Trauma Informed Sexual Assault Investigation Training
The Trauma Informed Sexual Assault Investigation Training provides law enforcement and multi-disciplinary community partners with information on the neurobiology of trauma and investigative strategies to respond to sexual assault crimes in a victim centered, trauma informed manner.
The IACP is pleased to announce the publication of a new resource for law enforcement and others who interview victims, the "Successful Trauma Informed Victim Interviewing" document. This document demonstrates how trauma-informed interview techniques can be used to reframe interview questions that may be perceived by a victim as blaming them for their actions in a manner that helps victims retrieve memories from a traumatic event and assists law enforcement in gathering more information while making the victim feel more supported.
Approximately 1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men have experienced sexual violence in their lifetime. However, around 67.5% of rape/sexual assault victims do not report their victimization to police.
The IACP is pleased to announce that the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) recently refunded the Trauma Informed Sexual Assault Investigation Training. The IACP conducted training for over 2,100 participants with 38 on-site training events held from 2014 through 2020 and we look forward to holding many more events over the next few years.
At present, crimes of sexual assault go vastly under reported and perpetrators continue undetected. The goal of the Trauma Informed Sexual Assault Investigation Training program is to strengthen the capacity of law enforcement to provide effective response to victims of sexual assault while simultaneously holding offenders accountable. The training provides information on the neurobiological impact of trauma, the influence of societal myths and stereotypes, understanding perpetrator behavior, and conducting effective investigations.
Training Objectives
At the completion of the two-day Trauma Informed Sexual Assault Investigation Training, law enforcement officers are able to:
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Describe how specific experiences impact victim trauma, memory, reactions and behavior and how officer interpretation of this behavior impacts sexual assault investigations.
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Explain how key decisions made by law enforcement impact the progression of a sexual assault investigation.
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Understand that victim disclosure often occurs in pieces over time and identify strategies for working with victims to facilitate trust and communication.
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Employ strategies that postpone judgment regarding the validity of a case until a thorough investigation is completed.
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Identify investigative methods and techniques that focus on offender behavior.
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Conduct victim interviews and document sexual assault cases utilizing physical, psychological and sensory evidence to effectively build a strong case.
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Recognize potential sources of officer bias and ways to mitigate its impact on reports.
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Make case coding and clearing decisions based on analysis of evidence identified through a thorough investigation.
Future Training Events
Due to COVID-19, we do not have any upcoming in-person training events. However, we will have virtual training opportunities available soon.
IACP Sexual Assault Resources
Successful Trauma Informed Victim Interviewing Document
Bringing Sexual Assault Offenders to Justice Roll-Call Training Video
Sexual Assault Incident Reports: Investigative Strategies
Sexual Assault Supplemental Report Form
Sexual Assault Incident Reports: Pocket Tip Card
Sexual Assault Response Policy and Training Content Guidelines
Responding to Sexual Violence in LGBTQ+ Communities: Law Enforcement Strategies and Considerations
Additional Resources
Dr. Rebecca Campbell (BJA)
The following webinar series features Dr. Rebecca Campbell, a Professor of Psychology at Michigan State University presenting for the BJA Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Training and Technical Assistance (SAKITTA) project. She presents on the neurobiology of traumatic events, its emotional and physical manifestation, and how these processes can impact the investigation and prosecution of sexual assaults. The webinar series is located at: https://sakitta.org/toolkit/index.cfm?fuseaction=tool&tool=48
Dr. David Lisak (ACASA), Neurobiology of Trauma Presentation
Dr. Rebecca Campbell (Joyful Heart Foundation), Article on Fight, Flight, or Freeze Response (Tonic Immobility)
Anna Möller, Hans Peter Söndergaard, Lotti Helström, Study on Tonic Immobility During Sexual Assault
For more information on the training events or the initiative, contact Rachel Apfelbaum at apfelbaum@theiacp.org or 703-647-6843.
Citations:
1. The Center for Disease Control (CDC), The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey: 2010-2012 State Report, 2016. https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/NISVS-StateReportBook.pdf
2. Jennifer L. Truman, and Rachel E. Morgan, Criminal Victimization, 2015, U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2016, https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/cv15.pdf.
Related Projects
Police Response to Violence Against Women - VAW
National Law Enforcement Leadership Initiative on Violence Against Women
Identifying and Preventing Gender Bias
Law Enforcement’s Role in Victim Compensation
Enhancing Law Enforcement Response to Victims (ELERV)
Sexual Assault Kit Initiative
Law Enforcement-Based Victim Services (LEV)
Training Program on Enhancing Rural Law Enforcement Response to Violence Against Women
Vicarious Trauma Response Initiative
Law Enforcement Response to Domestic and Sexual Violence and COVID-19
On April 23, 2020, the IACP hosted a Virtual Roundtable on COVID-19 and Law Enforcement Response to Domestic and Sexual Violence. Below is...
