Title: OVC Publications Resource Guide Series: Resource Guide Author: Office for Victims of Crime Published: January 2001 Subject: Victims-General, Victim Services 60 pages 119,000 bytes --------------------------------- Figures, charts, forms, and tables are not included in this ASCII plain-text file. To view this document in its entirety, download the Adobe Acrobat graphic file available from this Web site or order a print copy from NCJRS at 800-851- 3420, BJA at 800-688-4252, or the Office for Victims of Crime Resource Center at 800-627-6872. --------------------------------- U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs 810 Seventh Street NW. Washington, DC 20531 Janet Reno Attorney General Daniel Marcus Acting Associate Attorney General Mary Lou Leary Acting Assistant Attorney General Kathryn M. Turman Director, Office for Victims of Crime Office of Justice Programs World Wide Web Home Page www.ojp.usdoj.gov Office for Victims of Crime World Wide Web Home Page www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc For grant and funding information contact U.S. Department of Justice Response Center 1-800-421-6770 OVC Resource Center 1-800-627-6872 OVC Resource Center Home Page www.ncjrs.gov NCJ 184914 The Office for Victims of Crime is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. --------------------------------------- Publications Resource Guide Introduction About the Office for Victims of Crime--v About the Office for Victims of Crime Resource Center--vi OVCRC Resources--vi Victim Information Online--vii Publications--vii Specialized Products--viii OVCRC Outreach--viii About This Resource Guide--viii o How To Order--viii ---------------------------------- Publications About OVC--1 American Indian/Tribal--3 Business Community--4 Child Victims--4 Civil Remedies--9 Corrections--10 Crime Victim Compensation--11 Education Community--11 Faith Community--12 Health Care Community--12 International Perspectives--13 Judiciary--14 Law Enforcement--15 Legal Community--17 Mental Health Community--17 News Media Community--18 Prosecution--19 Restitution--19 Victim Assistance Community--19 o Crisis Response--19 o Death Notification--20 o Disabilities--21 o Domestic Violence--21 o Elder Abuse--23 o Homicide--24 o Mediation--24 o Robbery--26 o Sexual Assault--26 o Technical Assistance--26 o Victim Assistance--27 Victims' Rights--30 Index--35 Order Form--43 -------------------------------------- Introduction About the Office for Victims of Crime The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), an agency within the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), was formally established by Congress in 1988 through an amendment to the Victims of Crime Act of 1984 (VOCA). VOCA was largely an outcome of the 1982 President's Task Force on Victims of Crime and established not only the Crime Victims Fund (CVF) and OVC but also separate program initiatives to address the rights and needs of all crime victims. VOCA authorizes OVC to fund states to operate crime victim assistance and compensation programs and develop demonstration initiatives and national-scope training and technical assistance. An amendment to VOCA also allows OVC to fund improved investigation and prosecution of child abuse in Indian Country under the Children's Justice Act (CJA). Crime victims receive support from OVC through formula and discretionary grants for programs and projects designed to enhance victims' rights and services. OVC also has an advocacy and leadership role in developing policy for and raising awareness of crime victims' rights and provides an array of training and other targeted resources for the many professionals who work with victims. The mission of OVC is to enhance the Nation's capability to assist crime victims and to provide leadership in changing attitudes and developing policies and practices that promote justice and healing for all victims of crimes. OVC accomplishes its mission by o Administering CVF. o Funding direct services to crime victims. o Providing training programs that reach diverse professionals nationally and internationally. o Sponsoring demonstration programs and projects that have national impact. o Publishing and disseminating materials that highlight promising practices for the effective treatment of crime victims that can be replicated. o Developing policy and establishing public awareness initiatives that improve the response to needs of crime victims. o Offering technical assistance to governments, private-sector programs, and other allied professionals. About the Office for Victims of Crime Resource Center Established by OVC, the Office for Victims of Crime Resource Center (OVCRC) is your primary source for crime victim information. Whether you are drafting policies on domestic violence, searching for up-to-date research on child abuse, investigating a story on hate crime, or seeking statistics on the extent and nature of victimization in the United States, you can turn to OVCRC. Highly trained information specialists answer your questions by using OVC and other DOJ publications, national and regional victimization statistics, a comprehensive criminal and juvenile justice library, and OVCRC's well-established network of victim advocates and organizations. OVCRC Resources As a component of the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS), OVCRC has direct access to the most comprehensive criminal justice library in the world--the NCJRS Research and Information Center, which contains the latest research findings, statistical reports, program descriptions, and evaluations on victim issues published by public and private sources, including the Federal Government. OVCRC acquires more than 500 new documents for the NCJRS collection each year, covering the following topics: o American Indian/Tribal o Business Community o Child Victims o Civil Remedies o Corrections o Crime Victim Compensation o Death Notification/Homicide o Disabilities o Education Community o Elder Abuse o Faith Community o Health Care Community o International Perspectives o Judiciary o Law Enforcement o Legal Community o Mental Health Community o News Media Community o Prosecution o Restitution o Stalking/Domestic Violence o Victim Assistance Community o Victims' Rights In addition, OVCRC has developed a vast network of agencies, organizations, and individuals who serve the needs of crime victims. Through this network, OVCRC information specialists will direct clients, such as victim/witness coordinators, experts studying the psychological effects of victimization, or grassroots organizations, to resources that can address their concerns. Victim Information Online Information about crime victims is now available from OVCRC 24 hours a day through the Internet and Fax-on-Demand System. The NCJRS World Wide Web Justice Information Center (JIC) home page (www.ncjrs.gov) can lead you to menus that provide information and publications from all OJP agencies--Office for Victims of Crime, National Institute of Justice (NIJ), Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), and Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)--as well as from the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). Many publications are available in a format that allows you to download full text and graphics. Announcements about current publications and developments in criminal justice also are published in the free Justice Information (JUSTINFO) Electronic Newsletter (www.ncjrs.gov/justinfo/) distributed on the 1st and 15th of every month. For more information and help with online services, first-time users can send an e-mail message to look@ncjrs.gov. If you require technical assistance or have specific questions on criminal and juvenile justice topics, you can send an e-mail containing your query to askncjrs@ncjrs.gov. Additionally, selected publications can be obtained through the Fax-on-Demand System. Call 1-800-627-6872 and follow the instructions to receive, by fax, a listing of available publications. Publications OVCRC distributes victim-related publications produced by OVC, other OJP agencies, and the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Most publications are free, including OVC documents, BJS data reports, NIJ research publications, BJA program descriptions and evaluations, OJJDP bulletins, and ONDCP drug-related crime fact sheets. OVC publications include research findings, statistics, and literature on emerging victim issues; studies of promising practices and demonstration programs with national impact; guides for policy development; and technical assistance and skill-building tools. Specialized Products OVCRC information specialists work with you to determine which products would best meet your information needs. Specialized products include o Information packages containing data and research summaries on specific victim issues, relevant OJP documents, a reading list, and contact referrals. o Fact sheets summarizing new issues affecting victims and their service providers. o Videos that can be used as training tools for victim service providers and allied professionals. OVCRC Outreach In keeping with its primary purpose--to increase awareness of crime victims' needs and to improve services to them--OVCRC maintains a close alliance with victim service professionals. As part of its outreach efforts, OVCRC staff attend national, state, and local conferences and distribute free literature at OVCRC exhibits. In addition, OVCRC provides publications and resource materials for training workshops, seminars, and conferences on request. About This Resource Guide This resource guide, which is updated annually, presents a catalogue of available OVC publications and other resources, such as videos and technical assistance tools, arranged alphabetically by topic. Victim-related documents published by other OJP agencies are also listed in this guide. The publication date, cost (if any), NCJ number, and authoring agency are listed at the end of each description; if the document is available online, a URL is given. Generally, documents that are available in PDF format are also available in ASCII text and HTML formats. A listing of all documents in this guide, alphabetical by title, can be found in the index. How To Order To order a publication or video listed in the catalogue, please contact OVCRC by phone at 1-800-627-6872, by fax at 410-792-4358, by e-mail at askncjrs@ncjrs.gov, or by mail at NCJRS, P.O. Box 6000, Rockville, MD 20849-6000. An order form can be found at the end of this guide. NCJRS also has an online ordering system that you can access 24 hours a day at www.ncjrs.gov/App/Publications/AlphaList.aspx. ------------------------------------- About OVC The Federal Crime Victims Division (fact sheet) Through the Federal Crime Victims Division, the Office for Victims of Crime is committed to ensuring that federal crime victims are protected and that they receive needed services through initiatives described in this fact sheet. October 1999; Free (FS 000209); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/factshts/ fcvd-jun.htm Mission and Goals of the Office for Victims of Crime (fact sheet) The Office for Victims of Crime is committed to enhancing the Nation's capability to assist crime victims and providing leadership in changing attitudes, policies, and practices to promote justice and healing for all victims of crime. This fact sheet describes OVC's 10 goals. May 1999; Free (LT 000316); OVC. The Office for Victims of Crime International Activities (fact sheet) This fact sheet includes a list of recent OVC initiatives to improve international awareness of and responsiveness to victims' rights and needs and to further the integration of crime victim issues into all international discussions of crime. July 1999; Free (FS 000229); OVC.www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/factshts/ interact.htm Office for Victims of Crime: Report to Congress 1999 This report contains a complete description of the grants, programs, and initiatives funded by OVC using moneys deposited in the Crime Victims Fund. This statutorily required document contains information regarding activities funded during fiscal years 1997 and 1998. December 1999; Free (NCJ 178933); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/welcovc/ repcong2000/ The Office for Victims of Crime Training and Technical Assistance Center (fact sheet) The mission of the Office for Victims of Crime Training and Technical Assistance Center (OVC TTAC) is to make comprehensive, quality technical assistance and training resources available to victim service providers and allied professionals to increase the Nation's capability to provide skilled, capable, victim-sensitive assistance to crime victims. This fact sheet gives an overview of all the services provided by OVC TTAC. March 1999; Free (FS 000236); OVC. OVC Training Resource Guide, 2001 Edition This guide presents a catalogue of OVC training curricula, arranged alphabetically in three sections. Section 1 lists scheduled trainings provided throughout the year by OVC; Section 2 lists trainings that are available by request; and Section 3 lists trainings that are under development. Each listing includes a description of the training and the intended audience, plus dates and locations if the training has been scheduled. The catalogue also includes contact information for curricula developers and registration information, including a registration form. The catalogue will be updated annually. January 2001; Free (NCJ 184885); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/infores/trainresguide/trainres.pdf The Special Projects Division (fact sheet) The Special Projects Division is the program development and training and technical assistance arm of the Office for Victims of Crime. This fact sheet describes this division and its duties and accomplishments. August 1998; Free (FS 000228); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/factshts/spdfacts.htm The State Compensation and Assistance Division (fact sheet) Through the State Compensation and Assistance Division, the Office for Victims of Crime administers two major formula grant programs: victim compensation and victim assistance. This fact sheet describes these programs in detail. February 2000; Free (FS 000226); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/factshts/scad2.htm State Crime Victim Compensation and Assistance Grant Programs (fact sheet) The Office for Victims of Crime administers two major formula grant programs: victim compensation and victim assistance. Victim Compensation Program funds awarded to states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories annually reimburse victims for crime-related expenses such as medical costs, mental health counseling, funeral and burial costs, and lost wages or loss of support. Victim Assistance Program funds awarded to states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories annually support more than 2,300 community-based organizations that provide services to crime victims, including crisis intervention, counseling, emergency shelter, criminal justice advocacy, emergency transportation, and other services. This fact sheet describes these programs and lists contact information for compensation and assistance programs in the United States and U.S. territories. February 2000; (FS 000178); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/factshts/comp&asst.htm Victims of Crime Act Crime Victims Fund (fact sheet) This fact sheet describes the Crime Victims Fund, how it was established, its purposes, and how it is disbursed. It also describes victim compensation and victim assistance programs, as well as discretionary funds. July 1999; Free (FS 000082); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/factshts/cvfvca.htm What Is the Office for Victims of Crime? (fact sheet) This fact sheet describes the mission and major responsibilities of OVC. September 1999; Free (FS 000181); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/factshts/ ovcfact.htm ---------------------------- American Indian/Tribal American Indians and Crime (report) This report presents the rates and characteristics of violent crimes experienced by American Indians and summarizes data on American Indians in the criminal justice system. The document includes statistics on involvement of alcohol, drugs, and weapons in violence both against and by Indians; information on victim-offender relationships; data on the ethnicity of persons committing violence against Indians; the rate of reporting to police by victims; and findings on injuries, hospitalization, and financial loss suffered by victims. Sources include the National Crime Victimization Survey, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Supplementary Homicide Reports, and Bureau of Justice Statistics surveys of offenders on probation or in local jails or state and federal prisons. February 1999; Free (NCJ 173386); BJS. