New Science-Based Brochure Provides Practical Guidance for Notifying Victims of Sex Assault After their Kit is Tested
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WASHINGTON, Jan. 18, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Institute of Justice and Office for Victims of Crime today announced the release of the first brochure in a series guiding jurisdictions on the lessons learned in addressing untested sexual assault kits (SAKs).
The findings comes from two studies looked at the issues surrounding sexual assault kits (SAKs) that had not previously been sent to a crime laboratory for DNA testing. The overarching goal of the studies was to identify effective, sustainable responses regarding previously untested SAKs. The result, and focus of this first guide in the series, is a victim-centered approach for notifying victims about the status of their sexual assault cases. Victim-centered approaches can help minimize the trauma a victim experiences when receiving this type of information, especially in older cases. The studies, funded by the National Institute of Justice, involved grants to the Wayne County (Detroit), Mich., Prosecutor's Office and to the Houston Police Department. The research partners were Michigan State University; Sam Houston State University; and the University of Texas, Austin.
TITLE: Notifying Sexual Assault Victims After Testing Evidence
AUTHORS: The National Institute of Justice and the Office for Victims of Crime
WHERE: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/249153.pdf
About the Office of Justice Programs (OJP)
OJP, headed by Assistant Attorney General Karol V. Mason, provides federal leadership in developing the nation's capacity to prevent and control crime, administer justice and assist victims. OJP has six components: the Bureau of Justice Assistance; the Bureau of Justice Statistics; the National Institute of Justice; the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; the Office for Victims of Crime and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering and Tracking. More information about OJP can be found at www.ojp.gov.
SOURCE Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice
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