The following information resources may offer victim assistance information, research findings, educational materials, or strategies for program and policy development specific to this topic. A general listing of all OVC publications is also available.

Children's Justice Act Partnerships for Indian Communities (June 2003)
This fact sheet (FS 000303) describes an OVC grant program that provides funds and technical assistance to improve the capacity of existing tribal systems to handle serious child abuse cases, particularly cases of sexual abuse.

First Response to Victims of Crime (April 2008)
This educational multimedia package, produced by the National Sheriffs' Association, looks at the impact of crime on victims and describes steps that law enforcement can take, as first responders, to meet victims' needs. Among the types of victimizations covered are sexual assault, drunk driving, homicide, human trafficking, and mass casualties. The special needs of older victims, child victims, immigrants, and victims with disabilities are addressed as well. This 30-minute video is available in DVD (NCJ 211619) and VHS (NCJ 211618). A companion guidebook (PDF 470 kb) (NCJ 217272) is also available.

First Response to Victims of Crime Who Have a Disability (October 2002)
This handbook for law enforcement officers (NCJ 195500) describes how to approach and help victims who have Alzheimer's Disease, mental illness, or mental retardation or who are blind, visually impaired, deaf, or hard of hearing. It is designed as a field guide for personnel who respond first to crime victims and includes contacts for assistance.

National Victim Assistance Academy 2002
This OVC textbook (NCJ 197109) is an overview of the National Victim Assistance Academy, the university-based, foundation-level course in victim assistance and victimology. This rigorous, 45-hour academic curriculum emphasizes foundations in victimology, victims' rights and services, and new developments in the field of victim assistance.

New Directions from the Field: Mental Health Community (August 1998)
This OVC bulletin (NCJ 172819) is a reprint of chapter 8 from New Directions and deals specifically with promising practices and recommendations related to the Mental Health Community. An executive summary and 17 other bulletins complete the set.

Minority Community Victim Assistance
This handbook (NCJ 170148) prepared by the National Association of Black Law Enforcement Officers offers minority community residents a practical approach to assisting crime victims in their communities and neighborhoods.

OVC National Directory of Victim Assistance Funding Opportunities 2001 (September 2001)
This OVC resource directory (NCJ 189218) lists by state and territory the contact names and information for federally funded crime victim assistance programs and includes particulars on grant programs that help state and local agencies prepare for and respond to incidents of domestic terrorism and criminal mass casualty.

Promising Practices for Serving Crime Victims With Disabilities Bulletin and Toolkit (October 2008)
This updated bulletin (NCJ 223965) provides a snapshot of the scope and dynamics of an OVC-funded demonstration project undertaken by SafePlace to improve the local response of criminal justice personnel and victim service providers to people with disabilities. The companion toolkit (NCJ 223966) provides more indepth detail on the strategies and activities of each subgrantee, and includes such useful tools as sample needs assessments, sample forensic protocols, and lessons learned vignettes.

Using Geographic Information Systems To Map Crime Victim Services: A Guide for State Victims of Crime Act Administrators and Victim Service Providers (February 2003)
This monograph (NCJ 191877), jointly developed by OVC and NIJ, examines how crime mapping technologies can be used to develop strategic program and financial plans for supporting victim services. Geographic Information System (GIS) technology can analyze the types of crime by location, victim population groups, and the service areas of victim service organizations.

Victim Services in Rural Law Enforcement (April 2009)
In the aftermath of crime, many victims in rural areas never receive the vital services necessary to begin recovery. Victim Services in Rural Law Enforcement (NCJ 226275) summarizes an OVC-sponsored project of the National Sheriffs’ Association and the Office of the Alabama Attorney General, which developed 17 models for establishing or enhancing rural victims’ assistance. This replication guide offers a blueprint for establishing local programs, outlining approaches, successes, and lessons learned.

Victims with Disabilities: Collaborative, Multidisciplinary First Response (March 2009)
This training DVD and guide (NCJ 223940) were developed under the guidance of a national advisory board to demonstrate effective techniques for first responders who have been called to the scene of a crime in which the victim has a disability. This educational multimedia package not only provides guidelines for interacting with adult and adolescent victims of crime who have communication and/or intellectual disabilities, but also helps law enforcement personnel gain a deeper understanding of the lives, personal attributes, and abilities of individuals with disabilities. (PDF, 870 kb)

Working with Victims of Crime with Disabilities (September 1998)
This bulletin (NCJ 172838) presents recommendations on improving services to crime victims with disabilities, based on discussion at an OVC-funded 2-day symposium of victim assistance providers and related professionals. The bulletin identifies issues, service gaps, and barriers to access; recommends needed changes; and spotlights successful programs and promising practices that reach and serve crime victims with disabling conditions.
HTML, ASCII (90 kb), or PDF (163 kb)

Working With Victims of Gun Violence (July 2001)
This OVC bulletin (NCJ 186155) describes the impact of gun violence on victims, covictims, and their communities. It identifies key victim issues and needs, develops recommendations for how federal and state crime funds could be used to address the unmet needs of gun violence victims, and identifies promising practices to serve victims of gun violence.