Domestic Violence Against Native American Women

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Did you know that in the year 2012 it was reported that one in every four women has been abused by an intimate partner, husband, or boyfriend? Or that almost half of the women and men in the United States have dealt with psychological aggression from an intimate partner? The U.S. Department of Justice defines Domestic Abuse, or Domestic Violence as, “a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner”(“Domestic Abuse”). This can include physical, sexual, emotional, economic, and psychological abuse. Abuse can take an enormous toll on people’s well being, and most people need help to end the cycle. That is just …show more content…

This reformation was hotly debated by the senate and the opposing Republicans who did not approve of the expanded version. However, in February 2013, the much needed reformation was reauthorized with protections for all victims of domestic violence, including Native Americans, LGBT, and immigrants. It also expanded the meaning of domestic violence to include crimes like cyberstalking. One of the biggest things the reformed VAWA does now is protect Native American women. The OVW helped create many grants for Native Americans, including the Grants to Tribal Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalitions Program, the Tribal Governments Program, and the Grants to Tribal Governments to Exercise Special Domestic Violence Criminal Jurisdiction. The Grants to Tribal Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalitions Program helps Native American victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking, by providing support, education, and technical assistance to tribes. The Tribal Governments Program assists the tribes ability to respond to domestic violence against Native American women. It helps enhance victim safety and develop strategies to prevent domestic violence, and educate people. The Grants to Tribal Governments to Exercise Special Domestic Violence Criminal Jurisdiction gives the tribes the right to implement and exercise domestic violence criminal jurisdiction for domestic violence, dating violence, and protection orders in Indian country, whether the perpetrator was Native American or not. It not only gives them the right, but assists them in planning the prosecution in their own courts. For the LGBT community, the law now applies to them as well. There is a Grant created for Outreach and Services to Underserved Populations that includes being underserved due to sexual orientation, and gender identity, and the updated law protects

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