Institute on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault

The mission of the Institute on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (IDVSA) is to advance the knowledge of domestic violence and sexual assault in an effort to end interpersonal violence. IDVSA accomplishes this through research, education, training and technical assistance, and collaboration with university and practitioner communities and the community at large.

It is the vision of IDVSA that its multi-disciplinary, researcher-practitioner, collaborative approach will enhance the quality and relevance of research efforts and their application in service provision. That vision has been realized in our recent research focus in the areas of human trafficking, domestic violence, sexual assault, and resiliency in service providers.

Our efforts are supported through generous contributions from the RGK Foundation, the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health, the Shield-Ayres Foundation, Alice Kleberg Reynolds Foundation, and Dean Barbara White of the University of Texas School of Social Work.

IDVSA is a collaboration of the Schools of Social Work, Law, and Nursing. IDVSA’s Director and Principal Investigator is Noël Busch-Armendariz. The Co-Principal Investigators are Jeana Lungwitz and Regina Jones Johnson. The Associate Director for Education and Communications is Karen Kalergis and the Associate Director for Research is Laurie Cook Heffron.

Current Research Focus

Sexual Assault Needs Assessment in Texas: Documenting Existing Conditions and Striving Toward Preferred Outcomes (PDF)
Statewide Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence in Texas 2011 (PDF)
The 34th Judicial District Attorney Takes on Family Violence Crime: An Evaluation of the 24 Hour Contact Initiative (PDF)
Non-Report Sexual Assault Evidence Program: Forging New Victim-Centered Practices in Texas (PDF)
Survivors Speak Out: A Research Study on Human Trafficking Victims 2009 (PDF)
Understanding Human Trafficking: Development of Typologies of Human Traffickers Phase I (PDF)
In Brief – Understanding Human Trafficking: Development of Typologies of Traffickers Phase II (PDF)
Study on need for self-care programs in Texas (PDF)