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Latest Releases

Supporting Crime Victims With Disabilities Curriculum (June 2012)
This 3-day training curriculum is designed for victim service providers, advocates for people with disabilities, self-advocates, and allied professionals. Using case studies and small group discussions, participants will examine the prevalence of crime against people with disabilities, perceptions of the criminal justice system, tenets of the disabilities movement, and the impact of disabilities on daily life.

The training materials are available in both English and Spanish from the OVC’s Training and Technical Assistance Center.

OVC News & Program Updates (June 2012) (PDF 627 kb)
This edition details responses to underserved victims of crime. Articles in this issue highlight—

• Improved responses for male crime victims.
• Getting to know Mary Lou Leary, Acting Assistant Attorney General.
• An empowering account of a hate crime from an advocate for the Native LGBT/Two-Spirit community.
• Training available for building military-civilian community partnerships to better serve military sexual assault victims.
• Americans living overseas who experience domestic violence.
• Facts about sexual assault in the military and efforts to combat it.

OVC HELP Series for Crime Victims (June 2012)
This series of nine brochures features information and resources for victims of crime and victim service professionals on the topics of assault, child abuse, domestic violence, homicide, impaired driving, robbery, sexual violence, and stalking. Each brochure defines a type of victimization; discusses what to do if you are a victim of this crime and where to go for help; and provides resources for more information and assistance.

OVC Fast Facts: Office for Victims of Crime Reports on FYs 2009–10 Programs and Services (April 2012)
Based on the Report to the Nation 2011, OVC Fast Facts summarizes the progress made in upholding victims’ rights and providing assistance to victims of crime. During fiscal years 2009–10, OVC provided $1.2 billion to support compensation and assistance to 7 million victims. For more highlights on OVC’s strategic efforts to address both new and long-standing challenges to improving victim services, download OVC Fast Facts.

Office for Victims of Crime Training and Technical Assistance Center (April 2012) (PDF 575 kb)
OVC, Fact Sheet, OVC Fact Sheets, FS000384.
This Fact Sheet describes the services and trainings available through the OVC Training and Technical Assistance Center (OVC TTAC) and how these resources can be accessed.

Crime Victims Fund (2012)
OVC, Fact Sheet, OVC Fact Sheets, 4 pages, FS 000382.
This fact sheet provides information about the Fund, established by the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), and the various grant programs (formula and discretionary) funded using VOCA dollars.

OVC Report to the Nation 2011, Fiscal Years 2009–2010: Rising to the Challenge—A New Era in Victim Services (March 2012)
This biennial report summarizes the programs, activities, and accomplishments of the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) in fiscal years 2009 and 2010, and their impact on victims, survivors, and communities. It describes the Crime Victims Fund—a significant resource for supporting services to victims; identifies enduring and emerging challenges in victim services; and discusses public awareness, education, and outreach endeavors. Each section summarizes victims’ needs in that area and relates how funding from OVC makes a crucial difference in the lives of crime victims. This interactive PDF features four multimedia components.

OVC News & Program Updates (February 2012) (PDF 813 kb)
This edition offers a wealth of information about elder abuse and exploitation, complex crimes that can be extremely difficult to recognize and resolve. Articles in this issue highlight—

• Elder financial exploitation and identity theft, with a personal account from entertainer Mickey Rooney;
• Resources addressing victims of late-life domestic violence and elder abuse;
• The National Clearinghouse on Abuse in Later Life;
• Practical uses of research for working with older victims;
• Crimesolutions.gov, a credible resource for informing practitioners and policymakers about what works in justice-related programs and practices, including crime victim services;
• Elder victimization facts available from the recently released 2012 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week Resource Guide.

Service, Support & Justice: Law Enforcement Response to Crime Victims (February 2012)
With funding from and in collaboration with the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) has designed a national strategy that guides policies, procedures, and training in state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies to substantially enhance the culture and practice of serving crime victims. This DVD presents the benefits, challenges, methods, and responsibilities for placing a high priority on crime victims’ interests and meeting their needs, and for enhancing law enforcement agencies’ response to victims of crime across the Nation.