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/aic.pdf Bitter Earth: Child Sexual Abuse in Indian Country (video) This 44-minute video examines the incidences of, patterns of, and responses to child sexual abuse in American Indian communities. February 1993; Free (NCJ 144998); OVC. Bitter Earth: Child Sexual Abuse in Indian Country Discussion Guide (booklet) This discussion guide accompanies the video that examines incidences of, patterns of, and responses to child sexual abuse in American Indian communities. It provides a basis for discussion of this problem among members of tribal and American Indian organizations, tribal court and law enforcement personnel, victim advocates, child welfare and human services professionals, and community organizations. September 1999; Free (NCJ 179105); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/infores/bitter/ B.J. Learns About Federal and Tribal Court (video) This 10-minute video instructs American Indian children about the jobs performed by tribal and federal court personnel and provides answers to questions about court procedures that are likely to be asked by child witnesses. December 1996; Free (NCJ 139730); OVC. Learning All About Court With "B.J.": An Activity Book for Children Going to Federal or Tribal Court (activity book) This activity book contains games, puzzles, and information designed to instruct children on the jobs performed by tribal and federal court personnel. The activity book uses the same characters as and is designed to accompany the video B.J. Learns About Federal and Tribal Court. September 1997; Free (NCJ 167252); OVC. Young Once Indian Forever: Protecting the Children of Indian Country (video) This 21-minute video presents the perspectives of adult American Indian survivors of child abuse, tribal leaders, tribal justice personnel, and social service providers on the problems of domestic violence and child abuse on Indian reservations, measures needed to address the problem, methods that could be employed to prevent the abuse of American Indian children in the future, and exemplary programs and services. November 1996; Free (NCJ 164621); OVC. --------------------------------- Business Community National Crime Victimization Survey: Workplace Violence, 1992-96 (report) In this report, based on data from the National Crime Victimization Surveys for 1992-1996, workplace violence is defined as "violent acts against a person at work or on duty, including physical assaults (rape and sexual assault and aggravated and simple assault) and robbery." In the analysis, attempts are counted with completed victimizations. The survey findings show that each year, between 1992 and 1996, more than 2 million U.S. residents were victims of a violent crime while they were at work or on duty. July 1998; Free (NCJ 168634); BJS. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/wv96.pdf New Directions from the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century, Bulletin #13: Business Community In the past 15 years, employers have begun to recognize that it is good business to offer employees a full spectrum of assistance programs to help them deal with problems, including criminal victimization, that affect job performance and the safety of the workplace. Employee assistance programs are now routinely offered in many workplaces. This bulletin describes some policies that enlightened employers and unions are implementing to prevent violence in the workplace and to assist employees who become victims. August 1998; Free (NCJ 172823); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/new/directions/pdftxt/bulletins/bltn13.pdf ---------------------------------- Child Victims Breaking the Cycle of Violence: Recommendations To Improve the Criminal Justice Response to Child Victims and Witnesses (monograph) This monograph describes best practices and programs that focus on the most effective responses to child victims and child witnesses according to those working in the criminal justice system. Specific recommendations are offered for law enforcement agencies, prosecutors' offices, and the courts. June 1999; Free (NCJ 176983); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/factshts/monograph.htm Characteristics of Crimes Against Juveniles (bulletin) This bulletin examines data from the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) on the characteristics of crimes committed against juveniles. Part of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention's Crimes Against Children series, it analyzes 1997 NIBRS data (collected from 12 states) for such crimes as assault, kidnaping, robbery, and sexual assault. The analysis finds that juveniles make up 12 percent of all crime victims known to police, including 71 percent of all sex crime victims and 38 percent of all kidnaping victims. Simple assault is the most commonly reported crime against juveniles. June 2000; Free (NCJ 179034); OJJDP.www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/179034.pdf Child Sexual Exploitation: Improving Investigations and Protecting Victims-A Blueprint for Action (report) This report provides guidelines for collaboration among federal, state, and local agencies involved in the investigation and prosecution of child pornography and prostitution cases and in the provision of services to young victims of these crimes. January 1995; Free (NCJ 153527); OVC. www.ncjrs.gov/txtfiles/exploit.txt Child Victims and Witnesses: A Handbook for Criminal Justice Professionals This handbook discusses the vulnerability of children to criminal behavior and the severe consequences of victimization for children. It cautions against "revictimizing" child victims in criminal justice proceedings and provides guidelines for becoming a "child-friendly" professional. The handbook concludes with a discussion of children and posttraumatic stress disorder and lists resources for information and training. July 1998; Free (NCJ 172840); OVC. Childhood Victimization and Risk for Alcohol and Drug Arrests (research preview) This research preview document uses data from a project sponsored by the National Institute of Justice, the Indiana University Biomedical Research Committee, and Harvard University's Talley Foundation on child abuse and neglect as predictors of violent criminal behavior to investigate the connection between childhood maltreatment and later arrest for alcohol- and drug-related offenses. November 1997; Free (FS 000108); NIJ.www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles/chldvict.pdf Children as Victims (bulletin) This bulletin, one in a series from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention that highlights key information from Juvenile Offenders and Victims: 1999 National Report, notes that juveniles are twice as likely as adults to be victims of serious violent crime and three times as likely to be victims of assault. The bulletin documents the impact of crime on society's most vulnerable victims--children. The bulletin is part of the 1999 National Report Series; each bulletin in the series highlights selected themes at the forefront of juvenile justice policymaking and extracts relevant National Report sections (including selected graphs and tables). May 2000; Free (NCJ 180753); OJJDP. www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/180753.pdf Children Exposed to Violence: Criminal Justice Resources (bulletin) This bulletin, a companion to Breaking the Cycle of Violence: Recommendations To Improve the Criminal Justice Response to Child Victims and Witnesses, provides information about the resources, tools, training, and services available to improve criminal justice responses to children who face crime and violence in their lives. June 1999; Free (NCJ 176984); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/factshts/cevcjr.htm Funding Court Appointed Special Advocate Programs (fact sheet) OVC views child neglect and abandonment as serious crimes that can harm children as severely as physical and sexual abuse. Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) programs may use Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funds to support services to child victims of neglect and/or abandonment. This fact sheet discusses the role of VOCA funding and how CASA programs must meet certain eligibility criteria for VOCA funding. July 1998; Free (FS 000208); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/factshts/casa.htm Improving Tribal/Federal Prosecution of Child Sexual Abuse Cases Through Agency Cooperation (bulletin) This bulletin describes how close cooperation between tribal and federal law enforcement agencies ensures effective investigation and prosecution of child abuse cases. Such cases often present a jurisdictional maze, a result of the difficulty of determining jurisdiction in the light of provisions for concurrent jurisdiction of certain cases. The Federal Government has undertaken a number of new initiatives to facilitate tribal and federal cooperation. September 1999; Free (NCJ 172877); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/infores/tribal/tribalbult.htm Initiatives To Combat Child Abuse (fact sheet) OVC has joined the Bureau of Indian Affairs to target family violence in Indian Country. OVC also collaborates with the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to address these issues. This fact sheet discusses efforts made as well as funding sources and recipients. August 1998; Free (FS 000212); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/factshts/childabu.htm Inside Federal Court (video) This 9-minute video was developed as a resource to help children ages 10 and up who must testify in federal court. Instructing children and their families about the court process builds confidence and reduces anxiety about testifying. The video should be used only after it has been determined that the child witness will testify in court. Its use should be supervised by an adult. September 1995; Free (NCJ 157156); OVC. New Directions from the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century, Bulletin #18: Child Victims Children who are victims of crime or who witness violence often experience long-term consequences including posttraumatic stress disorder and other medical, mental health, and behavioral problems. This bulletin provides an overview of the impact that victimization or witnessing crimes has on children, summarizes current legislation and national programs that address the problem, and describes innovative programs that offer coordinated, multidisciplinary responses to children and improve support for children involved in the criminal justice process. Recommendations from the field to enhance services for child victims and witnesses are included. August1998; Free (NCJ 172827); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/new/directions/pdftxt/bulletins/bltn18.pdf Overview of the Portable Guides to Investigating Child Abuse: Update 2000 (bulletin) This bulletin provides an overview of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention's Portable Guides to Investigating Child Abuse series, which was developed in response to requests from law enforcement jurisdictions across the United States for guidelines on investigating child abuse and neglect. Currently, 13 guides are in the series, and each addresses a specific aspect of investigating a suspected case of child abuse or neglect. February 2000; Free (NCJ 178893); OJJDP. www.ncjrs.gov/html/ojjdp/jjbul2000_02_3/contents.html President's Child Safety Partnership--Final Report 1987 (report) This report by the President's Child Safety Partnership identifies and addresses issues in child victimization in the United States, offering recommendations for how the private sector, parents, concerned citizens, and governmental agencies at every level can increase child safety.1987; Available through the OVCRC Document Loan Program or the OVCRC Photocopying Service (NCJ 106484); OVC. The Prevalence and Consequences of Child Victimization (research preview) This research preview bulletin presents preliminary findings from a study of 4,023 adolescents and their parents. The findings indicate that a significant number of today's youth have been victims of sexual and physical abuse and have personally witnessed incidents of violence against others. For many, consequences of these experiences include posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and drug and alcohol abuse. Preliminary findings point to the significance of personal victimization as a risk factor for major mental health problems, drug and alcohol abuse as a means of coping with PTSD, and substance abuse as a precursor of delinquent behavior. The study is part of the National Survey of Adolescents, a household survey sponsored by the National Institute of Justice and conducted by the National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center at the Medical University of South Carolina. April 1997;Free (FS 000179); NIJ. www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles/fs000179.pdf Responding to Child Victims and Witnesses Video Series and Resource Guide (four videos and resource guide) This video series highlights the special needs of children who are victims of violence or witnesses to crime and relays steps the criminal justice system can take to alleviate children's fears. The video series consists of Responding to Child Victims and Witnesses: Promising Partnerships To Improve Case Outcomes (NCJ 181500), Responding to Child Victims and Witnesses: Innovative Practices for Law Enforcement (NCJ 181501), Responding to Child Victims and Witnesses: Innovative Practices for Prosecutors (NCJ 181504), and Responding to Child Victims and Witnesses: Innovative Practices in the Courtroom (NCJ 181505). A resource guide, Responding to Child Victims and Witnesses: Innovative Practices that Work (NCJ 181506), contains discussion guides for each videotape highlighting the devastating effects of violence on children. October 2000; Free; OVC. Sexual Assault of Young Children as Reported to Law Enforcement: Victim, Incident, and Offender Characteristics (report) Data in this report are based on reports from law enforcement agencies in 12 states and cover the years 1991 through 1996. Sexual assault is discussed in four categories: forcible rape, forcible sodomy, sexual assault with an object, and forcible fondling. Findings include statistics on the incidence of sexual assault, the victims, the offenders, gender, response to these crimes, locality and time of incident, the levels of victim injury, victims' perceptions of offenders' ages, victim-offender relationships, and other detailed characteristics. July 2000; Free (NCJ 182990); BJS. