This final brief of the federal Supporting Male Survivors of Violence (SMSV) Initiative includes an overview of how the SMSV Initiative's 12 demonstration sites transformed their victim services for male survivors of violence.
In 2015, the U.S. Justice Department's Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) collaborated with the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) and the National Institute of Justice to launch the SMSV Initiative, a 5-year commitment of approximately $20 million, which was awarded to 12 demonstration sites that were selected to implement a strategic plan to support male survivors of violence and their families. This brief notes how the 12 sites collectively served about 10,000 program participants and their families, educated community partners who interact with male survivors of violence, and transformed victim services in their region. The overall goal of this brief is to share what was done and learned by the 12 demonstration sites, so that other communities can launch or improve their own programs for male survivors of violence. An overview is provided of various program models developed, program components, victim service referral processes, and outreach strategies. Also addressed are the characteristics of the service population and lessons learned from serving survivors and boys and young men of color.