National Crime Victims' Rights Week Resource Guide (January 2012)
This guide (NCJ 235596) was developed to help communities and victim assistance providers promote awareness of crime victim issues and help commemorate National Crime Victims' Rights Week (NCVRW) held each year in April. The guide features tips for working with the media, customizable public awareness posters, campaign materials, a theme DVD, a Spanish version, and more.

OVC News & Program Updates (November 2011) (PDF 687 kb)
This edition offers information about one of our most vulnerable victim populations: America’s children. Articles in this issue highlight—

• The impact of child identity theft.
• OVC’s partnership with a school in Indian Country to address victimization among students.
• A community-based approach to providing services to drug endangered children.
• Research conducted on children’s exposure to violence.
• The goals of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Defending Childhood initiative.
• Human trafficking and the commercial sexual exploitation of children.

OVC News & Program Updates (September 2011) (PDF 513 kb)
This issue addresses responding to victims of sexual violence and highlights—

• The Sixth National Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) Training Conference.
• The Angel Band Project, a band formed to promote hope and healing through music for those affected by sexual violence.
• Visiting fellows supporting OVC in its mission.
• The presentation of the Menominee Tribal Seal to OVC Acting Director Joye Frost.
• New Americans with Disabilities Act rules in effect.

SART Toolkit: Resources for Sexual Assault Response Teams (March 2011, updated August 2011)
This toolkit (NCJ 232786) is a compilation of resources for communities wanting to develop SARTs—coordinated teams of people who serve victims of sexual assault—and for communities wanting to improve their SART responses. The toolkit reviews the basics, lays out the steps involved in putting together your SART, describes how to retain focus on victims, highlights SART programs throughout the country, and includes sample resources to use when developing and evaluating your team.

OVC News & Program Updates (July 2011) (PDF 840 kb)
This issue highlights—

• Assistance provided by OVC to the community of Binghamton, New York.
• A grant awarded to Pima County, Arizona, to help victims of a mass shooting in 2011.
• FBI Victim Specialists’ response to mass casualties.
• International terrorism and financial resources available for victims.
• The 2011 National Crime Victims’ Service Award recipients.
• Funding awarded to remember 9/11 survivors and the families of victims.

Existe Ayuda Toolkit (May 2011)
This toolkit (NCJ 234271) includes replicable Spanish-language tools and resources to help improve the cultural competence of service providers and the accessibility of services for Spanish-speaking victims of sexual violence. Resources include the following:

• Glossaries—Spanish terms related to sexual assault and trafficking.
• Presentations—PowerPoint slides used in presentations to promotoras (community health workers) and victim advocates.
• Tools—a pocket card, handout, fact sheets, and scripts for public service announcements and outgoing answering machine messages.

Gaining Insight, Taking Action: Basic Skills for Serving Victims (April 2011)
This 55-minute DVD (NCJ 232780) comprises three videos for training service providers, criminal and juvenile justice professionals, mental health providers, legal advocates, and other audiences who want to better understand how to communicate effectively with crime victims, the challenges faced by underserved victim populations, and the relationship between substance abuse and victimization. A discussion guide accompanies this DVD.

OVC News & Program Updates (April 2011) (PDF 1.9 mb)
The OVC News & Program Updates newsletter is a valuable tool for sharing information about OVC initiatives, events, and other items of special interest. The theme of the first edition is the importance of public awareness in providing services to all victims of crime.This issue highlights—

• Victims’ voices.
• Outreach to underserved victims.
• National Crime Victims’ Rights Week.
• The Vision 21: Transforming Victim Services Initiative.
• The Tribal Victim Assistance in Alaska Fellowship.
• The 12th National Indian Nations Conference.

Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force Strategy and Operations e-Guide (January 2011)
This e-Guide (NCJ 232972) supports the important work of multidisciplinary anti-human trafficking Task Forces around the country and provides direction and promising practices on anti-human trafficking Task Force creation, structure, and enhancement. This e-Guide also includes links to many tools, trainings, and resources for victim service providers, law enforcement agencies, and prosecutors.