Domestic Violence

We help courts and communities respond creatively and effectively to domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and dating violence.

Watch our video to learn how courts in Rockford, Ill., respond to domestic violence.

Combining lessons learned at the local level with the latest research, our experts provide community-led, data-driven support to jurisdictions across the country looking to enhance their responses to domestic violence. With support from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women, our experts offer training and hands-on assistance that rejects any one-size-fits-all frameworks. Our work focuses on victim safety and covers civil and criminal justice system responses to domestic violence from initial needs assessments to implementation, evaluation, and ongoing training.

We provide free individualized training and support to courts and communities on a range of topics:

informed-decision making
holistic victim services
offender accountability and engagement
reducing bias and increasing access
engaging the court
learning-based training and practical application

To hear more from us, join our email list. We’ll let you know when we have an upcoming training, webinar, or new resource.

Judge H. Lee Chitwood and Court Coordinator Jaime Clemmer discuss the innovative strategies they use for domestic violence cases in their rural Virginia county.

Initiatives

Access to Justice in Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Cases

Improving access to the courts for victims of domestic violence and those accused of harm enhances safety and accountability and ensures a more just and effective system.
Assessing Risk and Working with Abusive Partners

We use research and the experience of practitioners to help communities hold offenders accountable, assess risk, and engage them in a process of change.
Domestic Violence Court

A pioneer in the creation of specialized domestic violence courts, the Center works to rethink and improve court responses to intimate partner violence.
Domestic Violence Mentor Courts

These specialized courts serve as resources for courts across the country by facilitating peer-to-peer learning and providing examples of effective practices.
Domestic Violence Training and Curriculum Development

We help train judges and court staff with domestic violence workshops that target a community's specific needs and provide concrete tools to improve daily practice.
Enhancing Family Court Responses to Domestic Violence

We help courts grapple with the issues surrounding child custody and visitation for families experiencing domestic violence.
Judicial Engagement Network

Engaging judges and fostering judicial leadership is key to enhancing system-wide responses to domestic violence and sexual assault.
Justice for Families

Justice for Families supports communities in developing and implementing projects to address domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and dating violence.

Publications & Digital Media

Webinar
A Collaborative Approach to Centering Black Women Exposed to Violence and Criminalization

Community and faith-based organizations have historically played significant roles in raising awareness, mobilizing the public, and generating political action on important issues, such as civil rights. This webinar addresses recent convenings and collaborations between domestic violence/sexual assault advocacy organizations and black women clergy and will share strategies to center the experiences of black women exposed to gender-based violence and impacted by criminalization.

Domestic Violence
Publication
Teen Dating Violence and Diversion

Dating violence among teens presents unique challenges to fashioning effective juvenile justice-system interventions. This report captures conversation from a cross-disciplinary roundtable exploring what diversion means for this population and where—and whether—it should occur. Participants identified the unique needs of youth, possible means of intervention, and recommendations for further exploration.

Diversion, Domestic Violence, Youth Programs
Audio
Project SAFE Podcast: Dr. Monique Morris and Andrea C. James Discuss Collaborating with Survivors of Domestic and Sexual Violence

by Afua Addo

In this podcast, which was produced as part of Project SAFE, Afua Addo is joined by Dr. Monique Morris, the co-founder and president of the National Black Women’s Justice Institute, and Andrea C. James, the founder and executive director of the National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls.

Addressing Racial Disparities, Domestic Violence, Justice-Involved Women, Reducing Trauma

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News

Courts Fail Sex Trafficking Victims

January 19, 2018
Crime Report

Understanding trauma, exploitation, and criminalization: an introduction to our work with justice-involved Black women and the role of human trafficking courts.

View Archive →

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