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Creating legitimacy and ensuring public trust begin with holding our own professionals accountable and enforcing clear policies to address officer-involved domestic violence (OIDV). Strong policies demonstrate an agency’s commitment to taking domestic violence seriously—regardless of the offender’s role or position. Clear policies not only guide appropriate
responses but also ensure that all parties involved receive protection, access to services, and due process while strengthening trust between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve.

This tip sheet highlights key considerations for preparing for and responding to OIDV incidents.

Every call involving domestic violence or sexual assault requires more than just a procedural response. These calls demand awareness, empathy, and critical reflection. Law enforcement officers are often victims’ first point of contact, and an officer’s words, tone, and actions can shape whether they feel safe enough to continue seeking protection through the criminal justice system. Recognizing and challenging personal and institutional assumptions helps officers respond fairly and effectively without unconscious bias or stereotypes influencing their decisions.
These tips provide practical steps to strengthen trust; enhance credibility; and build safer, more survivor-centered responses in every department.

Law enforcement officers are often called upon to respond to domestic dispute calls in which a clear suspect and victim are not immediately apparent. Multiple involved parties may present with injuries or provide conflicting accounts about what happened and who is at fault. But the stakes are high: Failure to identify the predominant aggressor—the person primarily responsible for perpetrating abuse in the relationship—can result in unjust arrest, retraumatization of victims,
and reduced safety outcomes while allowing the true aggressor to evade accountability and continue their abusive behavior.
This tip sheet offers practical guidance to help law enforcement officers accurately identify the predominant aggressor, avoid misidentifying victims and offenders, reduce wrongful and mutual arrests, and uphold the integrity of the investigation, including statements and evidence collection.

Law enforcement officers are often the first point of contact for people who are frightened, overwhelmed, and unsure of how to proceed after incidents of domestic violence or sexual assault. Equipping officers with the knowledge and tools needed to connect victims with community-based service providers—including advocates, counselors, culturally specific organizations, and legal resources—can strengthen investigations, improve cooperation, and build long-term trust between police and the communities they serve.
These tips outline practical ways officers can integrate meaningful referrals into their responses.

Law enforcement officers play a central role in ensuring that all victims feel heard, respected, and supported as they report sexual assault and domestic violence crimes. An officer’s approach during their first interactions with a victim plays a critical role in establishing trust and safety. These first moments can significantly influence whether a victim feels comfortable sharing information, engaging in the criminal justice process, and seeking help—now or in the future.
These five tips offer practical guidance for officers to build trust and improve communication with victims.

Writing reports for domestic violence or sexual assault cases can be challenging, even for experienced officers. These incidents are complex and emotionally charged, and they often involve limited physical evidence, reluctant victims, or both. It’s important to remember that a report is only as strong as the investigation behind it. Even the best writing can’t compensate for gaps in an investigation. If you don’t thoroughly gather, document, and corroborate the facts, your report
may fall short—no matter how well you’ve written it.
These tips will not only strengthen your report writing but also enhance the quality of your investigations. They’re practical, field-tested, and rooted in the goal of supporting victims, ensuring accountability, and building cases that withstand scrutiny.

To better meet growing needs, advocates find themselves leaning into housing advocacy, which can be complex and time-consuming for those unfamiliar with the housing field. Given the growing frequency of housing requests coming into to sexual assault programs combined with the soaring amount of staff time spent addressing housing needs, many organizations are interested in building new or remodeling existing housing programs. So what does a survivor–centered housing program look like?

This webinar highlights the Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence (OAESV)’s survivor–centered approach to housing survivors of sexual assault. Use this flyer to access the webinar recording.

The unique housing needs of survivors of sexual assault vary from one survivor to another. These needs do not always fit neatly into traditional housing paths. A survivor living in a multigenerational household may need a night or two away to clear their mind in solitude. A survivor may need to appear in court early in the morning, yet live hours away with no access to public transportation. Or a survivor may benefit from a neutral environment to process. For such scenarios, innovation is the answer.

Featuring ReloShare, this webinar will dive into the challenges survivors of sexual violence face accessing shelter, explore how a hotel shelter program model can accelerate options, and share tips on implementing such program models. Use this flyer to access the webinar recording.

Survivors of sexual assault have unique housing needs throughout their lifespan. The number of housing related advocacy requests received by sexual assault programs and coalitions is growing, and fast. Although housing is recognized as a priority issue impacting survivors, many sexual assault programs and coalitions do not have specific housing programs or dedicated housing staff to meet increased need. One of the primary barriers? Lack of funding.

This webinar introduces attendees to a variety of funding opportunities that can, and currently do, support housing work with survivors of sexual assault. Use this flyer to view the recording.

This quick-reference chart compares the Violence Against Women Act (“VAWA”) Self-Petition and Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (“SIJS”) as immigration options for abused noncitizen children.