2002 Report of the Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, Cultural Practices in the Family that Are Violence Towards Women (E/CN.4/2002/83) (31 January 2002). (Available in PDF and Word, 39 pages).
The Special Rapporteur's 2002 report documents cultural practices within the family (i.e., wife burning, honor killings, foot binding, son preference) that constitute violence against women, as well as the ideologies that perpetuate and render invisible these cultural practices. Many of these ideologies—such as the connection between masculinity and violence and the regulation of female sexuality—are also those that perpetuate domestic violence. The Special Rapporteur emphasizes that states "should not invoke any custom, tradition or religious consideration to avoid their obligation to eradicate violence against women and the girl child in the family."

Taking Stock: What do we know about interpersonal violence?, Violence Research Programme (2002). (PDF, 56 pages).
Comprehensive report covering the history, prevalence, scope and laws concerning interpersonal violence, including sexual violence, in the United Kingdom.

Violence Against Women: An Obstacle to Peace.
This report discusses the Beijing Conference, recent research on male violence, the Inter-American Development Bank Conference on Domestic Violence in Latin American and the Caribbean, and the Expert Group Meeting, "Male Roles and Masculinities in the Perspective of a Culture of Peace, organized by UNESCO.

Lives Blown Apart Crimes Against Women in Times of Conflict Stop Violence Against Women , Amnesty International, 8 December 2004.
The report lays out the global picture revealing a systematic pattern of abuse repeating itself in conflicts all over the world from Colombia, Iraq, Sudan, Chechnya, Nepal to Afghanistan and in 30 other ongoing conflicts. Despite promises, treaties and legal mechanisms, governments have failed to protect women and girls from violence.

National Protocol for Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Examinations for Adults/Adolescents , The U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence against Women, September 2004. (PDF, 141 pages).
 The protocol contains detailed guidelines for criminal justice and health care practitioners in responding to the needs of victims of sexual assault.

Sexual Violence and Adolescents, Holly Harner, May 2003.
Discusses risk factors for and consequences of sexual violence in adolescent relationships, and emphasizes the need to tailor advocacy and counseling programs that provide services tailored to the particular needs of adolescents.

Unspoken Crimes: Sexual Assault in Rural America, Susan H. Lewis, National Sexual Violence Resource Center, 2003.

Policy Statement: Care of the Adolescent Sexual Assault Victim, American Academy of Pediatrics, in Pediatrics, vol. 107, no. 6, 1476 (June 2001).
Outlines the effect of sexual assault on adolescents and provides recommendations for pediatricians.

Working with Victims of Crime with Disabilities, Cheryl Guidry Tyiska, National Organization for Victim Assistance, 19 April 2001.

Impact: Feature Issue on Violence Against Women with Developmental or Other Disabilities, Institute on Community Integration, vol. 13, no. 3 (Fall 2000). (PDF, 28 pages).

Abuse and Women with Disabilities, Margaret A. Nosek, & Carol A. Howland, February 1998.

People with Mental Retardation and Sexual Abuse, Leigh Ann Reynolds, October 1997.

National Study of Women with Physical Disabilities, Center for Research on Women with Disabilities, 1997.
Section VII specifically discusses the issue of sexual abuse.

Older Women: Hidden Sexual Abuse Victims, Kathleen Quinn, Illinois Department on Aging, 1997.

Physical and Sexual Assault on Dating Partners by University Students in Eight Countries, Murray A. Straus et al. (5 September 2002).

First World Report on Violence and Health, World Health Organization (2002).

Bending the Bow: Targeting Women's Human Rights and Opportunities, Open Society Institute, Network Women's Program (2002). (PDF, 116 pages).

European Health Report, World Health Organization, Regional Committee for Europe (EUR/RC51/Conf.Doc./4) (19 July 2001). (PDF, 16 pages).

The Sexual Victimization of College Women, Bonnie S. Fisher et al., U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Program, National Institute of Justice (December 2000). (PDF, 47 pages).

Full Report of the Prevalence, Incidence, and Consequences of Violence Against Women, Patricia Tjaden & Nancy Thoennes, U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Program, National Institute of Justice (November 2000). (PDF, 71 pages).

Women 2000: An Investigation into the Status of Women's Rights in Central and South-Eastern Europe and the Newly Independent States, International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (9 November 2000).
These collected individual reports on the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union often include statistics on the prevalence of sexual violence. Sections of this report are available online by country. To retrieve the section that addresses women's rights in a particular country, highlight the name of that country in the "Countries" pull-down menu, highlight "Women's Rights" in the "Topics" pull-down menu, and enter "2000" in the field for date of publication.

Extent, Nature, and Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence, Patricia Tjaden & Nancy Thoennes, U.S. Department of Justice (2000). (Available in PDF and HTML format, 71 pages).

Criminal Victimisation in Seventeen Industrialised Countries: Key findings from the 2000 International Crime Victims Survey, John van Kesteren et al., The Hague, Ministry of Justice, Research and Documentation Center (2000).

Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Data Collection Systems in the States, Dr. Stan Orchowsky & Dr. Candace Johnson, Submitted to National Institute of Justice, (September 1999). (PDF, 266 pages).
Describes the results of a study of domestic and sexual violence incident data collection systems within the United States.

1997 Report of the Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, Alternative Approaches and Ways and Means Within the United Nations System for Improving the Effective Enjoyment of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (E/CN.4/1997/47) (12 February 1997).

Women's Victimisation in Developing Countries, Anna Alvazzi del Frate & Angela Patrignani, United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute, Issues & Reports, no. 5.
Contains statistics on the prevalence and scope of violence against women around the world.

Domestic Violence Against Women and Girls, UNICEF, Innocenti Digest, vol. 6 (2000). (PDF, 30 pages).
Contains a discussion of sexual abuse and rape in intimate relationships on page four.

Intimate Partner Sexual Abuse: An International Survey and Literature Review, Kim Slote & Carrie Cuthbert, National Violence Against Women Prevention Research Center (2000).
Describes preliminary findings of international study on the issue of intimate partner sexual abuse.

The Wife Rape Fact Sheet, Patricia Mahoney M.A., National Violence Against Women Prevention Research Center (2000).

Marital Rape, Raquel Kennedy Bergen (March 1999).
Briefly describes some of the legal frameworks that have been applied to marital rape, examines the definition of marital rape, and discusses strategies for intervening with marital rape survivors.

Marital Rape, Kersti Yllo, Battered Women's Justice Project.
Discusses the historical exemption of marital rape from the definition of rape in Britain and the United States, the definition and prevalence of marital rape, and strategies for responding to marital rape.

An in-depth discussion of marital rape is available through Explore the Issue.

Date Rape: A Hidden Crime, Laura Russo Australian Institute of Criminology (June 2000). (PDF, 6 pages).
Discusses the definition and effects of date rape in Australia, examines law enforcement, health care and advocacy intervention strategies for responding to date rape, and describes potential prevention strategies.

Dating Violence, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (2000).
Briefly discusses the scope of risk factors for dating violence in the United States.

Perspectives on Acquaintance Rape, David G. Curtis, American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress (1997).

Physical and Sexual Assault on Dating Partners by University Students in Eight Countries, Murray A. Straus et al. (5 September 2002).
Describes the methods and conclusions of a study conducted by researchers participating in the International Dating Violence Research Consortium.

Eliminating Force From Campus Sexual Misconduct Policies: The Rise of The Consent Construct, Katie Koestner & Brett A. Sokolow.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Mass Rape Leaves a Public Health Crisis, Amnesty International, 26 October 2004.
This report describes the systematic rape and torture of women, children and men in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) where over twenty groups have been fighting for control over the land and its resources. The report also documents failure of the Govermnet of the DRC to provide effective access to adequate medical care for survivors of the violence.

Colombia: Violence Against Women -- Scarred Bodies, Hidden Crimes: Sexual Violence Against Women in the Armed Conflict, Amnesty International, 13 October 2004.
The report is based on first-hand accounts of the women who have survived sexual violence at the hands of the various armed actors in Colombia.   This report is part of the organization’s International Campaign to Stop Violence against Women, launched in March 2004.

Gender and Armed Conflict, Bridge (development-gender), Cutting Edge Pack Series, Institute of Development Studies (August 2003). (Available in PDF and Word formats).
Contains an Overview Report, a copy of Development and Gender: In Brief on women in armed conflict, and a report on Supporting Resources Collection that contains contact information for organizations and a discussion of key international texts, case studies, tools, and resources.

Protective Measures for Witnesses and the Rights of the Accused at the ICTY, CEELI Discussion Paper Series, Central European and Eurasian Law Initiative (15 June 2003). (PDF, 42 pages).
Describes protective measures that can be instituted to minimize the trauma that survivors of sexual assault and abuse may experience in testifying before the tribunal.

The Impact of Conflict on Women and Girls: A UNFPA Strategy for Gender Mainstreaming in Areas of Conflict and Reconstruction, United Nations Population Fund, Bratislava, Slovakia (13-15 November 2002). (PDF, 149 pages).
Contains reports of working groups held at a consultative meeting in Bratislava on gender mainstreaming in situations of conflict and reconstruction, including the report of a working group on gender-based violence (page 23). Contains background papers, including a paper on sexual violence in Bosnia and Herzegovina (page 60) and a paper on the impact of armed conflict on women in Kosovo (page 77).

Gender Approaches in Conflict and Post-Conflict Situations, United Nations Development Programme (October 2002). (PDF, 32 pages).

Systematic rape, sexual slavery and slavery-like practices during armed conflicts, Report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (E/CN.4/Sub.2/2002/28) (18 July 2002). (Available in PDF and HTML, 12 pages).

