Check Out a Report on Developing and Implementing a Response to Sexual Assault in Tribal Communities

The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), in partnership with the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Indian Health Service (IHS), recently released the report Developing and Implementing a Response to Sexual Assault in Tribal Communities. This report provides a summary of the suggestions from the National Roundtable Discussion on Sexual Assault in Indian Country, convened July 27 – 28, 2016. The purpose of the roundtable was to:

• Learn about tribal efforts to develop a coordinated, systemic response to sexual violence;
• Highlight specific strategies that might aid other tribal communities in developing or enhancing their systemic response to sexual violence; and
• Provide federal, state, and local responders with information to aid them in creating strategies to address sexual violence in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.

OVC, OVW, and IHS seek to share lessons learned and practical guidance from the roundtable participants with tribal governments and responders to sexual violence. The broad strategies that emerged from the National Roundtable Discussion on Sexual Assault in Indian Country are as follows:

• Recruit and retain individuals to lead efforts,
• Engage in strategic planning,
• Build infrastructure,
• Promote partnerships to support coordinated responses,
• Promote tribal sovereignty and culture,
• Reduce victim stigma and shame,
• Address victim needs,
• Recognize differences in response,
• Enhance sexual assault nurse examiner and sexual assault forensic examiner efforts, and
• Enhance the tribal justice process.

To learn the details for each suggested strategy, read the full report.