Sexual Violence Research Roundtable: Meeting Summary

• NCJ Number: 238761
• Author(s): National Institute of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women
• Date Published: February 2012
• Length: 36 pages
• Agencies: NIJ

Annotation

This report summarizes the roundtable discussion of research on sexual violence held on September 8 and 9, 2011, under the sponsorship of the U.S. Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) and the National Institute of Justice (NIJ).

Abstract

The roundtable brought together experts on sexual violence who represented fields that included research and academia, victim advocacy, law enforcement, prosecution, the judiciary, and health care, as well as several survivors of sexual violence. Participants identified new and emerging priorities for research on the criminal justice system’s response to sexual assault and generated ideas for bridging the gap between research and practice. This report is organized in accordance with the roundtable agenda. The roundtable was opened with a welcoming address by the Director of the Office on Violence Against Women. She commented on how “deeply committed” the Obama administration is to the issue of violence against women, particularly regarding the passage of the historic Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). The Director of the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) reported on NIJ’s emphasis on disseminating research findings on sexual violence that can be easily used and understood by practitioners. A Panel on Statistics and Research on Sexual Violence focuses on sexual violence statistics from various sources and during various periods. Other information provided to the roundtable pertained to the history of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the prevention of sexual violence. Other topics addressed in presentations and discussion were the accurate presentation in research of sexual violence and victimization; issues in reporting, law enforcement response, and SANE-SART; research on procedures in the investigations of sexual assault cases; the prosecution, adjudication, and sentencing for sexual violence offenses; the dissemination and use of sexual violence research in the criminal justice system; researcher-practitioner teams; and forensic medical exams for rape victims. Appended participant list