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/saycrle.pdf Sworn to Protect (video) This six-part video series (for a total time of approximately 150 minutes) provides instruction for law enforcement agencies on conducting sensitive child abuse investigations. Included are discussions of the roles of law enforcement professionals in child maltreatment investigations, issues of sensitivity and victim trauma, and indicators of physical, emotional, and sexual child maltreatment. The series also contains information on conducting an investigation, interviewing a child, interviewing a suspect, and making a successful case in child abuse investigations. September 1996; Free, available to federal victim service providers only (NCJ 161411); OVC. Through My Eyes (video) Through the voices, artwork, and writings of children, this 9-minute video conveys how child victims experience violence in their lives. The video helps viewers understand, from a child's viewpoint, the trauma children experience when they have been victims of abuse, have witnessed violence in the streets, or have seen their mothers beaten by their fathers. Experts in child development and mental health services for child victims explain the impact of exposure to violence on children and discuss the critical steps that lead to recovery. The video can be used in training sessions or discussion groups to raise awareness of the needs of child victims and witnesses. November 1999; Free (NCJ 178229); OVC. Time To Act (video) This 13-minute video opens with a dramatization of federal law enforcement agents knocking on the door of a house to execute a search warrant. A young girl answers the door and says that she is the only one home. The agents ask her to let them enter the house, and she does so. They discover no adults at home, and the girl indicates she has been alone for days. The agents find a baby in a crib in one room whose diapers have not been changed for a long time. Furthermore, no food is found in the house. The dramatization closes as one agent asks another, "What should we do?" The question is answered through interviews with federal law enforcement administrators and child-protection workers as well as instructional narration. 1996; Free (NCJ 167245); OVC. When Your Child Is Missing: A Family Survival Guide (guidebook) Written by parents and family members who have experienced the disappearance of a child, this guide contains their advice about what you can expect when your child is missing, what you can do, and where you can go for help. May 1998; Free (NCJ 170222); OJJDP. Also available in Spanish (March 2000; Free; NCJ 178902). www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles/170022.pdf Spanish version: www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/178902.pdf Working with Grieving Children (video) This 27-minute video provides a discussion of the effects on children of a loved one's violent death. The video contains interviews with children who have lost a loved one through violence and offers suggestions on coping with loss. June 1997; Free, limited copies available (NCJ 165927); OVC. Working with Grieving Children After Violent Death: A Guidebook for Crime Victim Assistance Professionals This guidebook is a companion piece to the Working with Grieving Children video. It serves as a quick reference and how-to guide for victim assistance professionals in their work with parents, schoolteachers, counselors, clergy members, and others as they address the needs of grieving children. April 2000; Free with video, limited copies available (NCJ 165814); OVC. Working with Grieving Children After Violent Death: A Guidebook for Crime Victim Assistance Professionals-Instructor's Guide This publication is a train-the-trainer instructor's guide and a companion piece to Working with Grieving Children After Violent Death: A Guidebook for Crime Victim Assistance Professionals and its accompanying three-part video, both published by the National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA). This instructor's guide is designed to train victim advocates, particularly those who work with families in the aftermath of a violent death. The document provides the instructor with complete information and directions for conducting a 4-day training course. April 2000; Free (NCJ 178939); OVC. ------------------------------------ Civil Remedies New Directions from the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century, Bulletin #17: Civil Remedies This bulletin explains that victims experience tangible costs of crime estimated at $105 billion annually, plus intangible costs of an estimated $345 billion annually. Civil remedies compensate victims financially, empower victims to exercise their rights, and can have preventive effects. Attorneys, victim service providers, and victims are often unaware of the relief available through civil lawsuits. August 1998; Free (NCJ 172826); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/new/directions/ pdftxt/bulletins/bltn17.pdf ---------------------------------------- Corrections New Directions from the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century, Bulletin #6: Corrections The field of corrections addressed in this bulletin includes the adult and juvenile justice agencies responsible for the incarceration, detention, supervision, and surveillance of those accused or convicted of committing crimes. August 1998; Free (NCJ 172816); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/new/directions/ pdftxt/bulletins/bltn6.pdf Promising Practices and Strategies for Victim Services in Corrections (report) This document offers an overview of correctional practices and planning strategies for responding to victims of crime. It contains a wealth of ideas to establish and enhance corrections-based victim services, particularly improving treatment of crime victims in the postsentencing phase of their cases. The needs of crime victims--to be notified of the offender's status or case disposition, to complete victim impact statements, to be protected, and to receive restitution--should be recognized throughout the correctional and judicial processes. Programs are highlighted as models for replication in local, state, and federal jurisdictions. July 1999; Free (NCJ 166605); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/infores/victims/victserv.pdf Promising Victim-Related Practices and Strategies in Probation and Parole (resource guide) With more than two-thirds of the offender population in the United States under some form of community supervision, community corrections agencies and practitioners are facing incredible challenges, including decisions on how to implement effective practices and strategies for serving victims of crime. Significant strides have been made by probation and parole over the past two decades in addressing victims' rights and needs; however, the quest to instill victims' rights and services as commonplace and routine practices is a goal that has yet to be realized. This document describes how increasingly more community corrections agencies are responding to crime victims by implementing promising victim-related practices within their jurisdictions. July 1999; Free (NCJ 166606); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/infores/probparole/ Victim Issues for Parole Boards (video) This 17-minute video shares with the viewer the perspectives of victims and parole board members about the value of victim participation in the parole decisionmaking process. It features examples from California, Massachusetts, and South Carolina, where special efforts have been made to increase victim participation. It demonstrates that the inmate is not the only person affected by the decisions of the parole board and depicts an actual parole board hearing. The video suggests that, at a minimum, victims should be notified in advance of an inmate's eligibility for release to address safety concerns and prepare themselves psychologically. The video also addresses a concern expressed by many parole board members-how to remain objective and strike a balance between the victim's input and desires-and other available and relevant information. October 2000; Free (NCJ180108); OVC. The video includes the Victim Issues for Parole Boards User's Guide (NCJ 180109). --------------------------------- Crime Victim Compensation New Directions from the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century, Bulletin #15: Crime Victim's Compensation Victim compensation programs provide financial assistance to victims of nearly every type of violent crime. The programs pay for expenses such as medical care, mental health counseling, lost wages, funerals, and loss of support but generally do not cover lost, stolen, or damaged property. Eligibility requirements and specific benefits vary by state. This bulletin provides an overview of the goals and growth of crime victim compensation programs. August 1998; Free (NCJ 172829); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/new/directions/pdftxt/bulletins/bltn15.pdf --------------------------------- Education Community Indicators of School Crime and Safety, 1999 (report) This report examines crime occurring in school as well as on the way to and from school. A collaborative effort by the Bureau of Justice Statistics and the National Center for Education Statistics, it presents data on crime at school from the perspectives of students, teachers, principals, and the general population, using a comprehensive array of sources. September 1999; Free (NCJ 178906); BJS. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/iscs99.pdf New Directions from the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century, Bulletin #11: Education Community This bulletin notes that because of the high rate of crime in schools and on campuses, a number of schools have established victim service programs that offer crisis intervention counseling and stress-reaction training as well as curricula on victim assistance and violence prevention. The education community has a responsibility to prevent crime and ensure the safety of students and faculty. August 1998; Free (NCJ 172821); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/new/directions/pdftxt/bulletins/bltn11.pdf Violence After School (bulletin) This bulletin presents information on temporal patterns (time of day, school versus nonschool day) of violent crimes committed by and against juveniles, excerpted from Juvenile Offenders and Victims: 1999 National Report. It presents the most recent available data from victim survey and police incident reports, emphasizes that serious violent crime involving juveniles peaks in the hours immediately after the close of school, and discusses implications of the data for community strategies to reduce violent juvenile crime. The bulletin is part of the 1999 National Report Series; each bulletin in the series highlights selected themes at the forefront of juvenile justice policymaking and extracts relevant National Report sections (including selected graphs and tables). November 1999; Free (NCJ 178992); OJJDP. www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/178992.pdf ---------------------------------- Faith Community New Directions from the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century, Bulletin #12: Faith Community Faith-related programs have grown in number in communities throughout the United States and have expanded the services they provide. Most promising has been the willingness of religious organizations to collaborate with the secular victim assistance community. This bulletin describes numerous faith-based victim-offender mediation programs in which meetings between victims and offenders are arranged when victims request them and courts allow offenders to participate. August 1998; Free (NCJ 172822); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/new/directions/pdftxt/bulletins/bltn12.pdf -------------------------------------- Health Care Community New Directions from the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century, Bulletin #8: Health Care Community The President's Task Force on Victims of Crime recognized that the medical community is often the first to come into contact with crime victims who have experienced some form of injury. This bulletin outlines significant advances in identifying and treating victims of family abuse, providing support services for sexual assault victims, and reimbursing crime victims for medical expenses. August 1998; Free (NCJ 172818); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/new/directions/pdftxt/bulletins/bltn8.pdf Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Development and Operation Guide This how-to guide provides comprehensive information on the clinical, legal, and operational aspects of developing and administering a community-based sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) program. SANE programs provide a multidisciplinary, victim-centered response to sexual assault victims and enhance the collection of forensic medical evidence to improve prosecution of sex offenders. The Sexual Assault Resource Service in Minneapolis, Minnesota, developed