Frequently Asked Questions

OVC encourages state Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Administrators to help fund State Victim Assistance Academies (SVAAs) using VOCA administrative funds. If there is no SVAA in your state, contact your VOCA Administrator to discuss SVAA implementation.

Authorized by the Victims of Crime Act, the OVC Fellowship Program was established in 2002 and provides a valuable public service to the Nation while also giving victim service practitioners an exciting and rewarding opportunity to work alongside Federal Employees and Contractors at the OVC office in Washington, D.C.

Fellows provide direct operational assistance to OVC in designing and developing innovative or enhanced service initiatives, management systems, training programs, capacity-building initiatives, and program evaluation efforts. Review the OVC Fellowship Guidelines for further information.

Fellows work onsite at a government office and are typically expected to follow the federal employee guidelines in regards to work schedule, holidays, and leave. Typically, Fellows work on site at OVC 40 hours per week, which computes to 80 hours in a two week pay period. Further information is available on page 9 of the OVC Fellowship Guidelines.

Your application will be reviewed by the Solicitation Peer Review Committee. First, the committee considers the basic eligibility requirements noted in the solicitation. After those requirements are met, the committee takes into consideration the applicant's proposed professional goals and objectives for the Fellowship, educational background, professional experience, public service, public policy experience, volunteer activities, communication skills, narrative response to the solicitation, and overall suitability for the Fellowship.

Please note that the committee may contact an applicant's references to assist with verifying that the application meets the requirements stated above. OVC may elect to have a personal interview with the final candidate and will support the lodging, meals, and per diem of the applicant if travel to Washington, D.C., is necessary for the interview.

Review the OVC Fellowship Guidelines for further information.

Fellowship opportunities are posted periodically to our Current Funding Opportunities page. Also review the OVC Fellowship Guidelines for information about—

• the application and selection process;
• audit, programmatic, administrative, financial, and fiduciary requirements;
• reporting procedures;
• financial management;
• salary, benefits, and budget; and
• working conditions at OVC.

Funding for the International Terrorism Victim Expense Reimbursement Program (ITVERP) comes from the Crime Victims Fund. The Victims of Crime Act established this fund, which is financed by fines and penalties paid by convicted federal offenders, not from tax dollars.

For an incident to be considered an international act of terrorism for the purposes of ITVERP, the incident must be designated as such by the National Security Division of the Department of Justice. If the incident you are looking for is not on the list, please contact ITVERP. Review the list of designated international terrorism incidents.

Child sexual abuse statistics are available in the Department of Health and Human Services' annual Child Maltreatment reports.

For additional information, visit the Child and Youth Victimization and Sexual Assault sections of our website.

If you are a teen in an abusive relationship or are concerned about someone's safety, please contact the Loveisrespect.org Helpline at 866–331–9474 or 866–787–3224 (TTY) by phone, by texting "LOVEIS" to 866–331–9474, or via live chat.

Visit the Loveisrespect.org website for more information.

Information about drug-facilitated sexual assault can be found in Drug-Facilitated Rape: Looking for the Missing Pieces, an article in the National Institute of Justice Journal.

Additional information about drug-facilitated rape/sexual assaults is available in the National Institute of Justice-sponsored resource Drug-facilitated, Incapacitated, and Forcible Rape: A National Study.