Domestic Violence Executive Summary

The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) was initially enacted in 1994. This law was the first to recognize sexual assault and domestic violence as crimes. This Act allocated federal funds to several communities to combat these types of violence. In 2000, Congress added to the foundation which created a legal assistance program, and added dating violence and stalking to the list of crimes covered by this act. In 2005, the VAWA was updated to include funds to prevention measures, housing for victims, and the creation rape crisis centers.

Joe Biden and the United States Congress recognized the severity of violence against women and the need for national policy by passing the Violence Against Women Act in 1994. The original Violence Against Women Act, for short VAWA, provided provisions holding offenders accountable for their crimes and ensured programs to provide services for victims of violence (whitehouse.gov, n.d.). VAWA improved the criminal justice response to violence against women with federal funds given to law enforcement officers, prosecutors, judges, etc. every year to ensure adequate training and understanding

The goals of the VAWA act of 1994 was to change attitudes toward domestic violence, foster awareness of domestic violence, improve services and provisions for victims, and revise the manner in which the criminal justice system responds to domestic violence and sex crimes. The VAWA is available to all regardless of income and assets. The policy is also aimed to meeting immediate and long-range goals. Focuses on punishment more than actual prevention and elimination of violence against women.

When it was first introduced some of the policy proposals were trying to protect all women and create programs for them. In the first title Enhancing Judicial and Law Enforcement Tools to Combat Violence Against Women, this policy provided women with classes for combat and training programs. In the second title, Improving Services for Victims of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking, it included safety for Indian women and for the U.S. to create programs for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence in rural areas. In the third title, Services, Protection, and Justice for Young Victims of Violence, it would include tribal sexual assault parties in the program for rape prevention, and extend through the authorization of the program at rape crisis centers. In title four, Violence Reduction Practices, the policies use Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for academic purposes and research that shows what is best for preventing violence against women and children. In the fifth title, Strengthening the Healthcare System's Response to Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking, this policy would bring better programs not only for domestic and sexual assault victims but for stalking victims as well. In the sixth title, Safe Homes for Victims of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking,

In 1984, Congress passed the bipartisan Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), which made a national fund to support victims. Financed by fines paid for by offenders, the Crime Victims Fund bolsters victim services and victim compensation programs that pay a few of a victims out-of-pocket costs from the crime, such as

The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 is a United States policy that was put in place by the 113th Congress on January 3, 2013. The VAWA first passed in 1994 was under the guidance of then-Senator Joe Biden. Violence against women has become an important matter in the U.S. that needs to be addressed. This paper will give an in-depth analysis and will provide a better understanding of the VAWA policy. The policy analysis includes delineation and an overview of the policy, a historical analysis, social analysis, economic analysis, political analysis, policy evaluation, and current proposals for policy reform. The goal of the VAWA 2013 is to improve the response to domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking.

There are many types of legislative actions concerning human services issues across the United States. The National Conference of State Legislatures website offers numerous state legislatures regarding domestic violence, child support, sexual assault, and more. The legislation I have chosen to focus on is in Louisiana, regarding domestic violence and child custody.

The easy availability of electronic personal information raised concerns with domestic violence shelter providers who are obligated to protect the identities and physical location of domestic violence victims. HUD required domestic violence shelters to include victims in the homeless count in order to have accurate information upon which to make funding and policy decisions, and in 2005 Congress passed the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) (Robinson, 2014). VAWA eliminated the requirement to enter victims' personal identifying information into the HMIS, forcing local service providers to find alternate data collection methods.

In 1994, Congress passed the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (Sacco, 2015). The bill was meant to help law enforcement respond to violence against women;

The re-authorization of VAWA (2013) was created to additionally protect and provide provisions for underserved populations, including those with special needs such as alien status or ethnic/racial populations. Currently, VAWA (2013) provides grant funding for programs that aim to reduce and prevent domestic violence, sexual assault, and rape. VAWA (2013) will continue to fund culturally and linguistically relevant services. The reauthorization of VAWA will also improve protections for immigrant survivors by strengthening the International Marriage Broker Regulation Act of 2005, provisions for U Visa’s and Self –petitions (Civic Impulse, 2015).

PEACE Domestic Violence Agency provides a variety of ways to improve the efficiency of domesticated issues, servicing victims of sexual assaults and domestic violence. Their central focus is derived from a strategic mission statement, consequential approach, which essentially regulates the business’ calculated goals.

This, however, changed with the creation of one of the first domestic violence organizations: the Battered Women’s movement (“History”). With the creation of the Battered Women’s Movement came an upward push for more domestic violence reforms. In 1984 one of the first acts passed by congress was the Family Violence Prevention Services Act, which allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services to fund states in all things domestic violence. This includes “the establishment, maintenance, and expansion of programs and projects to prevent incidents of family violence and provide shelter and related assistance for victims and their dependents” (“History”). This act has shaped what we see in domestic violence reforms today, and has spurred the creation of other programs to help those whose lives have been affected.

The National Network to End Domestic Violence gives a report on how with the renewal of the Violence Against Women Act the needs for more victims will be met. The reauthorization of Violence Against Women Act now includes justice to Native American women, LGBT survivors, safe housing for victims, protection for immigrant victims, justice on campuses, and maintaining grant programs. This source is beneficial to get an synopsis of the reauthorization of the VAWA and the changes that were made.

The Violence against Women Act (VAWA) delineated funding programs to avoid violence against women and set a national domestic violence hotline. Also, new protections were given to victims of domestic abuse, such as confidentiality of new address and modifications to migration regulations that permit an abused partner to apply for permanent residency. This act

VAWA is a wide-ranging law which, among other things, mandated research into sexual and domestic violence, funded community efforts against sexual and domestic violence through grants, proposed changes in the evaluation and determination of evidence, affirmed victims' rights of