Rape as a Strategy for War: The Sexual Assault of Kosovar Albanian Women in 1999, Jillian M. Weise (19 April 2002). (PDF, 20 pages).

Legislation & Violence Against Women in Armed Conflict, Andrea Psenica, South Eastern European Women's Legal Initiative (13 March 2002).

Women, War and Peace: The Independent Experts' Assessment on the Impact of Armed Conflict on Women and Women's Role in Peace-building, Elisabeth Rehn & Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, UNIFEM (2002).
Chapter 1: Violence Against Women discusses sexual violence against women during armed conflict. (PDF, 10 pages).

The Status of Rape as a War Crime in International Law: Changes Introduced After the Wars in the Former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, Vesna Kesic, New School University (December 2001).

Women and war: sexual violence, International Committee of the Red Cross (31 October 2001).

Review of Reports, Studies and Other Documentation for the Preparatory Committee and the World Conference, Note by the Secretary-General, transmission of Contribution by Special Rapporteur Radhika Coomaraswamy to the World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance on the subject of race, gender and violence against women (A/CONF.189/PC.3/5) (27 July 2001). (Available in PDF and Word, 64 pages).
In her report to the World Conference on Racism, the Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women discusses the intersection of ethnicity and gender in times of armed conflict.

2001 Report of the Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, Violence Against Women Perpetrated and/or Condoned by the State During Times of Armed Conflict (E/CN.4/2001/73) (23 January 2001). (Available in PDF and Word, 45 pages).
Discusses sexual violence against women during armed conflict, including rape and sexual slavery, the specific risks faced by women who are refugees or internally displaced, and developments in international law regarding sexual violence against women during armed conflict.

Sexual Violence and War: Extending the Battlefield to Women's Bodies, Gayatri Patel, School for International Training (7 May 2001).

Gender and Racial Discrimination: Report of the Expert Group Meeting, United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations Development Fund for Women, Zagreb, Croatia (21-24 November 2000).
This article emphasizes the way in which gender and race can be used against women to ensure subordination. It also briefly discusses how gendered and racial subordination is used during armed conflicts and female incarceration.

Contemporary Forms of Slavery: Systematic rape, sexual slavery and slavery-like practices during armed conflict, Update to the final report submitted by Ms. Gay J. McDougall, Special Rapporteur (E/CN.4/Sub.2/2000/21) (6 June 2000). (PDF, 36 pages).

Women and Armed Conflict: Fact Sheet No. 5, United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI/2035/E) (May 2000).

Reproductive health during conflict and displacement, World Health Organization (WHO/RHR/00.13) (2000). (Available in PDF and HTML format).
Chapter 7 discusses prevention of gender-based and sexual violence. Section E, composed of Chapters 17 through 21, discusses gender-based and sexual violence during armed conflict. Chapter 18 discusses the physical, psychological and social consequences of gender-based and sexual violence and Chapters 19 through 21 provide recommendations for responses to gender-based and sexual violence.

Crimes of War: What the Public Should Know, Roy Gutman ed. (1 July 1999).
Contains chapters on Sexual Violence, Sexual Violence: Systematic Rape, and Sexual Violence: Enslavement and Forced Prostitution.

Kosovo Backgrounder: Sexual Violence as an International Crime, Human Rights Watch (10 May 1999).
Examines legal developments leading to the recognition of sexual violence as a war crime and a crime against humanity.

Sexual Violence in Eastern Europe: Legal System Response and Recommendations for the Future, Halyna Fedkovych (1999).
Discusses the criminalization of sexual violence in Belarus, Poland, Russia, Serbia and Ukraine.

Bosnia and Hercegovina, "A Closed, Dark Place": Past and Present Human Rights Abuses in Foca, Human Rights Watch, vol. 10, no. 6 (D) (July 1998).

Contemporary Forms of Slavery: Systematic rape, sexual slavery and slavery-like practices during armed conflict, Final Report Submitted to the UN General Assembly by Gay J. McDougal, UN Special Rapporteur on Systematic Rape, Sexual Slavery and Slave-like Practices During Armed Conflict, Including Internal Armed Conflict, (E/CN.4/Sub.2/1998/13) (22 June 1998).

Sexual Violence and Armed Conflict: United Nations Response, Division for the Advancement of Women and the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (April 1998).

1998 Report of the Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, Alternative Approaches and Ways and Means Within the United Nations System for Improving the Effective Enjoyment of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (E/CN.4/1998/54) (26 January 1998).
Section I addresses violence against women during armed conflict and discusses country-specific cases, legal issues surrounding sexual violence, economic and social consequences of sexual violence, and recommendations for improved responses to sexual violence.

Violence Against Women in Situations of Armed Conflict and Displacement, World Health Organization (July 1997). (PDF, 4 pages).

