Federal Funding for Tribal Victim Services

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Victimization Type Descriptors

Child Abuse/Neglect

Child Physical Abuse or Neglect

Physical abuse that results in physical injury (ranging from minor bruises to severe fractures or death) because of punching, beating, kicking, biting, shaking, throwing, stabbing, choking, hitting (with a hand, stick, strap, or other object), burning, or otherwise harming a child, that is inflicted by a parent, caregiver, or other person. Such injury is considered abuse regardless of whether the caregiver intended to hurt the child. Neglect occurs when a parent, caregiver, or other person fails to meet a child’s basic physical and emotional needs, including their needs for food, clothing, education, housing, or medical care.

Child Pornography

A child who is depicted in any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct, including any photograph, film, video, picture, drawing, or computer-generated image or picture, which is produced by electronic, mechanical, or other means. Also includes circumstances where a visual depiction has been created, adapted, or modified to appear that an identifiable minor is engaging in sexually explicit conduct, and where an identifiable minor is depicted in materials that are advertised, distributed, promoted, or presented in such a manner as to convey the impression that it is a visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. 

Child/Youth Sexual Abuse/Assault

This may include activities such as fondling a child’s genitals, penetration, incest, rape, sodomy, indecent exposure, and exploitation through sex trafficking by a parent, caregiver, or other person. This definition includes teen sexual assault.

Domestic Violence/Family Violence

Domestic Violence

Crimes committed by a current or former spouse or intimate partner of the victim. Includes the use or attempted use of physical abuse or sexual abuse, or a pattern of any other coercive behavior committed, enabled, or solicited to gain or maintain power and control over a victim, including verbal, psychological, economic, or technological abuse that may or may not constitute criminal behavior. The perpetrator of domestic violence can be: the current/former spouse or intimate partner of the victim; an individual who has a child in common with victim; or who is currently cohabitating with, or who previously cohabitated with the victim as a spouse or intimate partner.

Family Violence

Abusive behavior that occurs between members of a family or household who are not in an intimate partner relationship. Family violence occurs between people who are related by blood, marriage, adoption, or any other familial relationship. It includes physical, emotional, and sexual violence.

Teen Dating Victimization

The occurrence of physical, sexual, psychological, or emotional violence within a teen dating relationship, including stalking. It can occur in person or electronically and might occur between a current or former dating partner. 

Elder Abuse or Neglect

Elder Abuse or Neglect (physical or emotional)

Also known as elder mistreatment, generally refers to any knowing, intentional, or negligent act by a family member, caregiver, or other person in a trusting relationship that causes harm or creates a serious risk of harm to an older person. Elder abuse may include abuse that is physical, emotional/psychological (including threats), or sexual; neglect (including abandonment); and financial exploitation. Elder Abuse may also include fraud, scams, or financial crimes targeted at older people. 

Human Trafficking

Human Trafficking (Labor)

Obtaining a person through recruitment, harboring, transportation, or provision, and subjecting such a person by force, fraud, or coercion into involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery (not to include commercial sex acts). 

Human Trafficking (Sex)

Inducing a person by force, fraud, or coercion to participate in commercial sex acts, or the person induced to perform such act(s) has not attained 18 years of age.

Missing or Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP)

Missing Person [1]

An individual who, voluntarily or involuntarily, cannot be located because their whereabouts are unknown.

Survivor (or Co-Survivor) of Homicide

Anyone who has been impacted by the death of a loved one by homicide. This includes a spouse, partner, children, siblings, and friends.

Victim of Homicide

An individual whose death is the result of murder or voluntary manslaughter, when willful intent is present, and one human being is killed by another. 

Adult Sexual Assault

Adult Rape/Sexual Assault

Any nonconsensual sexual act proscribed by Federal, Tribal, or state law, including when the victim lacks capacity to consent due to intoxication or disability.

Adult Sexually Abused/Assaulted as Children

Adult survivors of sexual abuse and/or assault which was suffered while they were children. For examples of sexual abuse/assault that may have been experienced, see child pornography and child/youth sexual assault.

Victim Services and Related Activities Descriptors

Accompaniment

Supporting or helping victims obtain medical services, including forensic examinations, as well as forensic interviews, interviews with law enforcement/prosecution, and supporting victims’ participation in court proceedings. This includes providing emotional and/or physical support to victims while they receive services or participate in court hearings.

Case Management [2]

A collaborative partnership between a trained professional and survivor where both parties share responsibility for establishing goals and identifying resources for services and support based on mutual respect. This collaborative process is intended to promote quality of care and cost-effective outcomes that enhance the physical, psychological, and vocational health of the survivor.

Child or Dependent Care Assistance

Coordinating and/or providing childcare so that a victim may pursue a job search or educational opportunities, participate in criminal or civil court cases or other public proceedings arising from the crime, or attend victim service appointments or counseling sessions.

Child Advocacy Center

A child advocacy center brings together representatives from many disciplines, including law enforcement, child protection, prosecution, mental health, medical and victim advocacy, and child advocacy, to provide comprehensive services to child victims of abuse, neglect, and trauma. Child Advocacy Center multidisciplinary teams also work collaboratively to make decisions about the investigation, treatment, management, and prosecution of child abuse cases and to support children and their families through the criminal justice process. The primary goals of a child advocacy center are to alleviate the burden placed on children when they are asked to describe the violence repeatedly to different professionals, and to improve the quality of investigations and child abuse and neglect case outcomes.

Community Outreach/Awareness

Activities designed to increase the community’s awareness of issues related to victimization and the services available to victims through a grant-funded victim services program.

