In honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) has compiled resources to raise awareness and educate law enforcement agencies, and the communities they serve, about sexual assault. These resources not only shed light on the prevalence of these underreported crimes, but also offer promising practices to assist in the prevention and intervention of sexual assault. Additionally, agencies will find information that highlights the importance of using a victim-centered approach throughout their response to support victims of these traumatic incidents.

Publications:

Documenting and Advancing Promising Practices: Agency Self-Assessment Tool for Law Enforcement Victim Support

Identifying and Preventing Gender Bias in Law Enforcement Response to Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence: A Roundtable Discussion

Sexual Assault of Women by Strangers

What You Need to Know About Sex Offenders in Your Community

Community Policing Dispatch Articles:

Understanding, Investigating, and Responding to Sexual Assault

Introduction to Sexual Assault Awareness Month Special Issue

What We Can Do About Street Harassment

Child Sexual Abuse and Girls — A First Response

Improving Police Response and Investigation of Sexual Assault

Responding to Sexual Assault: The You Have Options Program

Identifying and Preventing Gender Bias in Law Enforcement Response to Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence

Arkansas’ Criminal Justice Institute Offers Invaluable Sexual Assault Training to Rural Agencies Resources from the Office on Violence Against Women

Resources from the Office on Violence Against Women

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