Resource Library

Crime victims who are limited English proficient (LEP) or use different modes of communication such as sign language need meaningful, effective, and equal access to crime victim services and criminal justice supports. This webinar will address the barriers victims who are LEP or use different modes of communication encounter and how to enhance their access to justice in rural communities.

Amy Jones is a Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor and the CEO of the Dallas Area Rape Crisis Center- an organization that provides counseling, crisis intervention and advocacy for those whose lives have been affected by sexual violence. Our conversation today focuses on Rape Culture, a concept that first surfaced in the 1970s, notably in the publication of the work “Rape: The First Sourcebook for Women,” put forth by the New York Radical Feminists Collective in 1974, and then further explored in depth in the 1975 documentary Rape Culture. The term Rape Culture remains popular still, and recent films like Duma (doo-muh) have explored the impact of rape culture around the world. Today, Rape Culture is broadly defined as sexual violence being treated as the norm, wherein victims are blamed for their own sexual assaults. Over the past several decades the discussion of rape culture has endured and become more organized and may have finally found a collective, universal voice within the #MeToo movement which is becoming an effective catalyst for changing how we as a society think about rape and women’s rights (2020).

Gretta Gordy Gardner is the Deputy Director for Ujima., Inc.: a project of the DC Coalition Against Domestic Violence at The National Center on Violence Against Women in the Black Community. An attorney, Ms. Gardner’s career as a legal advisor for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking was inspired by her early work as a prosecutor in the Domestic Violence Unit of the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office. She has worked for over two decades to help shape guidelines, policies, and procedures that jurisdictions can use to end intimate partner violence and develop best practices for prevention and intervention in legal systems and community-based programs, which includes training and education on implicit bias. Today’s episode explores intersectionality, a concept introduced by Kimberlé Crenshaw, that provides a theoretical framework for understanding how aspects of a person's social and political identities (e.g., gender, race, class, sexuality, ability etc.) might combine to create unique modes of discrimination. Content warnings for this episode include: physical and sexual violence (2020).

It is well-documented that women in tribal communities experience a significantly higher rate of domestic violence and human trafficking throughout the United States. To confront that reality, tribal communities have established organizations dedicated to understanding and implementing the law to better protect women and prevent these criminal acts. Another approach to supporting and empowering tribal women is through advocacy organizations like the Minnesota Indian Women's Sexual Assault Coalition- a statewide tribal coalition and a national tribal technical assistance provider, providing support, advocacy, and activities that utilize traditional teaching and other cultural strengths to encourage healing, build resilience, and counter the normalization of violence against tribal women. Joining the conversation is Nicole Matthews. Nicole is Anishinabe from the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, and is the Executive Director for the Minnesota Indian Women's Sexual Assault Coalition, where she has been employed since 2002. MIWSAC is a statewide Tribal Coalition and a national Tribal Technical Assistance Provider (2020).

This Genesis Women's Shelter & Support webinar focuses on the importance of self care and establishing an intentional routine (Uploaded 2020).

This webinar, provided by Genesis Women's Shelter & Support, presents a guide to mindfulness and its benefits, including emotional centering and regulation (Uploaded 2020).

This article focuses on Hispanic and Latino immigrant populations, and the barriers they face in domestic violence disputes, including language differences, financial dependence, and social isolation (2018).

This study comments on the perceived effectiveness of protective orders among black, hispanic, and white women.  The results show significant decreases in threats of assault, stalking, and worksite harassment over time among all women, regardless of receipt of a protection order (2004).

This paper studies the problem of marital rape in a variety of countries, and examines how legal systems and political actors contribute to shaming and stigmatization in cases of rape (2016).

This paper focuses on help-seeking barriers and factors impacting decisions to leave an abusive relationship among 15 immigrant African women. Barriers found in this study include a culture of gender inequality, acceptance of gender violence, concern for children, and self-blame (2009).