the guide using expertise and lessons learned from existing SANE programs throughout the country. August 1999; Free (NCJ 170609); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/infores/sane/saneguide.pdf --------------------------------- International Perspectives Immigrant Populations as Victims: Toward a Multicultural Criminal Justice System (research brief) This Research in Brief presents findings from an NIJ-sponsored survey and selected site visits undertaken to provide a comprehensive picture of the problems and barriers recent immigrant groups encounter as consumers of criminal justice services, their difficulties in accessing justice, and ways to improve the criminal justice response to their needs and problems. For the second phase of the study, researchers studied communities in New York and Philadelphia-cities with innovative programs focusing on the needs of recent immigrants, especially those who become victims of crime. May 1998; Free (NCJ 167571); NIJ. www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles/167571.pdf International Crime Victim Compensation Program Directory: 1998-1999 Resource Directory For the 1998-99 edition of this directory, OVC contacted victim assistance programs around the world requesting programmatic details on existing compensation programs. The 115 responses, detailing programs in 28 countries and the United States, are listed in the directory. March 1999; Free (NCJ 173392); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/intdir/intdir.htm National Crime Victims' Rights Week 2000--Special Awards for Extraordinary Response to International Terrorism (video) This 9-minute video highlights the work of two groups for their extraordinary and compassionate response to families of the victims of the Pan Am 103 bombing. The Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary--the Scottish police agency involved in the investigation--and the Dumfries and Galloway Council--the citizens group organized in the aftermath of the tragedy--were honored by the U.S. Attorney General at a ceremony on April 19, 2000. The video gives a brief depiction of the work done by both groups to meet the needs of victims' families. October 2000; Free (NCJ 182794); OVC. New Directions from the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century, Bulletin #19: International Perspectives Victimology is increasingly recognized as an international field of research and action. This bulletin points out that crime and victimization cross international borders, and countries must look beyond their boundaries to share information, technology, and resources to assist victims. August 1998; Free (NCJ 172828); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/new/directions/pdftxt/bulletins/bltn19.pdf United Nations Guide for Policy Makers This guide was developed to accompany the United Nations Handbook on Justice for Victims. It highlights programs and policies that have been put into effect in various jurisdictions to implement the U.N. Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power and to ensure that the effectiveness and fairness of criminal justice, including related forms of support, are enhanced in a way that respects the fundamental rights of crime victims. The guide is for policymakers and local authorities who are concerned with improving the positions of crime victims in all countries and providing them with necessary assistance and access to justice. February 2000; Free, limited copies available (NCJ179084); OVC. www.uncjin.org/Standards/policy.pdf United Nations Handbook on Justice for Victims This handbook, developed as a manual on the use and application of the U.N. Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power (ECOSOC resolution 1996/8),outlines the basic steps in developing comprehensive assistance services for crime victims. The handbook is meant not to be prescriptive but to provide sample victim service programs for jurisdictions to examine and test within the contexts of their own legal systems and social support structures. February 2000; Free, limited copies available (NCJ 179083); OVC. www.uncjin.org/Standards/9857854.pdf Victims of Trafficking: Far From Home and Helpless (video) This 17.5-minute video examines trafficking by providing an introduction to the issues and case studies of victims of forced prostitution, forced labor, and indentured servitude. In addition, the video examines victim referral services. Developed to educate victim service providers and federal law enforcement personnel about the problems associated with trafficking and slavery, the video describes what forms trafficking can take, how to recognize the victims, and how to treat the victims. Furthermore, the video highlights the importance of agency partnerships, caring for victims, and developing a case against a defendant. August 2000; Free (NCJ 182334); OVC. ---------------------------------- Judiciary New Directions from the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century, Bulletin #5: Judiciary The final report of the President's Task Force on Victims of Crime recognized the important role of judges in ensuring the rights of victims as well as defendants. According to a focus group of judges and judicial administrators from diverse regions of the Nation, many judges find it difficult to view victims as having a legitimate role in the justice process when they are not official parties to the criminal proceedings. Judges are also sometimes unaware of the specific services to which victims are entitled. Moreover, judges often worry that paying "special" attention to victims other than as witnesses for the prosecution impinges on the impartiality of the court and creates the appearance of impropriety. This bulletin emphasizes that as community leaders, judges can be catalysts for coordinating the delivery of services to both victims and offenders and ensuring the legal rights of both. August 1998; Free (NCJ 172815); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/new/directions/pdftxt/bulletins/bltn5.pdf Victims, Judges, and Juvenile Court Reform Through Restorative Justice (bulletin) This bulletin documents the findings of a project that examined the role of crime victims in the juvenile justice system. Crime victims and juvenile court judges gathered in focus groups to discuss the problems victims experience in juvenile court processes. The groups also explored concerns of juvenile court judges in responding to needs and perceived rights of victims in the juvenile court system. The bulletin examines restorative justice principles and how to apply them to improve the responses of courts, judges, and the entire juvenile justice system to crime victims. October 2000; Free (NCJ 179383); OVC. --------------------------------------- Law Enforcement Addressing Hate Crimes: Six Initiatives That Are Enhancing the Efforts of Criminal Justice Practitioners (monograph) Individually, each project described in this monograph constitutes an innovative effort by police and prosecutors to improve systems for responding to hate crimes. Collectively, however, the six projects demonstrate the creativity and the deep commitment of local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies in leading the Nation's effort to combat bias-motivated crime. December 1999; Free (NCJ 179599); BJA. www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/bja/179559.pdf Criminal Victimization 1999: Changes 1998-99 With Trends 1993-99 (report) This report presents 1999 criminal victimization levels and rates from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). Other findings include data on victim characteristics, victim-offender relationships, use of weapons, and trends in victimization rates from 1993 to 1999. NCVS is an ongoing survey of households that interviews about 80,000 persons in 43,000 households annually. Violent crimes included in the report are rape/sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault and simple assault (from NCVS), and homicide (from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program). Property crimes include burglaries, motor vehicle thefts, and thefts of other property. August 2000; Free (NCJ 182734); BJS. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/cv99.pdf First Response to Victims of Crime (handbook) This handbook instructs "first responders" to crimes, usually law enforcement officers, on how best to respond to victims during the initial contact after a crime. Law enforcement officers are provided with basic guidelines to observe when approaching and interacting with five categories of crime victims: elderly victims, victims of sexual assault, child victims, victims of domestic violence, and survivors of homicide victims. The handbook provides hotline numbers and referral information that first responders can offer victims. May 2000; Free (NCJ 176971); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/infores/firstrep/ New Directions from the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century, Bulletin #3: Law Enforcement The way victims are treated by dispatchers, officers who arrive first at the crime scene, and detectives investigating the case shapes victims' expectations of how they will be treated throughout the criminal justice process. Therefore, law enforcement personnel who interact with victims, either in person or over the telephone, must know how to respond effectively. This bulletin recognizes the significant role law enforcement plays in providing information and assistance to victims of crime. August 1998; Free (NCJ 172813); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/new/directions/pdftxt/bulletins/bltn3.pdf Promising Practices Against Hate Crimes: Five State and Local Demonstration Projects (monograph) The five demonstration programs described in this monograph are among our Nation's most promising models for confronting and reducing hate crime. These programs, funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, were developed by state and local agencies. One provides training to law enforcement professionals, one addresses the needs of hate crime victims, and the last three programs focus on bias among youth, with an emphasis on removing hate from public schools. May 2000; Free (NCJ 181425); BJA. www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/bja/181425.pdf Responding to Hate Crime: A Multidisciplinary Curriculum for Law Enforcement and Victim Assistance Professionals (online curriculum) This training package assists law enforcement and victim assistance personnel in responding to victims of bias crime. It builds on current best efforts and practices, identified by national experts in law enforcement, victim assistance, and hate crime prevention and response. The curriculum is intended for a multidisciplinary training audience, including law enforcement officers, victim advocates, and community-based organizations. It provides up-to-date information and strategies for identifying bias crimes and taking appropriate actions to deter and investigate those crimes, to assist the victims, to contribute to successful investigation and prosecution of bias crime, and to change the community norms that foster a tolerance of and indifference toward those crimes. 2000; Available online only (NCJ182290); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/infores/responding/welcome.html Responding to Hate Crimes: A Police Officer's Guide to Investigation and Prevention This training manual provides information on how police officers can prevent hate crimes, respond appropriately to hate crimes that do occur, and support the formation of coalitions to rid communities of intolerance. October 1999; Free (NCJ 179087); BJA. www.theiacp.org/pubinfo/Pubs/hatecrime.htm Responding to Hate Crimes: A Roll Call Training Video for Police Officers (video) This 20-minute video describes the characteristics of a hate incident and a hate crime and how to distinguish between the two. Indicators to consider when deciding whether an incident may be hate-related include whether the incident would have occurred if the victim and perpetrator had been from the same social or ethnic group and whether the perpetrator used language that indicated bias. The video then describes how first responders can set the tone for investigation of an incident and addresses what first responders can and should do: carefully gather eyewitness testimony, maintain a nonjudgmental attitude, and display compassion for the victim. December 1999; Free (NCJ 179015); Includes the Instructor's Guide (NCJ 180808); BJA. --------------------------------- Legal Community Legal Interventions in Family Violence: Research Findings and Policy Implications (report) This report presents the following research summaries pertinent to legal interventions in child maltreatment cases: seven studies on children's testimony, four studies on the prosecution of child abuse and neglect cases, two studies on sentencing, one study on the impact of domestic violence on children's behavior, and one study of parental drug testing in child abuse and neglect cases. The report also includes research on legal interventions in elder abuse cases: two studies on coordination and collaboration in dealing with such cases and a paper on recommended guidelines for state courts that handle cases of elder abuse. July 1998; $3 (NCJ 171666); NIJ. www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles/171666.pdf New Directions from the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century, Bulletin #10: Legal Community Trust and estate attorneys encounter domestic violence victims and homicide survivors. Civil rights attorneys encounter victims of assault, rape, and hate crimes. Personal injury attorneys encounter victims of drunk driving crashes and other personal crimes. Attorneys need to understand the dynamics of victimization and know how to refer their clients to appropriate victim services. Promising efforts by the legal community to respond to the needs of crime victims are highlighted in this bulletin, with emphasis on increasing victim access to the criminal justice system, assisting victims of violence and abuse, and helping communities. August 1998; Free (NCJ 172820); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/new/directions/pdftxt/bulletins/bltn10.pdf -------------------------------------- Mental Health Community Bridging the Systems to Empower Victims: Mental Health and Victim Services (curriculum) This combined instructor and student resource manual contains a curriculum on victim empowerment, with particular attention to rape victims, and presents a collection of articles written from either a mental health or a victim service provider perspective (originally printed under the title Victim Empowerment: Bridging the Systems--Mental Health and Victim Service Providers). May 2000 (Reprint); Free (NCJ 179217); OVC. For instructor manual, visit