Sexual Assault Issues Before the War Crimes Tribunal, Diane Orentlicher, in Human Rights Brief, American University, Washington College of Law, vol. 4, no. 2 (1997). A Feminist Appraisal of the Dayton Peace Accords, Ustina Dolgopol, in Adelaide Law Review, vol. 19, 59 (1997). (Available in PDF and HTML, 7 pages).

Radical Rules: The Effects of Evidential and Procedural Rules on the Regulation of Sexual Violence in War, Fionnuala Ni Aolain, in Albany Law Review, vol. 60, 883 (1997). (Available in PDF and HTML, 23 pages).

The Need for Greater Regional Protection for the Human Rights of Women: The Cases of Rape in Bosnia and Guatemala, Scott Splittgerber, in Wisconsin International Law Journal, vol. 15, no. 1, 185 (1996). (PDF, 43 pages).

Prosecuting Rape as a War Crime: Speaking the Unspeakable, Tamara L. Tompkins, in Notre Dame Law Review, vol. 70:4, 845 (1996). (Available in PDF and HTML, 25 pages).

Beyond Bosnia and In Re Kasinga: A Feminist Perspective on Recent Developments in Protecting Women from Sexual Violence, in Boston University International Law Journal, vol. 14, 319 (1996). (Available in PDF and HTML, 22 pages).

Women, War, and Rape: Challenges Facing the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, Catherine N. Niarchos, in Human Rights Quarterly, vol. 17.4, 649 (1995).

Women and War Crimes, Rhonda Copelon, in St. John's Law Review, vol. 69, 61 (1995). (PDF, 8 pages).

Annex II: Rape and Sexual Assault: A Legal Study, Final report of the United Nations Commission of Experts established pursuant to security council resolution 780 (S/1994/674/Add.2) (Vol. I) (28 December 1994).
Considers the criteria for applying certain international humanitarian law instruments to sexual assault cases and the limitations of international criminal and humanitarian law instruments.

Rape and Sexual Abuse of Women in International Law, Christine Chinkin, in European Journal of International Law, vol. 5, no. 3 (1994).
Provides a brief introduction to rape in armed conflict and discusses the consequences of sexual assault as well as international legal responses and remedies.

Comment: Mass Rape During War: Prosecuting Bosnian Rapists Under International Law, Danise Aydelott, in Emory International Law Review, vol. 7, 585 (1993). (PDF, 47 pages).

Reproductive Health for Communities in Crisis: UNFPA Emergency Response, United Nations Population Fund (PDF, 42 pages).
Includes a chapter on sexual violence at page nineteen.

Report of the Task Force on Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in Humanitarian Crises, Inter-Agency Standing Committee. (PDF, 8 pages).
Describes the deliberations and analysis of the Task Force that was created by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee, which is composed of members (FAO, OCHA, UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF, UNHCR, WFP, WHO) and standing invitees (ICRC, ICVA, IFRC, InterAction, IOM, SCHR, RSG/IDPs, UNHCHR, and the World Bank). The report "outlines a number of steps that the Task Force believes must be taken by the humanitarian community towards preventing sexual exploitation and abuse and responding to survivor needs."

Lives Blown Apart Crimes Against Women in Times of Conflict Stop Violence Against Women , Amnesty International, 8 December 2004.
The report lays out the global picture revealing a systematic pattern of abuse repeating itself in conflicts all over the world from Colombia, Iraq, Sudan, Chechnya, Nepal to Afghanistan and in 30 other ongoing conflicts. Despite promises, treaties and legal mechanisms, governments have failed to protect women and girls from violence.

Guidelines for Prevention and Response Sexual and Gender-Based Violence against Refugees, Returnees and Internally Displaced Persons, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (May 2003). (PDF, 168 pages).

If Not Now, When? Addressing Gender-based Violence in Refugee, Internally Displaced, and Post-conflict Settings, Jeanne Ward, The Reproductive Health for Refugees Consortium (April 2002). (PDF, 132 pages).
Discusses gender-based violence, particularly sexual violence, committed during armed conflict and as a strategy of war. Pages seventy-one through ninety-one discuss Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo.

The Impact of Conflict on Women and Girls: A UNFPA Strategy for Gender Mainstreaming in Areas of Conflict and Reconstruction, United Nations Population Fund, Bratislava, Slovakia (13-15 November 2002). (PDF, 149 pages).
Contains reports of working groups held at a consultative meeting in Bratislava on gender mainstreaming in situations of conflict and reconstruction, including the report of a working group on gender-based violence (page 23). Contains background papers, including a paper on sexual violence in Bosnia and Herzegovina (page 60) and a paper on the impact of armed conflict on women in Kosovo (page 77).

Gender Approaches in Conflict and Post-Conflict Situations, United Nations Development Programme (October 2002). (PDF, 32 pages).

Women, War and Peace: The Independent Experts' Assessment on the Impact of Armed Conflict on Women and Women's Role in Peace-building, Elisabeth Rehn & Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, UNIFEM (2002).
Chapter 2: Women Forced to Flee discusses sexual violence against displaced women and women in refugee camps. (PDF, 12 pages).

