Violence Against American Indian and Alaska Native Women: Program of Research

The Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act of 2005, Title IX, Section 904(a)(1)(2), authorizes 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 is broad in scope, and NIJ is actively developing a research program for multiple projects over an extended period of time in order to address the issues. The purpose of the research program is to:

• Examine violence against American Indian and Alaska Native women (including domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking and murder) and identify factors that place 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 effectiveness of these responses.

Feedback and Guidance

Because of the complexity of the topic, NIJ sought guidance and feedback from the following throughout the development of the research program:

• The Task Force on Violence Against American Indian and Alaska Native Women (also referred to as the Section 904 Task Force).
• Experts in the field of violence against American Indian and Alaska Native women and Indian Country research and evaluation (also referred to as the Section 904 Researcher's Workshop).

NIJ also commissioned a study of the extant literature on violence against American Indian and Alaska Native women in order to build upon prior research and address gaps in the research.

Major Components of the Research Program

NIJ's proposed research program, Violence Against American Indian and Alaska Native Women, comprises three major components:

1. Primary Data Collection. Information from first-hand sources will be collected using a variety of methods, including questionnaires, interviews and case studies. Learn more about primary data collection.
2. Secondary Data Analysis. NIJ will analyze data already collected by other agencies and existing research and evaluation data sources. Learn more about secondary data analysis.
3. Evaluations. Federal, state, local, and tribal responses to violence against American Indian and Alaska Native women include:
   • Criminal and tribal justice programs and services.
   • Victim services and advocacy programs.
   • Programs and services for those committing violence.
   • Community assessments.