www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/infores/vestmtl/ For student manual, visit www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/infores/student/ Initiatives for Improving the Mental Health of Traumatized Crime Victims (fact sheet) OVC recognizes that victim assistance providers need the knowledge and skills to respond sensitively and effectively to crime victims and that mental health services should be available to victims who need assistance. This document describes the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) discretionary and formula grant programs that support crime victims' access to victim assistance services and crime victim compensation for mental health services. The fact sheet also details specific training and technical assistance resources that focus on improving mental health services to crime victims. July 1998; Free (FS 171665); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/factshts/mentalhe.pdf Meeting the Mental Health Needs of Crime Victims (video) This 40-minute video presents a panel discussion hosted by Anne Seymour, Public Safety Consultant and national expert in the field of crime victim assistance, that includes two nationally recognized experts in the field of mental health: Dr. Dean Kilpatrick and Dr. Connie Best. Findings from current mental health research are presented, including issues involved with crime-related psychological trauma of crime victims, identification of the major types of immediate and short-term trauma associated with crime victimization, factors related to victims' healing and recovery, and how the criminal and juvenile justice systems can address the needs of traumatized crime victims. October 1997; Free (NCJ 167235); OVC. New Directions from the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century, Bulletin #9: Mental Health Community Crime victims suffer a broad range of psychological and social injuries that persist long after their physical wounds have healed. This bulletin explores new directions related to victim rights and services that focus on the importance of understanding and treating crime-related psychological trauma, crisis reactions and short-term trauma, long-term psychological trauma, counseling and mental health interventions, and cultural competency in mental health counseling. August 1998; Free (NCJ 172819); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/new/directions/pdftxt/bulletins/bltn9.pdf ------------------------------ News Media Community New Directions from the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century, Bulletin #14: News Media Community This bulletin notes that the news media play a significant role in public safety, but media coverage sometimes raises legitimate concerns about victims' rights to privacy. Timely and sensitive coverage of victims' cases can be helpful; coverage of specific cases and emerging crimes also has contributed to positive changes in public policy. August 1998; Free (NCJ 172824); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/new/directions/pdftxt/bulletins/bltn14.pdf The News Media's Coverage of Crime and Victimization (video) The news media provide a necessary and invaluable public service, but their work can often result in the painful revictimization of victims. This 26-minute video explores how the news media tend to cover crime and victimization, what can be done to help victims effectively deal with sometimes insensitive coverage, and how victim service providers can work together with members of the media to promote timely, sensitive media coverage. February 2000; Free (NCJ 178239); OVC. ------------------------------ Prosecution New Directions from the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century, Bulletin #4: Prosecution In 1982, the final report of the President's Task Force on Victims of Crime examined specific areas in which prosecutors could improve their response to crime victims. This bulletin provides discussions on innovations beyond the 1982 President's Task Force on Victims of Crime, such as special prosecution units that serve victims, innovative programs for victims with special needs, "community prosecution," and the role of prosecutors in crime prevention. August 1998; Free (NCJ 172814); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/new/directions/pdftxt/bulletins/bltn4.pdf ----------------------------- Restitution New Directions from the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century, Bulletin #16: Restitution Restitution is most often ordered in cases of property crime but also may be used to reimburse violent crime victims for expenses related to their recovery and to make up for loss of support for homicide victim survivors. Other cases in which restitution is ordered include theft of services, fraud, forgery, and vehicle and traffic law violations. This bulletin explains that restitution is not a punishment or an alternative to offender fines, sanctions, and interventions; rather, it is a debt owed to victims. August 1998; Free (NCJ 172825); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/new/directions/pdftxt/bulletins/bltn16.pdf ------------------------------ Victim Assistance Community Crisis Response Community Crisis Response (fact sheet) This fact sheet describes the Community Crisis Response (CCR) program, which works to improve services in communities that have experienced crimes resulting in multiple victimizations. It describes CCR's goals, objectives, program strategies, and selection criteria. August 1999; Free (FS 000148); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/factshts/ccr.htm The Community Crisis Response Team Training Manual, Second Edition Designed as a support publication for regional trainings on crisis response, this manual trains individuals and communities on the coordination of community crisis response. It presents an overview of crisis, trauma, and crisis response intervention; discusses factors such as culture, ethnicity, religion, and age; and explains the benefits of and how to organize crisis response teams (comprised of mental health specialists, victim advocates, public safety professionals, and members of the clergy, among others) to serve as consultants to the leaders and caregivers of a community in severe distress. The Second Edition is both a textbook and reference work. May 1998; Free, limited copies available (NCJ 173406); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/infores/crt/ ---------------------------------------- Death Notification Death Notification: Breaking the Bad News with Concern for the Professional and Compassion for the Survivor--A Seminar for Clergy and Funeral Directors (training curriculum) This training curriculum, developed by Mothers Against Drunk Driving, provides training tips, an annotated literature review, and overhead and handout templates to instruct clergy and funeral directors in providing compassionate and thorough death notifications. August 1996; Free, limited quantities available (NCJ 162362); OVC. Death Notification: Breaking the Bad News with Concern for the Professional and Compassion for the Survivor--A Seminar for Crime Victim Advocates (training curriculum) This training curriculum, developed by Mothers Against Drunk Driving, provides training tips, an annotated literature review, and overhead and handout templates to instruct crime victim advocates in providing compassionate and thorough death notifications. August 1996; Free, limited quantities available (NCJ 162360); OVC. Death Notification: Breaking the Bad News with Concern for the Professional and Compassion for the Survivor--A Seminar for Law Enforcement (training curriculum) This training curriculum, developed by Mothers Against Drunk Driving, provides training tips, an annotated literature review, and overhead and handout templates to instruct law enforcement personnel in providing compassionate and thorough death notifications. August 1996; Free, limited quantities available (NCJ 162363); OVC. Death Notification: Breaking the Bad News with Concern for the Professional and Compassion for the Survivor--A Seminar for Medical Professionals (training curriculum) This training curriculum, developed by Mothers Against Drunk Driving, provides training tips, an annotated literature review, and overhead and handout templates to instruct medical professionals in providing compassionate and thorough death notifications. August 1996; Free, limited quantities available (NCJ 162361); OVC. -------------------------------- Disabilities Working with Victims of Crime with Disabilities (bulletin) Historically, crime victims have been denied full participation in the criminal justice process. Crime victims with disabilities and their families have been particularly disadvantaged. Advocates for disabled persons report that crimes against people with disabilities are often not reported to police. Of those that lead to investigation and arrest, very few are prosecuted. This bulletin provides suggestions for victim assistance professionals who deal with victims of crime with disabilities. September 1998; Free (NCJ 172838); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/factshts/disable.htm --------------------------------- Domestic Violence Batterer Intervention: Program Approaches and Criminal Justice Strategies (report) In discussing the criminal justice response to battering, this report advises that batterer intervention programs cannot be expected to deter domestic violence in isolation; a strong, coordinated criminal justice response is also needed. February 1998; $4.50 (NCJ 168638); NIJ. www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles/168638.pdf Batterer Programs: What Criminal Justice Agencies Need to Know (report) After exploring the nature and causes of domestic violence, this report describes batterer interventions currently in operation (the larger, "mainstream" programs as well as innovative interventions being explored), examines the theories on which they are based, reviews the most critical issues being debated, and examines criminal justice practices that can improve batterer intervention. The information was obtained from observation of 13 batterer intervention programs in 5 states; interviews with program directors, criminal justice professionals, and academics; and extensive review of documents. The integrated criminal justice responses studied for this report included coordination among agencies; use of victim advocates throughout the system; designation of special, dedicated batterer intervention units; and provision of training for agency personnel. July 1998; $2.50 (NCJ 171683); NIJ. www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles/171683.pdf Evaluation of the STOP Formula Grants To Combat Violence Against Women: The Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (report) This 2000 evaluation report describes the distribution of STOP (Services o Training o Officers o Prosecutors) Violence Against Women Program funds by state, activities and goals of STOP grant projects, collaboration and system change resulting from STOP projects, victim outreach, STOP accomplishments, efforts to address gaps in and barriers to improved services for female victims of violence, and federal and state administration and support of the STOP program. The evaluation shows that since the STOP program began in 1995, states have made great strides in implementing their own approaches to treating domestic violence and sexual assault. STOP funding has given agencies an incentive to work together to reduce violence against women. March 2000; Available through the NCJRS Document Loan Program or the NCJRS Photocopying Service (NCJ 183599); NIJ. Initiatives to Combat Violence Against Women (fact sheet) In collaboration with other government agencies and organizations, OVC administers funding to programs that combat victimization of women. This fact sheet provides an overview of the funding sources, including formula and discretionary grant programs, that support sexual assault and domestic violence programs. July 1998; Free (FS 000211); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/factshts/factsht.htm Intimate Partner Violence (report) This report provides information on violence by intimates (current or former spouses, girlfriends, or boyfriends) gleaned from the redesigned National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), which includes new questions about violence by intimates. The report covers trends in intimate violence, characteristics of victims (race, sex, age, income, ethnicity, and whether the victims live in urban, suburban, or rural areas), type of crime (physical assault, verbal threats), and trends for reporting to police. Intimate victimizations measured include rape, sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault. Data on murder by intimates are also given. The data for this report came from the NCVS and the FBI's Supplementary Homicide Reports. May 2000; Free (NCJ 178247); BJS. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/ipv.pdf When Will They Ever Learn? Educating to End Domestic Violence--A Law School Report Many legal professionals have not been trained adequately on appropriate legal interventions for domestic violence. Failure to fully understand domestic violence legal issues undermines the competence of individual lawyers and judges as well as the legal profession as a whole. By integrating domestic violence issues into their curricula, law schools can provide lawyers with the tools to assist victims effectively and to improve the legal system's response to family violence. The recommendations in this report stem from a 2-day meeting of experts convened by the American Bar Association in 1996. Law school professors who teach domestic violence seminars or administer clinical programs, victim advocates, experts in intervention with perpetrators of domestic violence, and other practitioners attended the conference and provided information about current law school practices and recommendations for the future. December 1997; Free (NCJ 168098); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/infores/etedv/ ------------------------------------ Elder Abuse Crimes Against Older Persons Age 65 or Older, 1992-97 (report) This report provides data from the National Crime Victimization Survey and the FBI Uniform Crime Reports to summarize levels and rates of violent and property crimes against persons age 65 or older. Crime rates for the elderly are compared with those of other age groups. The crimes examined are murder, rape, robbery, assault, larceny, household burglary, property theft, and motor vehicle theft. The report also discusses 1992-97 trends, comparing the elderly with other age groups, and presents data on offender weapon use, self-protective measures by victims, victim injury and treatment, stranger versus nonstranger crime, place and time of occurrence, and victim and offender demographics including gender, ethnicity, and household income. Crimes include both those that were reported to police and those that were not reported by victims. January 2000; Free (NCJ 176352); BJS. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/cpa6597.pdf Improving the Police Response to Domestic Elder Abuse: Instructor Training Manual (training curriculum) Domestic elder abuse is a complex problem that requires a multidisciplinary response tailored to the particular needs of elderly victims. Law enforcement plays a critical role in developing a comprehensive strategy to meet the needs of a growing elderly population. This training manual is intended to increase student understanding of the legal mandates related to police officers, the process of aging, and aspects of elder abuse that police may encounter. The manual offers practical information that can be applied to police encounters with elder abuse victims, suspects, and witnesses. Learning objectives, participant materials, and activities are identified. Training resources are listed, model police response and investigation procedures are noted, and a literature review is included. September 1993; Free, limited quantities available (NCJ 147558); OVC. Improving the Police Response to Domestic Elder Abuse: Participant Training Manual (training curriculum) Domestic elder abuse is a complex problem that requires a multidisciplinary response tailored to the particular needs of elderly victims. Law enforcement plays a critical role in developing a comprehensive strategy to meet the needs of a growing elderly population. This training curriculum for improving the police response to domestic elder abuse is designed to increase participants' understanding of the legal mandates related to police officers, the process of aging, and aspects of domestic elder abuse that police may encounter. The manual offers practical information that can be applied to police encounters with elder abuse victims, suspects, and witnesses. Each section of the manual lists learning objectives and provides an outline of information presented. Lists of resources and additional reading materials are included. September 1993; Free, limited quantities available (NCJ 148831); OVC. ----------------------------- Homicide Homicide Trends in the United States: 1998 Update (crime data brief) This Bureau of Justice Statistics Crime Data Brief outlines the primary findings of and new additions to the section of the BJS Web site about homicide patterns and trends since 1976. Homicide is of interest not only because of its severity but also because it is a fairly reliable barometer of all violent crime. At a national level, no other crime is measured as accurately and precisely. Topics covered include long-term trends, demographic trends, multiple victims and offenders, infanticide, eldercide, homicides by intimates, law enforcement officers killed, weapons trends, regional trends, and trends by city size. The data analyzed are from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Program, particularly the Supplementary Homicide Reports. March 2000; Free (NCJ 179767); BJS. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/htius98.pdf --------------------------------- Mediation Community Mediation Programs: Developments and Challenges (report) This Issues and Practices report examines developments in the community mediation field over the past two decades and reviews the field's major achievements and ongoing challenges. The evolution of the field, diversification of services, and major resources available to the field are reviewed. Research findings dealing with community mediation are also examined. July 1997; $3 (NCJ 165698); NIJ. www.ncjrs.gov/txtfiles/165698.txt Directory of Victim-Offender Mediation Programs in the United States One of five documents in The Restorative Justice and Mediation Collection, this directory lists all identified victim-offender mediation programs in the country, providing contact and program information. It provides easy access for persons who would like to contact a specific program. April 2000; Free (NCJ 176349; NCJ for The Restorative Justice and Mediation Collection is 176970); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/infores/restorative_justice/welcome.html Family Group Conferencing: Implications for Crime Victims (report) One of five documents in The Restorative Justice and Mediation Collection, this document discusses a form of restorative justice dialogue that originated in New Zealand and Australia and has been replicated in some communities in the United States. April 2000; Free (NCJ 176347; NCJ for The Restorative Justice and Mediation Collection is 176970); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/infores/restorative_justice/welcome.html Guidelines for Victim-Sensitive Victim-Offender Mediation: Restorative Justice Through Dialogue One of five documents in The Restorative Justice and Mediation Collection, this guide is intended to assist administrators in developing or enhancing their restorative justice programs. It provides practical guidelines for mediators to facilitate balanced and fair mediation that will ensure the safety and integrity of all participants. April 2000; Free (NCJ 176346; NCJ for The Restorative Justice and Mediation Collection is 176970); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/infores/restorative_justice/welcome.html Multicultural Implications of Restorative Justice: Potential Pitfalls and Dangers One of five documents in The Restorative Justice and Mediation Collection, this document discusses the implementation of restorative justice frameworks when working with persons of different cross-cultural perspectives. April 2000; Free (NCJ 176348; NCJ for The Restorative Justice and Mediation Collection is 176970); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/infores/restorative_justice/welcome.html National Survey of Victim-Offender Mediation Programs in the United States One of five documents in The Restorative Justice and Mediation Collection, this document presents results of a national survey of victim-offender mediation programs in the United States. It contains information about the characteristics of the various victim-offender mediation programs operating nationwide and major issues facing them in their day-to-day operations, describing much about the actual functioning of the programs. April 2000; Free (NCJ 176350; NCJ for The Restorative Justice and Mediation Collection is 176970); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/infores/restorative_justice/welcome.html Restorative Justice and Mediation Collection: Executive Summary (bulletin) This bulletin summarizes the five documents in The Restorative Justice and Mediation Collection, which provides guidance on establishing victim-sensitive restorative justice programs. Three documents--Guidelines for Victim-Sensitive Victim-Offender Mediation: Restorative Justice Through Dialogue; National Survey of Victim-Offender Mediation Programs in the United States; and Directory of Victim-Offender Mediation Programs in the United States--focus on victim-offender mediation, which is a major programmatic intervention that embraces the concepts of restorative justice. The Family Group Conferencing: Implications for Crime Victims and the Multicultural Implications of Restorative Justice: Potential Pitfalls and Dangers documents discuss restorative justice approaches in New Zealand and Australia and highlight concerns regarding the implementation of restorative justice in other cultures, respectively. September 2000; Free (NCJ 180301); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/infores/restorative_justice/bulletin1/welcome.html --------------------------------- Robbery After the Robbery: Crisis to Resolution (video) This 20-minute video traces a robbery from crisis to resolution and is designed to help bank robbery victims cope with the emotional trauma of victimization and to inform victims about the criminal justice process. October 1996; Free (NCJ 162842); OVC. --------------------------------- Sexual Assault Looking Back, Moving Forward: A Program for Communities Responding to Sexual Assault (guidelines) This guide is designed to help communities develop a training program for responding to sexual assault and write a protocol based on community needs and resources. October 1995; Available to federal victim service providers only through the OVCRC Document Loan Program or the OVCRC Photocopying Service (NCJ 153768); OVC. State Legislators' Handbook for Statutory Rape Issues This handbook seeks to improve the criminal justice response to statutory rape victims and to hold offenders accountable. It provides a framework for developing and analyzing legislation that would make sexual intercourse with a minor a crime based on the age of the minor. It assists legislators and policymakers who are amending their statutory rape laws. Although each state must determine what kind of laws to pass, this handbook provides a framework for discussing and considering the issues as well as examples of how states have dealt with the complex issues involved in statutory rape cases. February 2000; Free, limited copies available (NCJ 178238); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/infores/statutoryrape/handbook/statrape.pdf Victim-Oriented Multidisciplinary Responses to Statutory Rape Training Guide This training guide offers practical suggestions to increase reporting of statutory rape as a crime, improve investigations and prosecutions, enhance treatment of victims and offenders, and develop sound sentencing practices nationwide. An included report on promising practices focuses on how professionals handle statutory rape cases and what suggestions they could offer to other communities to improve responses to victims and offenders. February 2000; Free, limited copies available (NCJ 178237); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/infores/ statutoryrape/trainguide/victimoriented.pdf ------------------------------- Technical Assistance Conference Planning Guide The task of coordinating a statewide conference or hosting a national conference on victim services involves many challenges, and this guide provides assistance to conference planners by specifying conference planning skills and giving an overview of the elements of a successful conference. The guide is organized into seven parts. The first three parts cover getting started, site selection, and negotiating agreements and contracts. The next three parts focus on planning the conference program, inviting speakers and presenters, and executing the conference plan. The final part focuses on training initiatives and technical assistance available from OVC. September 1997; Free (NCJ 166593); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/infores/res/confguid VOCA Subgrantees' Training Guide This guide provides technical assistance to Victims of Crime Act (VOCA)-funded victim service organizations in three areas: developing human resources, managing money and fundraising, and adhering to the VOCA Victim Assistance Grant Guidelines. September 1999; Free (NCJ 175717); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/infores/subgrantee/ncj175717.pdf -------------------------------- Victim Assistance Attorney General Guidelines for Victim and Witness Assistance 2000 The guidelines presented in this document establish procedures to be followed by the federal criminal justice system when responding to the needs of crime victims and witnesses. January 2000; Free, available to federal victim service providers only (NCJ 178249); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/infores/agg2000/ Denver Victim Services 2000 Needs Assessment (bulletin) This bulletin describes the creation of the Denver Victim Services 2000 (VS2000) model service network, a 5-year demonstration project to create a comprehensive, coordinated, seamless service delivery system for victims of crime. Today, representatives from more than 50 Denver-area victim service agencies are participating in the Denver VS2000 project; participants include community and criminal justice-based victim service workers and allied professionals. The bulletin summarizes the efforts and highlights the results of the three-pronged victim services needs assessment conducted by Denver VS2000 in 1997 and 1998 and describes the development of an assessment strategy and the creation of measurement tools. October 2000; Free (NCJ 183397); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/infores/dv_10_2000_1/welcome.html HIV/AIDS and Victim Services: A Critical Concern for the '90s (manual) This manual provides information about the effect that HIV/AIDS has had on the role of victim assistance professionals. It provides basic information about the disease, its impact on victims of crime, its impact on the workplace, and the possible responses of victim assistance professionals. 