Clinical Management of Survivors of Rape: A guide to the development of protocols for use in refugee and internally displaces person situations, World Health Organization and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (2002). (PDF, 58 pages).
Presents the results of discussions that took place at a conference of humanitarian organizations in 2001 on creating protocols and systems to respond to sexual violence and support community-based efforts to prevent sexual violence against refugee and internally displaced women.

Sexual Violence and War: Extending the Battlefield to Women's Bodies, Gayatri Patel, School for International Training (7 May 2001).

Protecting Refugees: A Field Guide for NGOs, UNHCHR (May 1999). (PDF, 81 pages).
The subsection on "Protecting Refugee Women" at page fifty-three discusses some of the ways in which women may be especially vulnerable in a refugee setting.

1998 Report of the Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, Alternative Approaches and Ways and Means Within the United Nations System for Improving the Effective Enjoyment of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (E/CN.4/1998/54) (26 January 1998).
Section III discusses violence against refugee and internally displaced women, describes projects to protect women in refugee or displaced situations, and offers recommendations.

Sexual Violence Against Refugees: Guidelines on Prevention and Response, Radhika Coomaraswarny, Special Rapporteur on violence against women, Commission on Human Rights (March 1995). (PDF, 56 pages).

Guidelines on the Protection of Refugee Women, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (July 1991). (PFD, 31 pages).

Not Part of My Sentence, Amnesty International, (1999).
Focuses on sexual assault of women in prisons in the United States.

1998 Report of the Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, Alternative Approaches and Ways and Means Within the United Nations System for Improving the Effective Enjoyment of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (E/CN.4/1998/54) (26 January 1998).
Section II discusses different forms of custodial violence against women, country-specific cases, prevention measures, and international standards concerning custodial violence against women.

“It’s Never Ok: A Handbook for Victims and Victim Advocates on Sexual Exploitation by Counselors and Therapists,” The Public Education Work Group of the Task Force on Sexual Exploitation by Counselors and Therapists (January 2001). (PDF, 41 pages).

It's Still Never Okay: The Original Handbook for Professionals on Sexual Exploitation by Counselors and Therapists with Policy Updates, Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault (June 1995).
Section I contains articles on sexual exploitation and materials on working with perpetrators. Section II discusses the responsibilities of colleges and universities that train psychotherapists. Section III provides information for employers of psychotherapists on preventing and confronting sexual exploitation.

Lives Blown Apart Crimes Against Women in Times of Conflict Stop Violence Against Women , Amnesty International, 8 December 2004.
The report lays out the global picture revealing a systematic pattern of abuse repeating itself in conflicts all over the world from Colombia, Iraq, Sudan, Chechnya, Nepal to Afghanistan and in 30 other ongoing conflicts. Despite promises, treaties and legal mechanisms, governments have failed to protect women and girls from violence.

Violence, pregnancy and abortion: Issues of women's rights and public health, Maria de Bruyn, Ipas (August 2003). (PDF, 82 pages).
Describes the sexual and reproductive health problems associated with violence against women, specifically in relation to pregnancy and abortion. Examines relevant international human rights standards and presents a health promotion framework as a strategy for response on the national and international levels.

Violence Against Women: Effects on Reproductive Health, Outlook, vol. 20, no. 1 (September 2002).

First World Report on Violence and Health, World Health Organization (2002).

European Health Report, World Health Organization, Regional Committee for Europe (EUR/RC51/Conf.Doc./4) (19 July 2001). (PDF, 16 pages).

Violence Against Women: WHO Fact Sheet No. 239, World Health Organization (June 2001).

Reproductive Health, Gender and Human Rights: A Dialogue, Elaine Murphy & Karin Ringheim eds., Women's Reproductive Health Initiative (2001). (PDF, 13 pages).

State of the World Population 2000: Lives Together, Worlds Apart: Men and Women in a Time of Change, United Nations Population Fund (2000).
Chapter 3: Ending Violence against Women and Girls discusses violence against women, including sexual violence, and the impact of violence on women's reproductive health.

Ending Violence Against Women, in Population Reports, vol. 7, no. 4 (December 1999).

The Impact of Violence Against Women on Sexual and Reproductive Health, Dr. Rachel Jewkes, Medical Research Council, Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Durban, South Africa (11 November 1999).

Gender-Based Violence: An Impediment to Sexual and Reproductive Health, Kira Jensen & Naana Otoo-Oyortey, International Planned Parenthood Federation Members' Assembly, Prague, The Czech Republic (29 November 1998).
Discusses presentations given on different strategies that have been used around the world to integrate gender-based violence concerns into sexual and reproductive healthcare services.

State of the World Population 1997: The Right to Choose: Reproductive Rights and Reproductive Health, United Nations Population Fund (1997).
Chapter 3: Sexual and Reproductive Self-Determination discusses violence against women and women's reproductive health.

