Glossary

Organizational Terms

DVIP – Stands for Domestic Violence Intervention Program; generally refers to organizations or units that provide safety, advocacy, and support for people experiencing domestic violence.

NE PATH – Stands for Nebraska Partnership Against the Trafficking of Humans; a statewide effort providing trauma-informed and survivor-centered services and coordinated support for people impacted by human trafficking.

Network organizations – Local domestic violence, sexual assault, and tribal programs across the state that make up the Coalition’s service provider network.

Programs – Community-based organizations that offer direct services such as shelter, advocacy, and prevention education to survivors and families.

Public policy – Laws, regulations, and government decisions that shape how systems respond to violence, prevention, and survivor support.

Service providers – Professionals and organizations that offer direct support to survivors, including advocacy, shelter, healthcare, counseling, and legal services.

Survivor leadership – The practice of ensuring survivors guide, inform, and shape programs, policy, and advocacy efforts.

Sexual & Domestic Violence–Specific Terms

Affirmative consent – Clear, voluntary, enthusiastic agreement to participate in sexual activity.

Bystander intervention – Safe, active steps people can take to interrupt or prevent harmful behavior.

Consent – Permission that is informed, freely given, reversible, and based on clear communication.

Cycle of violence – A repeating pattern in abusive relationships: tension building, incident of abuse, reconciliation, and calm.

Gaslighting – Manipulating someone into doubting their own memory, perception, or reality.

Grooming – Building trust with someone (often a child) to prepare them for abuse and reduce the likelihood they will tell.

Health disparities – Differences in health outcomes across groups caused by inequities, not biology.

Health equity – Ensuring everyone has a fair opportunity to achieve good health, free from barriers.

Primary prevention – Strategies that stop violence before it occurs by addressing root causes.

Protective order (restraining order) – A legal order that restricts an abusive person’s contact with a survivor.

Marital rape – Sexual assault committed by a spouse; it is illegal in all states.

Rape vs sexual assault – Rape is a type of sexual assault that involves penetration; sexual assault includes a wider range of nonconsensual sexual contact.

Reproductive coercion – Behaviors that interfere with a person’s reproductive choices, such as sabotaging birth control or pressuring pregnancy.

Revictimization – Experiencing multiple forms of violence over time, often influenced by prior trauma and systemic barriers.

Secondary prevention – Early interventions that reduce the harm or stop violence soon after it has begun.

Sexual coercion – Pressuring, manipulating, or intimidating someone into sexual activity without physical force.

Social determinants of health – The conditions where people live, work, and learn that influence health outcomes.

Survivor vs. victim – Both are acceptable terms; “survivor” highlights strength and resilience, while “victim” is often used in legal contexts.

Tertiary prevention – Long-term responses that reduce the lasting effects of violence and prevent further harm.

Systems & Advocacy Terms

Anti-oppression framework – A practice that actively challenges racism, sexism, and other systems of inequality in policies and services.

Cultural competency – The ability to respectfully and effectively work with people from diverse cultural backgrounds.

Emergency shelter – Short-term, safe housing for people escaping violence.

Intersectionality – The idea that people experience overlapping forms of oppression based on race, gender, class, and other identities.

Legal assistance – Support from attorneys or legal advocates to help survivors understand and navigate legal options.

Lethality assessment – A tool used to identify survivors at high risk of being seriously harmed or killed by an abusive partner.

Mandatory reporting – Laws requiring certain professionals to report suspected abuse to authorities.

Medical advocacy – Support for survivors during medical exams, treatment, or forensic evidence collection.

Racial justice lens – An approach that examines how race and racism shape outcomes and decisions.

Restorative justice – A process focused on repairing harm through accountability, dialogue, and community involvement.

Survivor/Victim advocate – A trained professional who supports survivors with emotional support, safety planning, and system navigation.

Systems of oppression – Structures, such as racism, sexism, or ableism, that systematically disadvantage certain groups.

Transformative justice – Community-based approaches that address harm without relying on punishment or the criminal legal system.

Vicarious trauma – The emotional impact of being exposed to others’ traumatic experiences over time.

Policy & Legal Terms

Clery Act – A federal law requiring colleges to report campus crime data and provide safety information.

Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) – A federal law establishing standards to prevent, detect, and respond to sexual abuse in detention facilities.

Statute of limitations – The legal time limit for bringing a criminal charge or civil lawsuit.

Rape shield laws – Laws that limit the use of a victim’s past sexual history in court.

Restitution – Court-ordered payment from an offender to cover a survivor’s financial losses.

Title IX – A federal law prohibiting sex discrimination, including sexual harassment and assault, in education programs.

Victim compensation – Financial assistance from the state to help cover costs related to a violent crime.

Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) – A federal law providing funding and protections to improve responses to domestic and sexual violence.