With the advent of what many call the #MeToo era, the topics of sexual assault and harassment have been at the forefront of many conversations throughout society. However, when a story emerges, discussions tend to tilt toward the perpetrator rather than the victim. Sexual violence victimization is particularly nuanced given the technicalities of evidence collection and the traumatic impacts on the victim both during and after the attack. This training will cover some of the particularities of sexual violence victimization, including the nuances of victims’ responses to sexual assault, sexual assault evidence, challenges to law enforcement reporting, and the role of drugs and alcohol in sexual assault.

The training is built on a set of principles designed by assessing a multitude of research and literature on the intersection of sexual assault with various other topics, including the biology of trauma and relevant legislative and judicial measures. This research was conducted extensively and included assessing many sources including published researchers, the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, and End Violence Against Women International.