2025 Trauma-Informed Sexual Assault Investigations Training

Trauma-Informed, Victim-Centered, Offender-Focused 

Training Overview

Title: Trauma-Informed Sexual Assault Investigations Training

Instructor:  Chief Tom Tremblay (Ret)

COURSE OVERVIEW: Sexual assault is one of the most complex crimes in our society and the activism and outrage about sexual assault has never been higher.  The complexities of sexual assault require us to think broadly and comprehensively about these crimes and that starts with an exploration of how sexual assault is viewed in our society and the potential impact of personal and societal biases related to sexual assault.  Ensuring participants recognize there are new best practice standards and community expectations for “trauma-informed and victim-centered approaches” to reports of sexual assault, while still ensuring the due process rights and presumption of innocence for individuals reported to have committed an offense.   

Since the effects of trauma are often misinterpreted, justice in sexual assault response must begin with an understanding of the devastating impacts of sexual violence trauma on victims and survivors.  By delivering trauma-informed and victim-centered services, we can contribute to the immediate and long-term recovery, help build trust, and promote safety for victims, throughout the response, investigation, and prosecution / adjudication.

TRAINING GOAL:  To ensure that individuals providing services to sexual assault victims / survivors recognize and understand victim trauma and utilize effective approaches and interview skills to enhance response, investigations, and prosecutions / adjudications.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

1. Explore rape myths, rape culture, and societal biases that often surround sexual assault and examine the potential impact on investigations, prosecutions / adjudications.
2. Define trauma in the context of sexual assault and other acts involving interpersonal violence.
3. Understand the neurobiology of trauma – how the brain and body may respond to fear / trauma and the impact on memory and recall (fragmented memory).
4. Enhance trauma-informed and victim-centered services designed to help build trust and promote victim safety throughout the response, investigation and prosecution / adjudication.
5. Identify successful first response and initial communication strategies to promote victim empowerment while encourage reporting and continuation in the Criminal Justice / Title IX process.
6. Develop trauma-informed victim interview skills to help capture compelling evidence of the victim’s experience, including the exploration of sensory details, and considering the psychophysiological evidence of trauma. 
7. Examine common criminal sexual offender behaviors and course of conduct and develop objective investigative strategies that focus on offender behaviors while adhering to the due process rights of individuals reported to have committed an offense.