Sexual Coercion and Reproductive Health, A Focus on Research, Lori Heise et al., Population Council (1995).

Sexual Violence, World Health Organization.

Impact of Violence Against Women on Their Physical Health, Terri Weaver & Heidi Resnick.

Sexual and Reproductive Rights and Health in Central and Eastern Europe, Astra Network.
Discusses the links between violence against women and women's health and reproductive rights.

Violence Against Women: A Priority Health Issue, World Health Organization.
Discusses rape and sexual assault and the health consequences of violence against women.

Violence Against Girls and Women: A Public Health Priority, United Nations Population Fund.

The PVS Disaster: Poverty, Violence and Substance Abuse in the Lives of Women and Children, Women's Law Project (September 2002). (PDF, 238 pages).

Testimony of NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund on the Impact of Domestic and Sexual Violence in the Workplace, Submitted to the United States Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Hearing on "Violence Against Women in the Workplace: The Extent of the Problem and What Government and Business are Doing About it" (25 July 2002). (PDF, 15 pages).

The Impact of Violence in the Lives of Working Women: Creating Solutions—Creating Change, NOW Legal Defense Fund. (PDF, 17 pages).
Discusses the ways in which domestic violence "can have dramatic and far-reaching effects on business" and recommends ways in which employers can assist women employees who are affected by domestic violence.

An in-depth discussion of the community costs of sexual assault is available through Explore the Issue.

Lives Blown Apart Crimes Against Women in Times of Conflict Stop Violence Against Women , Amnesty International, 8 December 2004.
The report lays out the global picture revealing a systematic pattern of abuse repeating itself in conflicts all over the world from Colombia, Iraq, Sudan, Chechnya, Nepal to Afghanistan and in 30 other ongoing conflicts. Despite promises, treaties and legal mechanisms, governments have failed to protect women and girls from violence.

Sexual Assault Against Females, Sue Orsillo, National Center for PTSD (2003).

Practice Guidelines: Rape and Sexual Assault, Empirical Treatments PTSD Related to Rape and Sexual Assault, Sherry A. Falsetti & Jeffery A. Berrat, National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center, MUSC (2000).

Coping and Reactions: Rape Trauma Syndrome, Ann Wolbert Burgess & Lynda Lytle Holmstrom, in Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault Training Manual.

Women and HIV/AIDS: Confronting the Crisis, The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, 2004. (PDF, 76 pages).
The report documents the important but little known impact of the AIDS epidemic on women and girls.  It also discusses HIV and violence against women.

First World Report on Violence and Health, World Health Organization (2002).
Chapter 4: Violence by Intimate Partners discusses the connections between HIV/AIDS, intimate partner violence and marital rape. (PDF, 36 pages).

Kazakhstan: Fanning the Flames—How Human Rights Abuses are Fueling the AIDS Epidemic in Kazakhstan, Human Rights Watch, vol. 15, no. 3(D) (June 2003).
Discusses the connections between violence against sex workers and the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Fact Sheet: HIV/AIDS and Children Affected by Armed Conflict, UNICEF (2002).

Turning the Tide: CEDAW and the Gender Dimensions of the HIV/AIDS Pandemic, United Nations Development Fund for Women (2001).
Chapter 3 discusses gender-based violence and sexual exploitation.

Fact Sheet: Gender and HIV/AIDS, UN Special Session on HIV/AIDS (25-27 June 2001).

Violence Against Women and HIV/AIDS: Setting the Research Agenda—Meeting Report, World Health Organization (23-25 October 2000). (PDF, 33 pages).

Statement of the Women's Caucus to the Meeting of NGO's from Eastern and Central Europe, Warsaw (2000).
Notes the connection between the spread of HIV, armed conflict, and sexual violence against women.

Women of the World: Laws and Policies Affecting Their Reproductive Lives—East Central Europe, Center for Reproductive Rights (2000).

Commission on the Status of Women, Forty-third Session Panel on Women and Health: HIV/AIDS and Violence Against Women, Peter Piot, UNAIDS Executive Director (3 March 1999).

Gender and HIV/AIDS: Taking Stock of research and programmes, UNAIDS (UNAIDS/99.16E) (March 1999).

Women and AIDS, UNAIDS (October 1997).

Dying of Sadness: Gender, Sexual Violence and the HIV Epidemic, Peter Gordon & Kate Crehan, SEPED Conference Paper Series. (PDF, 24 pages).

Empower Women, Halt HIV/AIDS, UNIFEM.

HIV/AIDS and Gender-Based Violence, UNAIDS.

Factors Affecting Women's Health in Eastern and Central Europe with particular emphasis on Infectious Disease, Mental, Environmental, and Reproductive Health, Wanda Nowicka, Federation for Women and Family Planning.

