INTIMATE PARTNER SEXUAL ABUSE

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 DEALING WITH THE HIDDEN DIMENSION OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

  • Intimate partner sexual abuse (IPSA) is an often-overlooked aspect of domestic violence cases with important implications for courts, service providers, and law enforcement. 
  • IPSA encompasses a continuum of behaviors—from sexual verbal abuse to sexually abusive behavior and torture. Domestic violence and sexual assault are often treated as distinct forms of violence, but in reality, the two are often intertwined: many abusers who perpetrate physical abuse also subject their victims to sexual abuse. 
  • IPSA has in part received so little attention because marital rape was not considered a crime in the United States until recently.  NJEP works to ensure that victims of domestic violence who are also victims of sexual abuse are identified and receive the additional protection and services they need.

EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES  

Model curricula for in-person training

  • Elder Victims of Sexual Abuse (link)
  • Intimate Partner Sexual Abuse: The Hidden Dimension of Violence (link)
  • Interpreters in Adult Victim Sexual Assault Cases (link)
  • Jury Selection and Decision Making in Adult Victim Sexual Assault Cases (link)
  • Raped or “Seduced?” How Language Helps Shape Our Response to Sexual Violence (link)
  • The Challenges of Adult Victim Sexual Assault Cases: Materials For New Judges (link)
  • The Intersection of Stalking and Sexual Assault (link)
  • Adjudicating Allegations of Child Sexual Abuse When Custody is in Dispute (link)
  • Understanding Sexual Violence: The Judge’s Role in Stranger and Nonstranger Rape and Sexual Assault Cases (link)
  • Understanding Sexual Violence: Prosecuting Adult Rape and Sexual Assault Cases (link)
  • When Bias Compounds: Insuring Equal Justice for Women of Color in the Courts (link)
  • Women in Drug Treatment Courts: Sexual Assault as the Underlying Trauma (link)

Aspects of the model curricula:

  • NJEP’s curriculum is available at no charge for a variety of uses: it can be utilized as the basis for in-person trainings and webinars or reviewed by individuals online.
  • The curriculum consists of:
    • A faculty manual for teachers
    • A Power Point presentation with suggested commentary
    • Exercises for participants
    • Handouts for participants
    • The curriculum can be adapted to local laws and practices

Web course 

NJEP’s Web Course provides current interdisciplinary research from law, medicine and the social sciences that is applicable to judicial decision-making and case management. The site can be treated as a course or as a resource to be consulted as needed.

DVDs

NJEP’s DVDs can be used in conjunction with other training modules, or shown on their own.

  • The Undetected Rapist (DVD)
  • A Response to “The Undetected Rapist” (DVD)
  • Understanding Sexual Violence: The Judge’s Role in Stranger and Nonstranger Rape and Sexual Assault Cases (link)
  • Presenting Medical Evidence in an Adult Rape Trial