1996; Free, limited copies available (NCJ 161415); OVC. National Crime Victims' Rights Week 2000--National Crime Victim Service Awards (video) This 10-minute video highlights the achievements of the six winners of the 2000 Crime Victim Service Awards and the winner of a Special Award for Innovations in Service to Victims in Indian Country. The four individuals and three organizations were honored by the U.S. Attorney General at a ceremony on April 19, 2000, for their outstanding day-to-day service on behalf of crime victims. The video includes footage of the award recipients performing their work.October 2000; Free (NCJ 182793); OVC. National Crime Victims' Rights Week 2000--Special Awards for Courageous Response to Hate Crime (video) This 7.5-minute video features two families who were honored by the U.S. Attorney General at a ceremony on April 19, 2000, for their heroic response to hate crimes. The video highlights the circumstances surrounding the 1998 deaths of Matthew Shepard in Wyoming and James Byrd, Jr., in Texas, pays tribute to their families for their dedication and compassion in the face of extraordinary adversity, and addresses the families' outreach efforts to combat all hate crimes. October 2000; Free (NCJ 182792); OVC. National Resource Directory of Victim Assistance Funding Opportunities 2000 This directory lists, by state, the contact names, mailing addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses for the six federal grant programs that provide assistance to crime victims: Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), Edward Byrne Memorial State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance Program (Byrne Program), Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant (PHHSBG), Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA), and Children's Justice Act (CJA) State and Tribal Grant Programs. May 2000; Free (NCJ 181042); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/fund/nrd/ National Victim Assistance Academy Text (curriculum) The National Victim Assistance Academy is a university-based, foundation-level course in victim assistance and victimology. This rigorous, 45-hour academic curriculum emphasizes foundations in victimology, victims' rights and services, and new developments in the field of victim assistance. The comprehensive textbook covers 32 subject areas and serves as the course curriculum. Available through the OVCRC Document Loan Program or the OVCRC Photocopying Service (NCJ 164870); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/assist/nvaa99/ New Directions from the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century, Bulletin #7: Victim Assistance Community The victim assistance movement has grown rapidly into a full-fledged advocacy and service field dedicated to meeting physical, financial, and psychological needs of victims and their families. More than 10,000 programs now provide support and assistance to victims in the aftermath of crime. This bulletin points out that public awareness of the need for victim assistance has increased, victim assistance services have expanded, and communities have begun to effectively respond to the needs of crime victims. August 1998; Free (NCJ 172817); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/new/directions/pdftxt/bulletins/bltn7.pdf President's Task Force on Victims of Crime: Final Report This historic report presents a list of recommendations (with commentary) devised by the 1982 President's Task Force on Victims of Crime to help crime victims receive the financial, medical, and legal help they need. The recommendations are directed toward federal and state governments, criminal justice agencies, and private agencies such as hospitals, schools, and mental health agencies. December 1982; Free, limited copies available (NCJ 087299); OVC. Promising Practices: Community Partnerships Helping Victims (video) This 22-minute video highlights victim services programs and practices around the country. It features 10 promising approaches, including crisis response systems, children's advocacy centers, Triad programs that seek to improve the response to elderly victims of crime, community impact statements, victim impact panels, gang victim services, sexual assault nurse examiner programs, services for deaf and deaf-blind victims, and telemedicine. The video emphasizes the effectiveness of partnerships within communities and encourages replication of the practices highlighted. February 1998; Free (NCJ 167243); OVC. Responding to Terrorism Victims: Oklahoma City and Beyond (report) This report addresses the lessons learned from the Oklahoma City bombing response that provide a foundation for recommendations to improve planning for services to victims of terrorism in the future. It discusses the April 19, 1995, bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, the immediate crisis response, the postcrisis victim assistance response, the criminal pretrial and trial phases, the long-term needs of victims, and the legal issues pertaining to victims of terrorism, among other issues. The report also highlights policy recommendations from local, state, and federal agencies. October 2000; Free (NCJ 183949); OVC. Survivors of Politically Motivated Torture: A Large, Growing, and Invisible Population of Crime Victims (report) This report summarizes discussions and ideas for collaboration from the first national meeting of representatives from U.S. treatment centers for torture survivors, sponsored by OVC in October 1998. The document provides a definition of politically motivated torture and discusses the extent and intent of torture around the world, the aftereffects of torture on survivors and their families, how torture survivor treatment centers intervene to help victims deal with the physical and psychological aftermath of their victimization and provide training to victim assistance programs to identify immigrants and refugees who have been victims of political torture, and what helps these survivors heal. The report also includes a list of U.S. treatment centers. January 2000; Free (NCJ 178911); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/infores/motivatedtorture/torture.pdf What You Can Do If You Are a Victim of Crime (fact sheet) This fact sheet describes the rights of crime victims, ways in which victims of crime can obtain help, and ways they can work for positive change. It also contains a list of resources that can assist victims of crime. May 1999; Free (FS 000176); OVC. www.ncjrs.gov/txtfiles/fs1766.txt --------------------------------- Victims' Rights The 1996 Victims' Rights Sourcebook: A Compilation and Comparison of Victims' Rights Legislation This sourcebook provides information about more than a dozen legislatively mandated victims' rights in each state. It can be used to access and compare the basic legal protections that exist for crime victims. It is current through 1995. 1996; Available through the OVCRC Document Loan Program or the OVCRC Photocopying Service (NCJ 165359); OVC. From Pain to Power: Crime Victims Take Action (monograph) Following an overview of the effects of crime on its victims, this monograph addresses some of the benefits of community involvement for crime victims, including rebuilding self-esteem, reducing isolation, regaining a sense of power, and dealing with fear and anger. The monograph discusses victim assistance, victims' rights advocacy, and violence prevention and presents some caveats regarding victim activism. September 1998; Free (NCJ 166604); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/infores/fptp/welcome.html Information for Victims and Witnesses Who Report Fraud Crimes (brochure) Federal law enforcement officials are concerned about victims and witnesses of financial crimes, who often have questions about how their case will be investigated, what services and information will be available, and how to begin to cope with financial losses. This brochure was designed to provide general information to address these common concerns. August 1998; Free (BC 000599); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/infores/fraud/brochur.htm New Directions from the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century This document provides a comprehensive set of recommendations on victims' rights and services concerning every community involved with crime victims across the Nation. It highlights the progress made in the Nation's justice systems and in the private sector since the release of the 1982 final report of the President's Task Force on Victims of Crime, identifies hundreds of innovative public policy initiatives and community partnerships that are revolutionizing the treatment of crime victims in America today, and recommends improvements that still need to be implemented on behalf of crime victims. Contributors include crime victims themselves and representatives of the agencies and organizations that serve them. New Directions challenges the Nation to renew and refocus its efforts to improve the treatment of victims of crime. May 1998; $6 (NCJ 170600); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/new/directions/ pdftxt/direct.pdf New Directions from the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century (video) This 20-minute video is based on OVC's New Directions from the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century and highlights the global challenges presented in the New Directions report. The video is a useful tool in changing attitudes, policies, and practices within the justice, social services, and nonprofit arenas serving this Nation's nearly 32 million crime victims. February 2000; Free (NCJ 178283); OVC. New Directions from the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century: Strategies for Implementation--Tools for Action Guide This invaluable educational resource kit is designed to aid victim service providers, allied professionals, criminal justice agencies, and public policymakers in implementing the 250 recommendations discussed in the landmark New Directions from the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century report. These recommendations were developed by professionals in all areas of victim services to create a comprehensive response system in every community. The guide includes a copy of the New Directions report, an index, a videotape, camera-ready resources, and sample speeches to help agencies advance rights for crime victims within the criminal justice system. February 2000; Call for shipping and handling charges (NCJ 179558); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/infores/newdirections2000/ See separate ad and order form on page 42. New Directions from the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century, Bulletin #1: Executive Summary This executive summary briefly describes the 18 chapters in New Directions from the Field. The document provides examples of promising practices, partnerships, and programs and a summary of the five global challenges that must be met to respond effectively to crime victims in the 21st century. August 1998; Free (NCJ 172811); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/new/directions/ pdftxt/bulletins/bltn1.pdf New Directions from the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century, Bulletin #2: Victims' Rights This bulletin presents the broad agenda established in the final report of the President's Task Force on Victims of Crime for implementing victims' rights and services; many of the report's 68 recommendations are highlighted. The recommendations pertain to such areas as the right of victims to notice of public court proceedings, the right of victims to be present throughout public court proceedings, the right of victims to victim-prosecutor consultation, and the right of victims and witnesses to reasonable protection. August 1998; Free (NCJ 172812); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/new/directions/pdftxt/bulletins/bltn2.pdf Providing Services to Victims of Fraud: Resources for Victim/Witness Coordinators (manual) This manual presents effective program service strategies, suggestions to enhance services by federal personnel to fraud victims, and referrals to outside agencies and programs that provide fraud victims with services or information. Individual sections explain the types, victims, perpetrators, costs, and emotional consequences of fraud and the role of victim/witness coordinators in providing services to fraud victims. July 1998; Free (NCJ 170594); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/infores/fraud/psvf/ Roles, Rights, and Responsibilities: A Handbook for Fraud Victims Participating in the Federal Criminal Justice System Designed for distribution to victims of fraud, this handbook covers victims' roles, rights, and responsibilities during the criminal prosecution of a case; the federal justice process; support services available to fraud victims in the federal justice system; frequently asked questions about the process; national organizations and government agencies that provide services regarding fraud crime; suggestions on how to address credit problems; a glossary of legal terms; case contact information; and guidelines for documenting financial losses. September 1998; Free (NCJ 172830); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/infores/fraud/rrr/welcome.html Telemarketing Fraud Prevention, Public Awareness, and Training Activities (fact sheet) Using moneys appropriated by Congress, OVC funded four innovative projects designed to prevent and intervene in telemarketing fraud schemes that target elderly citizens. This fact sheet describes these initiatives-namely, the Elder Financial Exploitation Prevention Program; the Telemarketing Fraud Project for Latino Elderly; Operation Fraudstop: A Partnership to Reduce Telemarketing Fraud and Assist Victims; and Telemarketing Fraud Prevention, Public Awareness, and Training Activities. August 1998; Free (FS 000214); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/factshts/telemark.htm Victims of Fraud and Economic Crime (bulletin) This bulletin documents a May 1998 OVC-sponsored focus group that studied the concerns, needs, and issues of the traditionally underserved fraud and economic crime victim population. Several OVC contributions to change are described. The meeting successfully generated numerous training ideas, promising practices, recommendations, and an action plan to assist economic crime victims. May 2000; Free (NCJ 176357); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/infores/fraud/htmlfraud/index.html Victims of Fraud: Beyond Financial Loss (video) Fraud is defined as an illegal act by nonphysical means to obtain money or property. This 20-minute video, designed to instill in allied professionals a deeper appreciation of the emotional, financial, and sometimes physical impact of fraud, may ultimately help fraud victims receive more sensitive treatment by criminal justice personnel. August 1998; Free (NCJ 170593); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/infores/fraud/v-fraud.htm Victims' Rights Compliance Efforts: Experiences in Three States (bulletin) This bulletin summarizes the Victims' Rights Compliance Efforts report that describes innovative programs in three states--Colorado, Minnesota, and Wisconsin--to improve the enforcement of victims' rights. May 1998; Free (NCJ 167241); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/infores/vrce.htm Victims' Rights Compliance Efforts: Experiences in Three States (report) Many victims and their advocates believe that one of the greatest challenges of the criminal justice system is ensuring compliance with victims' rights laws. This report describes innovative programs in three states--Colorado, Minnesota, and Wisconsin--to improve the enforcement of victims' rights. The report documents the experiences and challenges faced by state criminal justice systems in providing and enforcing victims' rights, identifies common themes that enhance and impede the compliance enforcement process, and suggests general models and cautions for program replication. This report is designed for state-level decisionmakers concerned with the provision and enforcement of victims' rights and should be viewed as a tool for lawmakers and policymakers who are searching for ways to help improve the provision of victims' rights in their states. May 1998; Free (NCJ 168099); OVC. