In Focus: Violence Against Women Prevention Program

Jan. 27, 2006 -- Because violence against women is generally underreported, Francine Oputa and Bernadette Muscat want to elevate the confidence victims have in campus authorities, police and community agencies. Thanks to a recent grant from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), California State University, Fresno now has a program in place to combat the problem.

The combined funds will support procedure development and extensive training functions, designed to bring multiple agencies together in a concerted effort to improve the campus and community response to violent crimes against women on campus.

Project directors Oputa (left) and Muscat are collaborating with six community agencies and three criminal justice agencies as part of the program. Oputa has been the Women’s Resource Center coordinator at Fresno State for 14 years, while Muscat is an Assistant Professor in the University’s Criminology Department, where she focuses her research on domestic violence and response.

The new programs goal is to coordinate existing services and programs for victims of sexual assault, domestic violence and stalking, including prevention, intervention and education, while also creating a new awareness and prevention program to address violence against women.

As the project directors wrote in their proposal, "It is our purpose to collaborate with partners, establish new understandings, create new procedures, and improve the responsiveness of all organizations representing the Violence Against Women Prevention Program."