New IACP Resource for Responding to Sexual Violence in LGBTQ+ Communities

 

The percentage of  serious violent crime not reported to police, including rape and sexual assault, is high, with 42% of the victimizations occurring from 2006-2010 in the U.S. not being reported. According to the  CDC, individuals who self-identify as lesbian, gay, and bisexual have an equal or higher prevalence of experiencing intimate partner violence, sexual violence, and stalking as compared to self-identified heterosexuals, with bisexual women being disproportionately impacted. Furthermore, transgender people experience much higher rates of general violent victimization than most other populations with 47% of respondents to the  2015 U.S. Transgender Survey (PDF) reporting they had been sexually assaulted at some point in their lifetimes. It is important for all sectors of society to work together to end violent victimizations. Law enforcement, including campus public safety, are in a unique position to support victims, hold offenders accountable, and prevent future acts of violence. The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) recently released  Responding to Sexual Violence in LGBTQ+ Communities: Law Enforcement Strategies and Considerations (PDF) to help strengthen law enforcement's understanding of and response to sexual violence in LGBTQ+ communities. The foundational information presented in this document is of particular importance to building trust and relationships with LGBTQ+ communities through agency mission, procedures, policy, and training.

 

The IACP, supported by a grant from  Raliance, brought a multidisciplinary group of subject matter experts together to discuss the needs, challenges, and successful practices of law enforcement when working with members of LGBTQ+ communities, specifically on issues of sexual assault/violence. Information from this meeting, together with feedback and contributions from other professionals across the nation, is presented in this document of strategies that reflects current thinking and comprehensive information on the crime of sexual assault in LGBTQ+ communities. Topics addressed in the document include:

The document is meant to be a starting point for agencies to strengthen practices, partnerships, and programs with LGBTQ+ communities. The agency assessment questionnaire (p.11) can be used as a tool to assist agency leaders in examining their operations as well as to promote an understanding of the complexities of sexual violence in LGBTQ+ communities and encourage the implementation of proactive procedures. 

 

You may read the  IACP blog post for more on this document or visit our  online library and search for the tag "LGBTQ" to access additional resources.  

There's still time to register for our August webinar with Mourning Fox, MA, LCMHC, deputy commissioner for the Vermont Department of Mental Health. Fox will explore the issues around why people resort to violence and the risk factors individuals have that may make them more, or less, likely to use violence. This webinar is part of our free Campus Public Safety Online series and will take place on  Tuesday, August 15, 2017 from 2:00-3:00 PM ET . Space is limited and registration is required.