Updated Guidance for Law Enforcement Response to Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence

Strategic Insights -

The U.S. Department of Justice has released an updated guidance to help law enforcement agencies improve their response to sexual assault and domestic violence, examining how gender bias can undermine their efforts and providing a set of basic principles for integration into policies, training, and practices. This revised guidance reflects lessons learned from investigations and partnerships with law enforcement agencies, and aims to address and prevent police misconduct. The Department engaged with stakeholders from the law enforcement, victim advocacy, and civil rights communities to inform the updated guidance.

Key Takeaways:

  • The updated guidance, originally issued in December 2015, examines how gender bias can undermine law enforcement response to sexual assault and domestic violence.
  • The guidance provides a set of basic principles for law enforcement agencies to integrate into their policies, training, and practices to ensure a trauma-informed approach to survivors.
  • The revised guidance accounts for the impact of bias based on factors other than gender, incorporates new resources and research, and emphasizes the need to address and prevent police misconduct.
  • The guidance has been improved with the inclusion of case examples illustrating a trauma-informed approach to survivors.
  • The update reflects lessons learned from the Department's investigations of police departments and ongoing partnerships with law enforcement agencies.
  • Law enforcement officers at all ranks are encouraged to engage with the revised guidance to ensure safety and justice for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence.
  • The guidance is designed to be valuable for law enforcement agencies across the country, and is a result of months-long engagement with stakeholders in the law enforcement, victim advocacy, and civil rights communities.

Statistics:

  • The guidance was originally issued in December 2015.
  • The updated guidance reflects lessons learned from the Department's investigations of police departments.
  • The guidance has been revised to account for the impact of bias based on factors other than gender.

Sources:

  • "Improving Law Enforcement Response to Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence by Identifying and Preventing Gender Bias," December 2015
  • News release from the U.S. Department of Justice (no date mentioned)