Sexual Assault Benchbook, Michigan Judicial Institute (2002).
Provides information for judges on Michigan's criminal sexual conduct offenses, research and statistics on sexual assault, community resources for victims of sexual assault, courtroom procedures that protect the rights of victims, witnesses and defendants in sexual assault cases, evidentiary issues, sex offender registration, and civil remedies for sexual assault victims.

Sex Offender Community Notification: Assessing the Impact in Wisconsin, Richard G. Zevits & Mary Ann Farkas, National Institute of Justice (December 2000). (PDF, 11 pages).

Rape: A Survey of Current International Jurisprudence, Christine Strumpen-Darrie, in Human Rights Brief, American University, Washington College of Law, vol. 7, no. 3 (Spring 2000).

Handbook for Statutory Rape Issues, Noy S. Davis & Jeffiner Twombly (February 2000).

Compendium: Model Strategies and Practical Measures on the Elimination of Violence Against Women in the Field of Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, International Centre for Criminal Law Reform and Criminal Justice Policy (March 1999). (PDF, 350 pages).
Offers a review of the criminal laws and criminal procedures throughout the world that relate to violence against women. This report also includes a discussion of law enforcement, investigative techniques, sentencing, and prosecutorial policies, such as mandatory arrest policies, and their implementation in different countries. Compares, as well, restraining orders, legislation that promotes victim safety, specialized domestic violence courts, victim support and assistance (including shelter and counseling), in many different countries. Offers a special section on violence against women and the media.

Resource Manual: Model Strategies and Practical Measures on the Elimination of Violence Against Women in the Field of Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, International Centre for Criminal Law Reform and Criminal Justice Policy (March 1999). (PDF, 100 pages).
Provides a discussion of legal approaches to sexual assault and sexual violence throughout the world, as well as practical guidance designed to help lawmakers, criminal justice and other professionals, and other concerned groups implement the "Model Strategies."

International Experts Group Meeting on the Development of Instruments to Implement an International Criminal Justice Strategy to Eliminate Violence Against Women, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (17-19 December 1998). (PDF, 25 pages).
Annex 3 contains minutes of working group meetings on the "Model Strategies" in the areas of criminal law and procedure, victim support and assistance, police and sentencing or corrections models, and training, research and evaluation. These working group discussions helped frame the compendium on model strategies, above.

The Legal Process and Victims of Rape: A comparative analysis of the laws and legal procedures relating to rape, and their impact upon victims of rape, in the fifteen member states of the European Union, Ivana Bacik et al., Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, School of Law, Trinity College Dublin (September 1998). (PDF, 414 pages).

Review of State Sexual Assault Laws: 1997], Neal Miller (7 October 1997). [Sexual Predator Commitment Laws, Scott Matson & Roxanne Lieb, Washington State Institute for Public Policy (October 1997).
Discusses sexual predator commitment laws in various U.S. jurisdictions and in Canada.

Sex Offender Community Notification, Peter Finn, National Institute of Justice (February 1997).

Problems Of Prosecution and Adjudication of Rape and Other Sexual Assaults under International Law, Kate Fitzgerald, in European Journal of International Law, vol. 8, no.4 (1997).
Section II discusses evidence, Section III deals with protection and support for victims and witnesses and Section IV focuses on judicial education.

Annex II: Rape and Sexual Assault: A Legal Study, Final report of the United Nations Commission of Experts established pursuant to security council resolution 780 (S/1994/674/Add.2) (Vol. I) (28 December 1994).
Considers the criteria for applying certain international humanitarian law instruments to sexual assault cases and the limitations of international criminal and humanitarian law instruments.

Model Strategies and Practical Measures on the Elimination of Violence Against Women in the Field of Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, International Centre for Criminal Law Reform and Criminal Justice Policy. (PDF, 10 pages). Also available in Russian. (PDF, 14 pages).
These "Model Strategies" are included in an Annex to the "Resolution on the Elimination of Violence Against Women," drafted by the United Nations Commission for Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice and approved by the Economic and Social Council and the General Assembly. The Model Strategies include recommendations concerning victim privacy during legal proceedings and victim impact statements.

Treatment of Sexual Violence in International Law, Women's Caucus for Gender Justice. Criminal Injuries Compensation for Domestic Sexual Assault: Obstructing the Oppressed, Ian Freckelton. (PDF, 14 pages).
Evaluates Australia's legal framework for compensating victims of sexual assault.

National Protocol for Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Examinations for Adults/Adolescents , The U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence against Women, September 2004. (PDF, 141 pages).
 The protocol contains detailed guidelines for criminal justice and health care practitioners in responding to the needs of victims of sexual assault.

Rape and Sexual Assault: Reporting to Police and Medical Attention, 1992-2000, Callie Marie Rennison, U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics (August 2002). (PDF, 4 pages).

Sexual Assault Evidence, R.E. Gaensslen & Henry C. Lee (October 2001). (PDF, 119 pages).
Surveys procedures used to investigate and collect evidence in sexual assault cases in the United States.

