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While NIJ is proud of the progress we have made, we know there is still a great deal more to be done to improve sexual assault investigations, provide trauma-informed support to victims, and strengthen the efficiency of sexual assault kit testing.
–Nancy Rodriguez
Sexual assault is a traumatic crime with a wide range of impacts on both the victim and public safety. Over the last...
This protocol strengthens our nation’s response to child sexual abuse and promotes the healing and well-being of these victims.
The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) is pleased to support the release of the National Protocol for Sexual Abuse Medical Forensic Examinations, Pediatric (pdf, 233 pages) (Pediatric SAFE Protocol) by the Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW). The empirical research on the abuse...
Since the passage of the Violence Against Women Act, a majority of the more than 250 research and evaluation studies funded by NIJ examined domestic violence issues. This research has been collected in the Compendium of Research on Violence Against Women, which includes an abstract of each grant and the results of completed studies.
Frequent readers of the Director’s Corner are well aware of my commitment to strengthening NIJ’s scientific endeavors while also strengthening the science that supports the criminal justice system. By advancing multidisciplinary research, connecting researchers and practitioners, and encouraging diversity in our investments, NIJ will be better able to inform our nation’s police officers, judges, lawyers, corrections officers, and policymakers of...
The management of sexual offenders in the community post-release is an issue of increasing concern to law enforcement, policymakers and the public. In recent years, efforts to strengthen registration and notification have been enhanced. At the same time, comparatively little attention has been paid to related matters, such as how residency restrictions may impact offenders' efforts to find stable work and living arrangements once they are released from prison, whether rates of recidivism have changed, and whether these policies increase the safety of potential victims.
The National Institute of Justice sponsors research on alcohol and others drugs in the context of the criminal justice system to promote effective law enforcement, court and corrections responses to illegal drug markets and criminal behavior related to illicit drug use.
On this page, find links to articles, awards, events, publications, and multimedia related to drug crimes.
In a violent crime, a victim is harmed by or threatened with violence. Violent crimes include rape and sexual assault, robbery, assault and murder.
NIJ supports research that strives to understand and reduce the occurrence and impact of violent crimes. This includes describing the scope of these crimes, such as how and when they occur and their consequences. NIJ also supports evaluations of existing programs...