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/infores/vrce.pdf ---------------------------- Index 1996 Victims' Rights Sourcebook: A Compilation and Comparison of Victims' Rights Legislation, The--30 Addressing Hate Crimes: Six Initiatives That Are Enhancing the Efforts of Criminal Justice Practitioners--15 After the Robbery: Crisis to Resolution--26 American Indians and Crime--3 Attorney General Guidelines for Victim and Witness Assistance 2000--27 Batterer Intervention: Program Approaches and Criminal Justice Strategies--21 Batterer Programs: What Criminal Justice Agencies Need to Know--21 Bitter Earth: Child Sexual Abuse in Indian Country--3 Bitter Earth: Child Sexual Abuse in Indian Country Discussion Guide--3 B.J. Learns About Federal and Tribal Court --3 Breaking the Cycle of Violence: Recommendations To Improve the Criminal Justice Response to Child Victims and Witnesses--4 Bridging the Systems to Empower Victims: Mental Health and Victim Services --17 Characteristics of Crimes Against Juveniles--4 Child Sexual Exploitation: Improving Investigations and Protecting Victims-- A Blueprint for Action--5 Child Victims and Witnesses: A Handbook for Criminal Justice Professionals--5 Childhood Victimization and Risk for Alcohol and Drug Arrests--5 Children as Victims--5 Children Exposed to Violence: Criminal Justice Resources--5 Community Crisis Response--19 Community Crisis Response Team Training Manual, Second Edition, The--20 Community Mediation Programs: Developments and Challenges--24 Conference Planning Guide--26 Crimes Against Older Persons Age 65 or Older, 1992-97--23 Criminal Victimization 1999: Changes 1998-99 With Trends 1993-99--15 Death Notification: Breaking the Bad News with Concern for the Professional and Compassion for the Survivor-A Seminar for Clergy and Funeral Directors --20 Death Notification: Breaking the Bad News with Concern for the Professional and Compassion for the Survivor--A Seminar for Crime Victim Advocates--20 Death Notification: Breaking the Bad News with Concern for the Professional and Compassion for the Survivor--A Seminar for Law Enforcement--20 Death Notification: Breaking the Bad News with Concern for the Professional and Compassion for the Survivor--A Seminar for Medical Professionals--21 Denver Victim Services 2000 Needs Assessment*--27 Directory of Victim-Offender Mediation Programs in the United States*--24 Evaluation of the STOP Formula Grants To Combat Violence Against Women: The Violence Against Women Act of 1994--22 Family Group Conferencing: Implications for Crime Victims*--24 Federal Crime Victims Division, The--1 First Response to Victims of Crime--15 From Pain to Power: Crime Victims Take Action--30 Funding Court Appointed Special Advocate Programs--6 Guidelines for Victim-Sensitive Victim-Offender Mediation: Restorative Justice Through Dialogue* --25 HIV/AIDS and Victim Services: A Critical Concern for the '90s--27 Homicide Trends in the United States: 1998 Update--24 Immigrant Populations as Victims: Toward a Multicultural Criminal Justice System--13 Improving the Police Response to Domestic Elder Abuse: Instructor Training Manual--23 Improving the Police Response to Domestic Elder Abuse: Participant Training Manual--23 Improving Tribal/Federal Prosecution of Child Sexual Abuse Cases Through Agency Cooperation--6 Indicators of School Crime and Safety, 1999--11 Information for Victims and Witnesses Who Report Fraud Crimes--30 Initiatives for Improving the Mental Health of Traumatized Crime Victims--18 Initiatives To Combat Child Abuse--6 Initiatives to Combat Violence Against Women--22 Inside Federal Court--6 International Crime Victim Compensation Program Directory: 1998-1999 Resource Directory--13 Intimate Partner Violence--22 Learning All About Court With "B.J.": An Activity Book for Children Going to Federal or Tribal Court--3 Legal Interventions in Family Violence: Research Findings and Policy Implications--17 Looking Back, Moving Forward: A Program for Communities Responding to Sexual Assault--26 Meeting the Mental Health Needs of Crime Victims--18 Mission and Goals of the Office for Victims of Crime--1 Multicultural Implications of Restorative Justice: Potential Pitfalls and Dangers* --25 National Crime Victims' Rights Week 2000-National Crime Victim Service Awards*--28 National Crime Victims' Rights Week 2000-Special Awards for Courageous Response to Hate Crime*--28 National Crime Victims' Rights Week 2000-Special Awards for Extraordinary Response to International Terrorism*--13 National Crime Victimization Survey: Workplace Violence, 1992-96--4 National Resource Directory of Victim Assistance Funding Opportunities 2000--28 National Survey of Victim-Offender Mediation Programs in the United States* --25 National Victim Assistance Academy Text--28 New Directions from the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century (report)--30 New Directions from the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century (video)--31 New Directions from the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century: Strategies for Implementation-Tools for Action Guide--31 New Directions from the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century, Bulletin #1: Executive Summary--31 New Directions from the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century, Bulletin #2: Victims' Rights--31 New Directions from the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century, Bulletin #3: Law Enforcement--16 New Directions from the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century, Bulletin #4: Prosecution--19 New Directions from the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century, Bulletin #5: Judiciary--14 New Directions from the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century, Bulletin #6: Corrections--10 New Directions from the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century, Bulletin #7: Victim Assistance Community--28 New Directions from the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century, Bulletin #8: Health Care Community--12 New Directions from the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century, Bulletin #9: Mental Health Community--18 New Directions from the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century, Bulletin #10: Legal Community--17 New Directions from the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century, Bulletin #11: Education Community--11 New Directions from the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century, Bulletin #12: Faith Community--12 New Directions from the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century, Bulletin #13: Business Community--4 New Directions from the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century, Bulletin #14: News Media Community--18 New Directions from the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century, Bulletin #15: Crime Victim's Compensation--11 New Directions from the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century, Bulletin #16: Restitution--19 New Directions from the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century, Bulletin #17: Civil Remedies--9 New Directions from the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century, Bulletin #18: Child Victims--6 New Directions from the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century, Bulletin #19: International Perspectives--13 News Media's Coverage of Crime and Victimization, The--19 Office for Victims of Crime International Activities, The--1 Office for Victims of Crime: Report to Congress 1999--1 Office for Victims of Crime Training and Technical Assistance Center, The--1 OVC Training Resource Guide, 2001 Edition*--1 Overview of the Portable Guides to Investigating Child Abuse: Update 2000 --7 President's Child Safety Partnership--Final Report 1987--7 President's Task Force on Victims of Crime: Final Report--29 Prevalence and Consequences of Child Victimization, The--7 Promising Practices Against Hate Crimes: Five State and Local Demonstration Projects--16 Promising Practices and Strategies for Victim Services in Corrections--10 Promising Practices: Community Partnerships Helping Victims--29 Promising Victim-Related Practices and Strategies in Probation and Parole--10 Providing Services to Victims of Fraud: Resources for Victim/Witness Coordinators--32 Responding to Child Victims and Witnesses Video Series and Resource Guide*--7 Responding to Hate Crime: A Multidisciplinary Curriculum for Law Enforcement and Victim Assistance Professionals--16 Responding to Hate Crimes: A Police Officer's Guide to Investigation and Prevention--16 Responding to Hate Crimes: A Roll Call Training Video for Police Officers--17 Responding to Terrorism Victims: Oklahoma City and Beyond*--29 Restorative Justice and Mediation Collection: Executive Summary* --25 Roles, Rights, and Responsibilities: A Handbook for Fraud Victims Participating in the Federal Criminal Justice System--32 Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Development and Operation Guide--12 Sexual Assault of Young Children as Reported to Law Enforcement: Victim, Incident, and Offender Characteristics--8 Special Projects Division, The--2 State Compensation and Assistance Division, The--2 State Crime Victim Compensation and Assistance Grant Programs--2 State Legislators' Handbook for Statutory Rape Issues--26 Survivors of Politically Motivated Torture: A Large, Growing, and Invisible Population of Crime Victims--29 Sworn to Protect--8 Telemarketing Fraud Prevention, Public Awareness, and Training Activities --32 Through My Eyes--8 Time To Act--8 United Nations Guide for Policy Makers--13 United Nations Handbook on Justice for Victims--14 Victim Issues for Parole Boards*--10 Victims, Judges, and Juvenile Court Reform Through Restorative Justice*--15 Victims of Crime Act Crime Victims Fund--2 Victims of Fraud and Economic Crime--32 Victims of Fraud: Beyond Financial Loss--33 Victims of Trafficking: Far From Home and Helpless*--14 Victim-Oriented Multidisciplinary Responses to Statutory Rape Training Guide --26 Victims' Rights Compliance Efforts: Experiences in Three States (bulletin)--33 Victims' Rights Compliance Efforts: Experiences in Three States (report)--33 Violence After School--11 VOCA Subgrantees' Training Guide--27 What Is the Office for Victims of Crime?--2 What You Can Do If You Are a Victim of Crime--30 When Will They Ever Learn? Educating to End Domestic Violence-- A Law School Report--22 When Your Child Is Missing: A Family Survival Guide--8 Working with Grieving Children--9 Working with Grieving Children After Violent Death: A Guidebook for Crime Victim Assistance Professionals--9 Working with Grieving Children After Violent Death: A Guidebook for Crime Victim Assistance Professionals-Instructor's Guide--9 Working with Victims of Crime with Disabilities--21 Young Once Indian Forever: Protecting the Children of Indian Country--3 ------------------------------------ Order Form To order a publication listed in the catalogue, please contact the Office for Victims of Crime Resource Center by phone at 1-800-627-6872 or by e-mail at askncjrs@ncjrs.gov. Or complete the form below and send it by mail to NCJRS, P.O. Box 6000, Rockville, MD 20849-6000 or by fax to 410-792-4358. NCJRS also has an online ordering system that you can access 24 hours a day at www.ncjrs.gov/App/Publications/AlphaList.aspx. ----------------------------- You may order up to 5 documents free of charge (except for international orders, for which a shipping fee must be included, and certain NIJ publications); orders of 6 or more documents will be assessed shipping and handling charges (excluding Federal Government agencies). Note that many of the documents listed in this catalogue are available electronically at www.ncjrs.gov. Name:______________________________________________________ ________________________________________ Organization:__________________________________________________ _______________________________________ Address:_____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________ Phone Number:_____________________________________________________ __________________________________ E-mail:______________________________________________________ ________________________________________ ------------------------------------- Launch community discussion. Increase public awareness. Improve victims' rights and services. Since its introduction last year, victim service providers, allied professionals, criminal justice agencies, and public policymakers have looked to OVC's New Directions from the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century to help them create a comprehensive response system in every community. With New Directions in hand, you need the Tools to implement change. OVC is pleased to announce the availability of a new technical assistance tool: New Directions from the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century, Strategies for Implementation--Tools for Action Guide, an invaluable resource kit for victim service professionals. This toolkit provides a comprehensive overview of the New Directions recommendations, plus resources for implementing the recommendations, ideas, and promising practices contained in the landmark New Directions report. Valuable resource materials provided in the toolkit include o Samples of an opinion/editorial column, a newsletter article, a press release, and a speech to launch community discussion of New Directions. o More than 30 camera-ready overheads and several pocket cards highlighting key recommendations that can be reproduced and distributed easily to increase public awareness of victim issues. o A videotape and a discussion guide highlighting five global challenges facing the victims' movement that were developed from New Directions recommendations. These strategies and tools will help your community effectively communicate the various innovative programs and promising practices described in New Directions. Victims' needs are changing, and the Strategies for Implementation-- Tools for Action Guide provides the tools to begin changing the justice system to meet those needs effectively. OVC has printed a limited quantity of the Strategies for Implementation-Tools for Action Guide, so don't delay in placing your order. To obtain a copy, please call the OVC Resource Center at 1-800-627-6872 or complete the order form below. Order Form New Directions from the Field: Victims' Rights and Services for the 21st Century, Strategies for Implementation--Tools for Action Guide (NCJ 179558) is available from the OVC Resource Center (OVCRC). To obtain a copy, mail this form with your check or money order made payable to NCJRS ($15 for the United States, $38 for Canada and other countries, to cover shipping and handling fees) or call OVCRC at 1-800-627-6872. Name: Organization: Street Address: City: --------------State:------Zip Code: Telephone:------------Fax: E-mail: Mail this order form to National Criminal Justice Reference Service, P.O. Box 6000, Rockville, MD 20849-6000. ----------------------------------- Publications Resource Guide For copies of this publication and/or additional information, please contact Office for Victims of Crime Resource Center (OVCRC) P.O. Box 6000 Rockville, MD 20849-6000 Telephone: 1-800-627-6872 or 301-519-5500 E-mail orders for print publications to puborder@ncjrs.gov E-mail questions to askovc@ncjrs.gov Send your feedback on this service to tellncjrs@ncjrs.gov Refer to publication number NCJ 184914