Guidance for Agencies: Collecting and Managing Data, Ascolto Ltd., Home Office Policing & Reducing Crime Unit (February 2000).
Provides a framework for criminal justice agencies seeking to develop data collection and management protocols to measure and evaluate their interventions for both impact and cost-effectiveness. Includes a self-assessment diagnostic tool that can help agencies evaluate their current data collection and management systems.

Blind Reporting of Sexual Violence (June 1999). (PDF, 6 pages).
Discusses the benefits of having a blind reporting system that allows victims to report sexual violence while remaining anonymous. Blind reporting provides law enforcement with a more accurate depiction of the occurrence of sexual violence in their communities.

A Question of Evidence? Investigating and Prosecuting Rape in the 1990s, Home Office Research Study, Jessica Harris & Sharon Grace (1999).

Assessing Justice System Response to Violence Against Women: A Tool for Law Enforcement, Prosecution and the Courts to Use in Developing Effective Responses, Kristin Littel, et al. (1998).
Provides checklists that can be used to evaluate law enforcement and judicial response to sexual assault, using examples from the United States.

Report of the Task Force on Rape and Sexual Assault in Tasmania (1998). (PDF, 70 pages).
Offers recommendations for improving the law enforcement response to sexual violence.

Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) Programs: Improving the Community Response to Sexual Assault Victims, Kristin Littel, U.S. Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime Bulletin (April 2001). (PDF, 20 pages).

Clinical Forensic Nursing: A New Perspective in the Management of Crime Victims from Trauma to Trial, Virginia A. Lynch (September 1995).
Discusses clinical forensic practice, its components, and the impact of forensic science on nursing.

Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE): Development and Operation Guide, Linda E. Ledray, U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs. (PDF, 299 pages). Also available in text format.

An in-depth discussion of Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners is available through Explore the Issue.

Evidence Collection and Care of the Sexual Assault Survivor: The SANE-SART Response, Linda E. Ledray (August 2001).
Discusses the development of Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners and Sexual Assault Response Team programs and the way in which such programs are useful in caring for sexual assault victims.

The Response to Sexual Assault: Removing Barriers to Services and Justice, Report of the Michigan Sexual Assault Systems Response Task Force (2001). (PDF, 73 pages).

County of San Diego Sexual Assault Response Team, Systems Review Committee Report, Five year review (April 2000). (PDF, 72 pages).
Describes the history and procedures of the San Diego Sexual Assault Response Team.

Evaluation and Management of the Sexually Assaulted or Sexually Abused Patient, American College of Emergency Physicians. (PDF, 134 pages).

Alaska Statewide Protocols for Sexual Assault Response Teams.

An in-depth discussion of Sexual Assault Response Teams and coordinated community responses to sexual assault is available through Explore the Issue.

A Practical Approach to Gender-Based Violence: A Programme Guide for Health Care Providers and Managers, United Nations Population Fund (2001). (PDF, 74 pages).

Ending Violence Against Women, in Population Reports, vol. 7, no. 4 (December 1999).

Violence Against Women: A Priority Health Issue, World Health Organization.
Discusses rape and sexual assault and the health consequences of violence against women.

British Columbia Law Institute, Civil Remedies for Sexual Assault, Project Committee on Civil Remedies for Sexual Assault (June 1999).
Argues that civil actions for damages can be an important remedy for victims of sexual assault and reviews the Canadian legal framework governing civil suits for sexual assault.

An in-depth discussion of civil law remedies is available through Explore the Issue.

Mental Health Services for Rape Survivors: Current Issues in Therapeutic Practice, Dr. Rebecca Campbell (October 2001).
Discusses issues that mental health practitioners should consider when treating rape survivor patients.

Survivors of intimate violence seek help online: Implications of responding to increasing requests, Ann L. Kranz (19 March 2001).
Describes the results of a study of unsolicited email requests received by Violence Against Women Online over the course of a year and identifies some of the questions that organizations must ask in developing a strategy for responding to unsolicited requests for assistance, particularly from victims of violence.

Assessing the Justice System Response to Violence Against Women: A Tool for Community-Based Victim Service Programs Developing Effective Responses, Mary B. Malefyt et al. (April 1998).
Describes the activities of seventeen different community-based victim service programs.

Strategies for the Treatment and Prevention of Sexual Assault, American Medical Association (1995). (PDF, 46 pages).
Focuses on strategies for medial practitioners in dealing with the treatment of sexual assault victims.

Handbook: Advocating for Women in the Criminal Justice System in Cases of Rape, Domestic Violence and Child Abuse, Women's Justice Center.
Discusses some of the obstacles victims of sexual assault may encounter in the legal system and provides guidance for advocates in working for improved police response to sexual violence and in helping women negotiate the legal system.

An in-depth discussion of sexual assault advocacy programs is available through Explore the Issue.