In order to effectively advocate for the rights and needs of victims and survivors of sexual violence and ultimately eliminate the incidence of sexual violence, the following information on public policy and systems advocacy is being provided. Public policy includes federal, state, and local laws that impact victims and survivors of sexual violence and address prevention strategies, the configuration and operation of agencies and systems that respond to and prevent sexual violence, policies and protocols, and funding for the provision of services to victims and survivors. Systems advocacy is the tool that advocates and other professionals use to ensure the rights and needs of victims of sexual violence as they negotiate systems on their journey toward healing and also to ensure that systems are working to address the prevention of sexual violence.
As the work continues to eliminate sexual violence in society, the list of topics will expand and grow to accommodate our increased knowledge about what a society free from sexual violence looks like, what victims and survivors need, and our ability to meaningfully respond to those needs by transforming both the systems they encounter and the society in which they live.

* For more information, the following online resources offer helpful policy search tools:

• State-by-State Statutory Summary Charts from the American Bar Association Commission on Domestic Violence: Includes statutes from all 50 states regarding domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, dating violence and trafficking.
• VictimLaw database from the National Center for Victims of Crime: Features more than 15,000 victims’ rights statues, tribal laws, constitutional amendments, court rules, administrative code provisions, attorney general opinions, and case summaries of related court decisions.