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Sexual Violence Against Alaska Tribal Women: Village Public Safety Officers Having Some Impact

NCJ Number
255071
Date Published
Agencies
NIJ
Annotation
This NIJ Journal article summarizes an NIJ funded study that analyzed sexual assault and domestic violence cases in western Alaska.
Abstract
In Alaska, violence against women often occurs in remote villages underserved by law enforcement. To help gauge the impact of the state’s unique force of village public safety officers on these crimes, the National Institute of Justice funded research by the University of Alaska to examine more than 1,500 cases in parts of western Alaska where quite a few of the tribal communities are concentrated. This article summarizes that study, which analyzed sexual assault as well as domestic violence cases. The scientific review of law enforcement records has revealed that Alaska’s village public safety officers have significantly advanced law enforcement’s response to cases of sexual abuse of minors in communities, in terms of referrals for prosecution. Although these officers have not had a similar impact on referrals of sexual assault of native women generally, or in domestic violence cases, their presence has been generally beneficial.

Read More About:

Sexual assault Domestic violence Sexual abuse Violence against Women Domestic assault Law enforcement Officer safety Alaska Tribal Rape and sexual assault Investigations Policy Drug courts Victims of crime Arrests Female Violent crime Crisis Intervention/Response Courts Research
Date Created: August 24, 2020

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Length: 2 pages