Violence Against Women Resources
In 2000, the University of Northern Iowa applied for and received a federal grant to combat gender-based violence in a comprehensive manner.
While ongoing grant funding was limited, the UNI departments involved in the process have made a variety of steps to sustain and expand programs focusing on gender-based violence.
Annual Training
The Police Division has annual training for all officers. The training encompasses a variety of areas:
- Sexual assault response & documentation
- Cultural sensitive response to abuse victims
- Gender-oriented crimes & special circumstances
- Riverview Center & other community resources to assist victims
The Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) is a collection of representatives from the following agencies, UNI Police, Cedar Falls Police Department, Black Hawk County Sheriff, Waterloo Police Department, the SANE coordinator, including representatives from Riverview and Friends of the Family, creating an increased level of service throughout the community for victims of sexual assault and gender-based violence.
The Rave Guardian app is available for download to increase safety.
The area law enforcement agencies are also coordinating sex assault response with the Black Hawk SANE - Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners. SANE-trained nurses are on an on-call basis to respond to area hospitals. This provides coordination between the law enforcement, medical and after-care resources for victims of sexual abuse.
Rape Aggression Defense classes are offered exclusively to students and staff by UNI police officers. RAD classes are taught primarily at Wellness Recreation Center.