From the Director

Karla S. Miller, M.S.W., L.I.S.W.

Welcome to the new website of the Rape Victim Advocacy Program (RVAP). Whether you are a victim/survivor of sexual assault looking for individual counseling, a group, or resources; a parent, partner, or friend looking for suggestions on how to support someone you love who has been victimized (and how to deal with your own reactions); a student researching a paper; or a professional looking for information or training resources, you have come to the right place.

Likewise, if you are seeking sexual assault risk reduction programming as a way to make your community safer, or a reporter seeking background information and statistics for a story, you will find current and updated information here.

This site is designed to be informative, dynamic, and interactive. We address current events and focus on specific issues related to sexual assault, sexual harassment, stalking, and other sex-related crimes. We report on important research findings, legislation and trauma findings on victim impact from sexual, physical and emotional trauma on victims of all ages.

You will find links to University of Iowa policies on sexual harassment and violence, reporting procedures and important resources on campus with links to many web sites. You will also find information for local law enforcement agencies and county attorneys’ offices. And you will find information on the Sexual Assault Response Team (SART), including the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Program (SANE).

RVAP is the home of the statewide Iowa Sexual Abuse Hotline (ISAH), a program providing crisis counseling, support and resource information to people across Iowa. RVAP emergency advocates and staff members cover this 24-hour hotline (as they do our local Rape Crisis Line). The ISAH provides outreach to rural areas and smaller communities, linking people to local resources and providing services to callers who do not have a victim services agency close by.

We created a section providing information about sex offenders, including: typology; motivations; behavioral indicators; specific warning signs; and monitoring and treatment. There are resources listed in the Sex Offender Frequently Asked Questions and tips on what parents and others can do to reduce the risk of child sexual abuse. This section will (as will others) continue to be updated as new information becomes available.

In addition to information, we provide volunteer opportunities for people who want to make a difference through the donation of their time and talents as Emergency Advocates, Advisory Board members, and Special Projects Assistants. And our Giving section makes donating money to support our efforts, well, effortless.

So if you are looking for information about sexual abuse and related issues, we have tried to include it but if you don’t find what you are looking for, please let us know. We will research it and include it in the website. And, if you are a victim/survivor reaching out, may you find hope, comfort, support, and encouragement here.