Natasha Alexenko has dedicated her career to improving the lives of sexual assault survivors. She has worked both nationally and internationally to discuss past, present, and future directions for an improved response to sexual assault.
Just Research on Anonymous and Unreported Sexual Assault Cases
In episode four of our 2022 Sexual Assault Awareness Month mini season, Just Science sat down with Dr. Rachael Goodman-Williams, Assistant Professor of Psychology at Wichita State University, and Dr. Jessica Volz, Clinical Director of Forensics at Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, to discuss why survivors sometimes choose not to report their sexual assault. After receiving medical care and undergoing forensic evidence collection following a sexual assault, some survivors choose to forgo filing a report with law enforcement. Dr. Rachael Goodman-Williams and Dr.
Just Trauma-Informed Patient Interviewing and Prevalence of Strangulation
In episode three of our 2022 Sexual Assault Awareness Month mini season, Just Science sat down with Kelly Taylor, a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner, also known as a SANE, Sexual Assault Care Coordinator, and Forensic Healthcare Program Manager, to discuss trauma-informed support for sexual assault survivors and the prevalence of strangulation in sexual assault cases. Trauma-informed victim centered expertise and support from sexual assault nurse examiners is crucial to providing appropriate medical attention and helping a survivor heal.
Just Research of Dating Apps and Violent Sexual Assault Cases
In episode two of our 2022 Sexual Assault Awareness Month mini season, Just Science sat down with Dr. Julie Valentine, a researcher, Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner, and Associate Dean of Brigham Young University's College of Nursing, to discuss sexual assault cases involving strangulation and dating apps. While working as a sexual assault nurse examiner, Dr. Valentine and colleagues noticed an increase in survivors reporting violent sexual assaults that occurred after meeting someone through a dating app.
Just Sexual Assault Response and Supporting Vulnerable Populations
In episode one of our 2022 Sexual Assault Awareness Month mini season, Just Science sat down with Mary Weston, the Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, Supervisor of the Cold Case Unit, and Project Manager of the Sexual Assault Kit Task Force at Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office to discuss sexual assault response with vulnerable populations. Different challenges may arise when prosecuting sexual assault cases involving vulnerable populations, including cases with male victims.
Ensuring a Trauma Informed Interview with a Sexual Assault Victim
This workshop explores approaches for engaging survivors of sexual assault from a trauma-informed, victim-centered perspective thus supporting recommendations #2 and #22 of the NIJ’s National Best Practices for Sexual Assault Kits: A Multidisciplinary Approach.
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Understanding Sexual Assault Trauma & Considerations for Conducting a Trauma-Informed Interview, Roundtable Discussion
This workshop explores approaches for engaging survivors of sexual assault from a trauma-informed, victim-centered perspective thus supporting recommendations #2 and #22 of the NIJ’s National Best Practices for Sexual Assault Kits: A Multidisciplinary Approach.
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Booker and Beyond Analyzing Sentencing Reform and Exploring New Research Directions
This webinar features a discussion of previously published research on the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2005 Booker decision - which effectively transformed the United States Sentencing Guidelines from a mandatory, to an advisory, system. The presentation will address selected research findings from the last 15 years. Individual participants will briefly review their previous research findings with particular attention paid to the analytic methods used.
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NIJ-Funded Research on Firearms Violence in Urban Cities Advancing Scientific Evidence to Inform Practice
In this full thematic panel, renowned experts will present a series of papers summarizing the newest findings of NIJ-funded research projects on criminal offenses with firearms in urban areas. Researchers used various criminological and other theories, including routine activity theory, socio-ecological and socio-environmental perspectives, and advanced mixed-study methods, including surveys and spatio-temporal designs, to produce scientific evidence to inform practice.
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Protecting Against Stress & Trauma: Research Lessons for Law Enforcement - Audience Q&A
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Protecting Against Stress and Trauma - NIJ Research for the Real World Seminar
At this Research for the Real World seminar, NIJ brought together law enforcement practitioners and leading researchers in the field of stress to discuss the current research evidence and practical benefits of targeted stress-management interventions and how they can promote officer mental wellness.
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Collaboration Enhances Trauma-Informed Response to Sexual Assault Survivors
The Houston Area Women’s Center’s & Houston Police Department’s experiences will provide attendees greater insight into how collaboration across community- and systems-based advocacy can enhance law enforcement’s response to sexual assault survivors.
This webinar was presented by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on April 25, 2019.
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Surviving Sexual Assault - It Takes A Village
Listening to the experiences of sexual assault survivors is an important step to fully understand how the criminal justice system plays a pivotal role in a survivor’s journey to recovery from the mental and physical impact of sexual assault.
This webinar was presented by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on May 2, 2019.
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Responding to Sexual Assault Victims of Color
A deeper understanding of the trauma experienced by people of color and its impact on their experience in the criminal justice system provides the ability to improve sexual assault investigations and victim services for survivors of color.
This webinar was presented by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on November 29, 2018.
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Just Wrong: The Aftermath of Wrongful Convictions
The strength of our criminal justice system depends on its ability to convict the guilty and clear the innocent. But we know that innocent people are sometimes wrongfully convicted and the guilty remain free to victimize others. The consequences of a wrongful conviction are far-reaching for the wrongfully convicted and the survivors and victims of the original crimes.
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Examining Police Officer Crime
Based on the research findings, law enforcement officers appear to commit crimes at a much lower rate than the general public. However, in some cases, at times due to the stressors of the job and frequent exposure to trauma and violence, officers engage in misconduct or criminal behavior.
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Preventing Gun Violence: Understanding Law Enforcement Response and Improving Multi-disciplinary Partnerships for Peace
This Research for the Real World seminar explores common police practices for responding to gun violence and the extent to which they are contributing to reductions in violent incidents. The panel will also explore the role of multi-disciplinary partners such as the public health sector in reducing gun violence, and discuss promising practices for law enforcement partnerships to leverage complimentary violence reduction efforts.
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