- 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
- Criminal Court Judges who use the web course will come away with the following:
- An understanding of the dynamics of intimate partner sexual abuse, the impact on victims, offender behavior, and the implications for criminal courts.
- Recognition of the heightened risk of injury and death to the victim, her children and the community when intimate partner sexual abuse is a factor in a domestic violence case.
- How to identify and excuse jurors who cannot be impartial in cases of intimate partner or marital rape.
- How to differentiate between sex that is freely consented to and acquiescence from fear to avoid escalating violence.
- How to set sentences reflecting the gravity of the crime, the impact on the victim, and the risk posed by the defendant.
- Means of assessing the capability of batterer intervention and sex offender programs to address intimate partner sexual abuse.
- Strategies to evaluate how, within the code of judicial conduct, judges can be leaders in developing an effective justice system and community response to intimate partner sexual abuse.
- Civil Court Judges will come away with the following:
- An understanding of the dynamics of intimate partner sexual abuse, the impact on victims, offender behavior, and the implications for civil and family courts.
- How to recognize the heightened risk of injury and death to the victim, her children and the community when intimate partner sexual abuse is a factor in a domestic violence case, especially when the victim tries to leave and seeks help from the courts.
- How to utilize the practices and tools, pre- and post- adjudication that identify intimate partner sexual abuse, assess risk and protect victims, their children and others.
- Strategies to differentiate between sex that is freely consented to and acquiescence from fear to avoid escalating violence.
- Means of crafting appropriate comprehensive dispositions in civil and family cases involving intimate partner sexual abuse.
- Strategies to assess the capability of batterer intervention and sex offender programs to address intimate partner sexual abuse.
- How to recognize the increased risks to children posed by parents who are perpetrators of intimate partner sexual abuse.
- Means of structuring custody and visitation orders that protect against the heightened risk to children when intimate partner sexual abuse is an aspect of domestic violence.
- Means of structuring custody and visitation orders that protect against the heightened risk to intimate partner sexual abuse victims when visitation exchanges are unsupervised.
- How to assess the implications of intimate partner sexual abuse for the division of marital assets in a divorce.
- How to identify the particular issues for intimate partner sexual abuse victims who are non-English speaking and/or have immigration concerns.
These model curricula were supported by Grant No. 2008-TA-AX-K051, awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions and recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women.