Civil Legal Assistance

Civil Legal Assistance in Obtaining Protection or Restraining Order: Advising and/or assisting a victim in obtaining a protection/restraining order as well as follow-up hearings associated with finalizing an order.

Civil Legal Assistance with Family Law Issues: Assisting with custody and visitation support, or other family law issues.

Other Legal Advice and/or Counseling: This could include eviction or adversary employment actions arising from victimization or responding to requests for records by the courts. Civil matters related to the victimization are also included (dependency, juvenile court actions, etc.).

Coordinated Community Response (CCR) Team [3]

Comprised of representatives from a variety of disciplines or community agencies who develop strategies and procedures for addressing violence, often on a citywide or regional basis. Some examples of CCR teams include domestic violence response teams, sexual assault response teams (also called SARTs), child abuse multidisciplinary teams, and elder abuse multidisciplinary teams.

Education and Employment Assistance

Providing support for survivors to receive job training and employment services, financial literacy services and education, financial planning, and related economic empowerment services. Education and employment assistance for survivors may include the purchase of laptops, cameras, headsets, tuition, training/certification programs, books, educational supplies, uniforms, and transportation.

Emergency Financial Assistance

Purchasing food, toiletries and clothing for victims and their dependents, and paying for short-term alternative emergency housing (e.g., hotel due to capacity at shelter) for victims and their dependents. Emergency financial assistance may also include distributing gift cards for food, clothing, and gas with adequate financial controls to victims, as well as payments to third-party vendors for changing windows and/or locks, taxis, prophylactic and nonprophylactic medications, durable medical equipment, and other similar items allowable under program guidelines.

Forensic Exams/Interviews (Medical or Nonmedical Forensic Exam or Interview, or Medical Evidence Collection)

Performing/conducting a forensic exam, interview, or medical evidence collection in accordance with any requirements or guidelines identified by the applicable jurisdiction. Individuals performing the exams, interviews, or medical evidence collection should be trained to conduct these activities in a trauma-informed and developmentally and culturally appropriate manner.

Hotline/Crisis Line Counseling

Providing live hotline services by trained professionals or volunteers. Services may be provided via telephone, instant messaging, mobile application, or website contact; individuals may be identified or may be anonymous contacts.

Medical/Dental Assistance (except mental health)

Expenses including doctors, dentists, hospitals, physical therapy, ambulance, and other medically related expenses such as transportation costs, prosthetic devices, and pharmaceuticals.

Mental Health/Counseling

Individual Counseling: Providing psychological, psychiatric, and/or other counseling-related treatment for individuals, couples, and family members. This service must be provided by a person who meets professional standards to provide these services in the jurisdiction in which the care is administered.

Mental Health: Mental health treatment, both in-patient and out-patient, including psychiatric care, counseling, therapy, and medication management.

Support Groups (facilitated or peer): Providing or facilitating supportive group activities led by staff or peer. This can include group counseling sessions, peer support groups, or other groups that bring victims together to aid in the healing process.

Other Therapy (traditional, cultural, or alternative healing; art, writing, or play therapy, etc.): Providing therapy (not covered in the individual counseling or support group categories above) to improve and promote healing that responds to the emotional, social, financial, or physical needs or the victim. Must be based on targeted needs of individual victim and be provided by the agency.

Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) [4]

A group of specially trained members of health care, law enforcement, prosecution, and advocacy organizations that work together to provide health care, education and information, and advocacy services to victims of sexual assault. The purpose of a SART is to improve how a community handles sexual assault cases through training the professionals responsible for responding to reports of sexual assault, developing response protocols, and reviewing sexual assault cases that are the subject of a criminal investigation or prosecution.

Shelter/Housing Assistance

Emergency Shelter: Providing emergency short-term shelter to individuals and families following victimization, including support for survivors to receive job training and employment services, financial literacy services and education, financial planning, and related economic empowerment services. Education and employment assistance for survivors may include the purchase of laptops, cameras, headsets, tuition, training/certification programs, books, educational supplies, uniforms, and transportation.

Shelter Supplies: Supplies to support the provision of shelter for survivors. Shelter supplies may include household appliances, kitchen supplies (pots and pans, dishes, etc.), furniture, linens, food, cleaning supplies, first aid supplies, toys for the dependent children of survivors, as well as other items that would provide aid and comfort to victims.

Relocation Assistance (includes assistance with obtaining housing): Coordinating assistance with rental expenses, utility deposits, security deposits, and/or moving fees. This includes assistance locating long-term housing for the victim, regardless of distance, based on safety needs. Can include purchasing household appliances, furniture, linens, kitchen supplies (pots and pans, dishes), and cleaning supplies for use by victims and their dependents as they move into new, permanent housing. 

Transitional Housing: Providing temporary housing for victims who, due to the nature of the victimization, cannot safely return to their former housing and need more time to stabilize themselves before living independently. Can include help with rental expenses, utility deposits, security deposits, as well as furniture, linens, etc.

Supervised Visitation/Safe Exchange

A program that enhances safety for child(ren) and adult victims by increasing opportunities for supervised visitation and safe exchange, by and between custodial and non-custodial parents, in cases of domestic violence, child abuse, sexual assault, dating violence, or stalking.

Supportive Services

Providing support for survivors to receive job training and employment services, financial literacy services and education, financial planning, and related economic empowerment services. Education and employment assistance for survivors may include the purchase of laptops, cameras, headsets, tuition, training/certification programs, books, educational supplies, uniforms, and transportation.

Transportation Assistance

Coordinating and/or providing transportation service so that a victim may attend court hearings or medical appointments, or access agency services. Staff members transporting victims in personally owned vehicles or in program vehicles acquired with federal victim services funding, as well as taxis or rideshare (Uber, Lyft, etc.), and public transportation.