Course Description:
Developed by the National Victim Assistance Academy and the U.S. Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime. This course discusses victims of crime (domestic violence, sexual assault and child and adolescent victims) that use substances as a negative coping mechanism to deal with short and long term trauma. This material was revised in 2004.
Course Objectives:
Upon completion of this course the participant will understand the following concepts:
1) Clinical definitions of substance-related disorders, including use, abuse and dependence
2) Current research findings relevant to the abuse of alcohol and other drugs and victimization as applied to specific victim populations, including victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, and child and adolescent victims
3) The correlation between victimization, posttraumatic stress disorder and substance abuse
4) Promising practices in preventing and responding to substance abuse among victims of crime
