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Definitions* For the purposes of this Roadmap to Best Practices, the following definitions of the four crimes addressed by the 2022 Reauthorization of The Violence Against Women Act are utilized: Dating Violence The term ‘‘dating violence’’ means violence committed by a person— (A) who is or has been in a social relationship of a romantic or intimate nature with the victim; and (B) where the existence of such a relationship shall be determined based on a consideration of the following factors: (i) The length of the relationship. Domestic Violence The term ‘‘domestic violence’’ includes felony or misdemeanor crimes committed by a current or former spouse or intimate partner of the victim under the family or domestic vi- violence laws of the jurisdiction receiving grant funding and, in the case of victim services, includes the use or attempted use of physical abuse or sexual abuse, or a pattern of any other coercive behavior committed, enabled, or solicited to gain or maintain power and control over a victim, including verbal, psychological, economic, or technological abuse that may or may not constitute criminal behavior, by a person who— (A) is a current or former spouse or intimate partner of the victim, or person similarly situated to a spouse of the victim; (B) is cohabitating, or has cohabitated, with the victim as a spouse or intimate partner; (C) shares a child in common with the victim; or (D) commits acts against a youth or adult victim who is protected from those acts under the family or domestic violence laws of the jurisdiction. Sexual Assault The term ‘‘sexual assault’’ means any non-consensual sexual act proscribed by Federal, tribal, or State law, including when the victim lacks capacity to consent. Stalking The term ‘‘stalking’’ means engaging in a course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to— (A) fear for his or her safety or the safety of others; or (B) suffer substantial emotional distress. *CRIME CONTROL AND LAW ENFORCEMENT, 34 U.S.C. Section 12291(a) (11), (12), (35), (36) (2022)
Additional Terms Bias: A bias is a tendency, inclination, or prejudice toward or against people or groups, often based on stereotypes or assumptions. Everyone has biases. Bias can be implicit, meaning the person who has the bias is not aware of it; or bias can be explicit, meaning it is expressed intentionally. Bias and discrimination in the law enforcement response to sexual assault and domestic violence may result in law enforcement agencies providing less protection to certain victims and failing to respond effectively to these crimes. Bias can affect how officers treat people and make decisions. It can also be reflected more broadly in the way agencies operate, manifesting in policies and procedures or lack thereof, and in how resources are allocated, such as when investigators who handle sexual assault cases manage significantly higher caseloads than investigators who handle narcotics or burglary cases. — United States Department of Justice. https://www.justice.gov/ovw/page/file/1509451/dl?inline Gender-based Violence (GBV): Gender-based violence is harm, or threats to harm, committed against a person(s) based on actual or perceived sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression or other such sex/gender related characteristics. Gender-based violence may include physical, sexual, emotional, psychological, and financial abuse, or threats of abuse. — New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence. https://opdv.ny.gov/about-gender-based-violence Intimate Partner Violence (IPV): Intimate partner violence is abuse or aggression that occurs in a romantic relationship. Intimate partner refers to both current and former spouses and dating partners. IPV can vary in how often it happens and how severe it is. It can range from one episode of violence to chronic and severe episodes over multiple years. Intimate partner violence includes but is not limited to:
— Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Intimate Partner Violence Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/intimate-partner-violence/about/index.html |