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Examining Violence Against American Indian and Alaska Native Women

Date Published
June 16, 2016

Sidebar to the article Violence Against American Indian and Alaska Native Women and Men by André B. Rosay.

The reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act of 2005, Title IX, Section 904(a)(1)(2),[1] authorized NIJ, in consultation with the U.S. Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women, to conduct research on violence against American Indian and Alaska Native women in Indian Country. The needed research was broad in scope, so NIJ developed a research program that included multiple projects over an extended period.

The purpose of NIJ's program is to:

  • Examine violence against American Indian and Alaska Native women, including intimate partner violence, dating violence, sexual assault, sex trafficking,[2] stalking, and murder.
  • Identify the factors that put American Indian and Alaska Native women at risk for victimization.
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of federal, state, tribal, and local responses to violence against American Indian and Alaska Native women.
  • Propose recommendations to improve the effectiveness of these responses.

NIJ's program of research entails primary data collections (such as the data collection discussed in the main article), secondary data analyses, and evaluations. Learn more about NIJ's research on violence against American Indian and Alaska Native Women.

[note 1] Title IX, Section 904(a) of the Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act of 2005, Public Law No. 109-162 (codified at 42 U.S.C. § 3796gg-10 note), as amended by Section 907 of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act, Pub. L. No. 113-4.

[note 2] The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 added "sex trafficking."

Date Published: June 16, 2016