About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

1 1 (April 3, 2019)

handle is hein.crs/govzbr0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Cogesoa Resarc Servic 0 April 3, 2019 Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) History of FYPSA Throughout much of the 20th century, domestic violence remained a hidden problem. Survivors (or victims) were hesitant to seek help, primarily because of fear of retaliation by their partners and concerns about leaving their communities. In the 1960s and 1970s, shelters and services for survivors became more widely available. In 1984, the Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a report that examined the scope and impact of domestic violence in the United States, and recommended improvements in law enforcement and community responses to offenses that were previously considered family matters. As a result of efforts by advocates and DOJ, Congress held a series of hearings on domestic violence. In response, the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act was enacted as Title III of the Child Abuse Amendments of 1984 (P.L. 98-457). FVPSA has twice been amended by the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), first enacted in 1994. FVPSA and VAWA are the primary vehicles for federal support to prevent and respond to domestic violence; however, FVPSA is more focused on prevention and services for survivors, while VAWA's unique contributions are more focused on law enforcement and legal responses. Scope of the Issue FVPSA primarily addresses domestic violence and dating violence. Both can include acts of physical, psychological, and sexual violence as well as stalking. Domestic violence, sometimes referred to as family violence, involves current or former spouses, individuals who share children in common, cohabiting partners, and other intimate partners. Dating violence occurs between individuals who have a romantic relationship, including teenagers. The research literature does not indicate a primary reason why domestic and dating violence are perpetrated, in part because of the difficulty in measuring social conditions that can influence such violence. It does, however, identify two underlying factors: the unequal position of women and the normalization of violence, both in society and in some relationships. Estimating the number of individuals involved in intimate partner violence is complicated by varying definitions of the term and methodologies for collecting data. A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the federal government's lead public health agency, examined the prevalence of intimate partner violence in 2015. Over one-third of women and men in America reported that they experienced sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime. However, women were more likely to experience related impacts, such as having injuries and a need for victim services. Overview of FYPSA FVPSA focuses on providing temporary shelter and services for survivors, as well as supporting children exposed to domestic and teen dating violence. The law currently authorizes three major activities-the National Domestic Violence Hotline (hotline); domestic violence shelters, services, and related program support; and the Domestic Violence Prevention Enhancement and Leadership Through Alliances (DELTA) program. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS') Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB) administers funding for the hotline and domestic violence shelters and services. The CDC, also within HHS, administers DELTA. FVPSA authorized funding for these activities through FY2015. Funds have subsequently been appropriated through FY2019. Table 1 shows an increase in funding over time. Table I.FVPSA Actual Funding, FY201 5-FY2019 Dollars in millions FYI5 FY16 FY17 FY18 FY19 Hotline $4.5 $8.3 $8.2 $9.3 $10.3 Shelter & $135.0 $150.0 $150.5 $158.4 $164.5 Services DELTA $5.4 $5.5 $5.5 $5.5 $5.5 Total $144.9 $163.8 $164.2 $173.1 $180.3 Source: CRS, based on correspondence with HHS, November 2018. Note: Due to rounding, some numbers do not add to the total. National Domestic Violence Hotline Since 1996, HHS has competitively awarded a cooperative agreement to one organization, the National Council on Family Violence in Texas, to operate the National Domestic Violence Hotline (National Hotline). The agreement was most recently awarded for a five-year period that extends through the end of FY2020. FVPSA specifies that the hotline provide information and assistance to adult and youth victims of domestic violence, family and household members of victims, and others affected by victimization. This includes support concerning domestic violence, dating violence, children exposed to domestic violence, intervention programs for abusive partners, and related topics. As required under FVPSA, the National Hotline carries out multiple activities. It employs, trains, and supervises personnel to answer incoming calls; provides counseling and referral services; and directly connects callers to service providers in local communities. In FY2018, the National Hotline received more than 23,000 calls each month and responded to 74% of all calls. HHS reported that some calls were missed due to increased media coverage of domestic violence, increased Spanish chat services, and forwarding of calls from local domestic violence hotlines due to severe weather. It also had an https://crsreports.congress go

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Short-term subscription options include 24 hours, 48 hours, or 1 week to HeinOnline.

Purchase Access

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most