Frequently Asked Questions

A definition of forcible rape used by the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program is available in the following Department of Justice Press Release. The FBI defines of rape as: "[t]he penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim."

For technical assistance or guidance using JustGrants, contact JustGrants Support at 833-872-5175 or [email protected]. JustGrants Support operates weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. eastern time and Saturday, Sunday, and Federal holidays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. eastern time.

The Directory of Crime Victim Services is an OVC resource that includes contact information for thousands of victim service providers. The Directory is designed to help service providers and individuals locate victim services in the United States and other countries.

National Institute of Justice resources provide information on the phenomenon known as the "cycle of violence," in which a childhood history of physical abuse may lead the survivor to be more likely to commit violence in later years. Resources include the following:

• Pathways Between Child Maltreatment and Adult Criminal Involvement
• Effects of Child Maltreatment, Cumulative Victimization Experiences, and Proximal Life Stress on Adult Crime and Antisocial Behavior
• An Update on the Cycle of Violence
• Childhood Victimization: Early Adversity, Later Psychopathology

To learn more, visit the National Survey of Children's Exposure to Violence, a series of publications funded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

Information about drug-facilitated sexual assault can be found in Drug-Facilitated Rape: Looking for the Missing Pieces, an article in the National Institute of Justice Journal.

Additional information about drug-facilitated rape and sexual assaults is available in the National Institute of Justice-sponsored resource Drug-facilitated, Incapacitated, and Forcible Rape: A National Study.

Rohypnol (flunitrazepam) is a depressant drug that is sometimes used to perpetrate crimes, such as sexual assaults and rapes. Information about its use in drug-facilitated rape and sexual assault can be found in the following National Institute of Justice publications:

• Drug-Facilitated Rape: Looking for the Missing Pieces
• Drug-facilitated, Incapacitated, and Forcible Rape: A National Study
• Estimate of the Incidence of Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault in the U.S.

Rohypnol (flunitrazepam) is a depressant drug that is sometimes used to perpetrate crimes, such as sexual assaults and rapes. Information about its use in drug-facilitated rape and sexual assault can be found in the following National Institute of Justice publications:

• Drug-Facilitated Rape: Looking for the Missing Pieces
• Drug-facilitated, Incapacitated, and Forcible Rape: A National Study
• Estimate of the Incidence of Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault in the U.S.

The National Protocol for Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Examinations: Adults/Adolescents, Third Edition provides detailed guidelines for criminal justice and health care practitioners in responding to the immediate needs of sexual assault victims.

Additional information is available on the Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner Technical Assistance website. Please also visit the Office on Violence Against Women website for additional information.

The National Victim Assistance Academy (NVAA) is a training classroom for professionals and volunteers who assist victims and survivors of crime. The NVAA utilizes a blended learning approach including a combination of highly interactive self-paced trainings and collaborative, facilitated webinars. Continuing education units (CEUs) are offered to participants for full participation. For more information, visit the NVAA section of the OVC TTAC website.

Through the OVC Training and Technical Assistance Center, OVC offers practical skill-building sessions through its Trainings Catalog and National Victim Assistance Academy (NVAA), an education and training classroom experience for professionals and volunteers who assist victims and survivors of crime. Continuing education units (CEUs) are offered for full participation and completion of all requirements for select trainings and the NVAA.