Trauma Resources
Start by Believing is one element of a trauma-informed, victim-centered response. EVAWI offers many training materials to help criminal justice professionals understand the impact of trauma, and the implications for interviewing and law enforcement investigations.
Understanding the Neurobiology of Trauma and Implications for Victim Interviewing
This training bulletin provides basic information about the brain and explores the many impacts of trauma on human behavior and memory. It then goes on to explore the implications for law enforcement interviews of conducted with victims of sexual assault and other traumatic crimes.
Becoming Trauma-Informed: Learning and Appropriately Applying the Neurobiology of Trauma to Victim Interviews
This training bulletin is designed to help law enforcement agencies make improvements in their interviewing practices with victims of sexual assault, as well as victims and witnesses of other types of violence. Many of these same principles also apply to other types of investigative interviews, such as those conducted by prosecutors, civil attorneys, campus Title IX investigators, and others.
Important Things to Get Right About the “Neurobiology of Trauma"
This 3-part training bulletin series explores central concepts in the “neurobiology of trauma,” as it is understood by people working with sexual assault victims. Understanding essential scientific findings and avoiding any misinterpretation or misapplication can help professionals work more effectively with survivors.
Trauma-Informed Interviewing and the Criminal Sexual Assault Case: Where Investigative Technique Meets Evidentiary Value
This training bulletin analyzes what the evidence produced from a trauma-informed interview of a sexual assault victim can (and cannot) accomplish within the US legal system, and how this evidence should (and should not) be used in a sexual assault investigation and prosecution.
Effective Victim Interviewing: Helping Victims Retrieve and Disclose Memories of Sexual Assault
This Online Training Institute (OLTI) module briefly reviews the scientific research on trauma and memory, as well as the unique dynamics of sexual assault. This information is then applied to practical tasks involved in the initial response to a sexual assault report, follow-up interviews, investigative steps, and documentation. The module also addresses the impact of interviews on investigators themselves, and offers ways for law enforcement agencies to support investigators and high-quality sexual assault investigations.
