Domestic and Sexual Violence in Virginia - Virginia Attorney General

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a Basic Child and Youth Advocacy training curriculumfor domestic violence advocates.In 2007 and 2008, the partnering domestic violenceprograms implemented, tested and evaluated the newservice enhancement strategies in their shelters andcommunities. They also created guidelines for otherdomestic violence programs to enhance services tochildren and their non-abusing parents.The Art of SurvivingIn April 2007, VSDVAA launched The Art of Survivingexhibit, a powerful exhibit of artwork and poetry createdby survivors of sexual violence. In 2007, the Artof Surviving exhibit included a 4-part lecture seriesin Charlottesville entitled “Sexual Violence, ArtisticExpression, and Spirituality: The Connections,” as wellas a traveling exhibit that was shown at various locationsin Virginia, including at the Virginia Foundation for theHumanities, at a meeting of the Governor’s Commissionon Sexual Violence, and at the Hopewell Public Library.In 2008, VSDVAA worked with MettaKnowledge forPeace and the University of Virginia (UVA) Library torequest funding from the Virginia Foundation for the“As an incest survivor, I have managed to forgiveand continue with my life anyway. I am very happyand finally at peace with the world. All of mylife experiences have helped mold me into a veryoptimistic being. My paintings reflect the joy ofbeing alive and still in awe of what life can bring.”“Rapture” by Gerry MitchellHumanities to create an Art of Surviving website andonline digital exhibition. The UVA Library professionallydigitized all of the artwork for the online exhibit,which can be viewed at www.artofsurviving.org.The Red Flag CampaignOne in five college studentsreport violence by a currentdating partner. The Red FlagCampaign is an innovativebystander intervention campaigndesigned to address andpromote the prevention ofdating violence among collegestudents. The campaignfeatures a series of posters, anonline resource center (www.TheRedFlagCampaign.org), and an extensive Red Flag Campaign Campus PlanningGuide.The campaign poster series depicts racially and ethnicallydiverse students, as well as students in same-sex relationships,and addresses a wide spectrum of indicators for datingviolence, including stalking, jealousy, isolation, sexualassault, emotional abuse, victim-blaming and coercion.The online resource center offers college students helpfulinformation related to preventing dating violence,the hallmarks of healthy relationships, and how to accesssupport and crisis services, if needed. The Campus PlanningGuide provides concrete suggestions to colleges anduniversities for using the campaign to enhance currentcampus programming.The campaign was created collaboratively by VSDVAA,college students and campus personnel, and communityvictim advocates, in partnership with the Verizon Foundation.The campaign has been recognized nationally,including as a model “Innovative Coalition to AddressSexual Assault and Dating Violence” by the United StatesDepartment of Education’s Center for Alcohol and OtherDrug Abuse and Violence Prevention. The campaign’sevaluative components were also featured as in an articleon VAWnet (Violence Against Women Net-November2007) that highlighted promising practices in evaluatingpublic awareness campaigns.Used with permission from the Virginia Sexual and DomesticViolence Action Alliance26
COLLABORATIVE EFFORTSIn addition to the efforts of individual agencies and organizations,several collaborative efforts have continued in2008. These efforts have resulted in new legislation, newprograms, and new policies to combat domestic violenceand sexual assault in Virginia.Governor’s Commission on Sexual ViolenceIn 2006, Governor Timothy M. Kaine issued ExecutiveOrder 38 establishing the Governor’s Commission onSexual Violence. The purpose of this Commission is to“improve the treatment of crime victims with emphasison the Commonwealth’s efforts to prevent and respondto sexual violence.” 77 The Governor’s Commissionbrought together legislators and representatives fromlocal programs, statewide organizations, the courts, andstate agencies, including the Office of the Governor, theOffice of the Attorney General, the Virginia Departmentof Criminal Justice Services, the Virginia Department ofSocial Services, the Virginia Department of Health, theVirginia Department of State Police, the Supreme Courtof Virginia, and the Virginia Sexual and Domestic ViolenceAction Alliance to review Virginia law and propose necessaryamendments to improve protections and servicesrelating to victims of sexual violence. As a result of thecollaborative work and recommendations of the Commission,several important bills were enacted into law duringthe 2008 Session of the Virginia General Assembly toenhance protection for victims of sexual assault. Amongthe significant changes to Virginia law were: eliminatingthe defense of marriage in statutory rape cases; allowingvictims of sexual assaults to undergo forensic examinationswithout requiring their participation in the criminaljustice system; preventing polygraph testing of victims asa precondition to investigation or prosecution of sexualassault cases; and requiring law enforcement agencies todevelop policies and procedures for responding to sexualassault incidents.Virginia Partnership to Encourage Arrest Policiesand Enforcement of Protection Orders (GEAP)Another example of collaboration among Virginia stateagencies and private organizations is a project called theVirginia Partnership to Encourage Arrest Policies andEnforcement of Protection Orders (GEAP), which issupported by a $1.26 million competitive two-year grantfrom the federal Office on Violence Against Women. ThePartnership includes five state agencies: the Office of theAttorney General, the Department of Criminal JusticeServices, the Virginia Department of State Police, theOffice of the Executive Secretary of the Virginia SupremeCourt, and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner;and one non-profit organization, the Virginia Sexual andDomestic Violence Action Alliance. This collaborativeproject is designed to provide intensive technical trainingand assistance on a statewide level and to fourteentarget communities to promote arrest policies and practicesthat enhance victim safety and promote offenderaccountability. The project’s goals are to facilitate accessto and enforcement of protective orders for all domesticviolence victims; support community-based, multidisciplinaryfatality review; promote greater access to servicesfor underserved populations; and improve the reporting,investigation and documentation of intimate partnersexual violence.In 2008, the six state GEAP partners conducted communitymeetings in thirteen of the fourteen target localitiesto discuss collaborative community approaches to domesticand sexual violence issues. The community meetingsinvolved a group discussion by representatives from locallaw enforcement agencies, courts, social services, officesof the Commonwealth’s attorneys, domestic and sexualviolence programs, government bodies, and allied professionals.The groups identified the strengths, challenges,and priorities in each community’s response to domesticand sexual violence. Using this information, the GEAPpartners will continue to work with the localities to offertraining opportunities, provide technical assistance, andenhance community collaboration through the 2009grant cycle.Safe in Our Communities: CommunityRecognition Program for Promising Practicesin Domestic Violence ResponseOn October 3, 2008, the Office of the Attorney Generallaunched Safe in Our Communities: Community RecognitionProgram for Promising Practices in DomesticViolence Response. The Program was developed inpartnership with several state agencies and organizations,including the Department of Criminal Justice Services,the Department of Health, Office of the Chief MedicalExaminer, Office of the Executive Secretary of the VirginiaSupreme Court, the Virginia Poverty Law Center,the Virginia Department of State Police, and the VirginiaSexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance. The27
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