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Recent legislation in multiple states has called for studies on the scope of missing Native American persons. Here we report on one such study from Nebraska by first describing the practical and methodological issues for researchers to consider when examining data on missing Native persons. Then, using data from four point-in-time-counts in 2020, rates of Native American missing persons as well as case contexts over the study period are reported. Findings show that Native Americans are disproportionately represented among Nebraska's missing persons, that reports often involve minor boys, and that cases are dynamic and most are resolved quickly. Relatedly, most Native missing persons cases are only listed on the state clearinghouse, not the national missing persons lists. The paper is concluded with a discussion of specific directions for future research and policy regarding missing Native Americans.

Although there has been much debate regarding the application of Title IX and the related reporting, investigation, and conduct processes at institutions of higher education (IHEs) in the United States, only limited prior research has examined incidents of sexual misconduct reported to Title IX offices. The existing studies rely on aggregate data, which restricts our understanding of the scope of case-level factors (e.g., complainant type, reporting source) and how case-level factors impact case outcomes. The present study uses three years (2017–2020) of case-level data for incidents of sexual misconduct ( n = 664) reported to the Title IX office at a single, large 4-year university in the Western United States to explore the scope of case-level factors and outcomes and potential changes in the rate of reporting over time. Results first show that most complainants were identified as undergraduate students, while most respondents were identified as unknown/anonymous; nearly half of the reports stemmed from responsible employees, while almost 85% came from a source other than the complainant. More than 90% of incidents were resolved through informal resolutions (e.g., providing resources to the complainant) rather than formal resolutions (i.e., the investigation and conduct process). A greater percentage of incidents reported by complainants compared to other reporter types were resolved through a formal resolution. Finally, the rate of reporting to Title IX increased significantly over the study period, but only by the Student Services office and “other” reporters. Recommendations for IHEs and future research are discussed.

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Court-ordered treatment programs are a widely used response to intimate partner violence (IPV) and many states have developed standards to guide programs. The current study provides an update to Maiuro and Eberle's (2008) review of states' standards and extends the literature by using the principles of effective intervention (PEIs; i.e., risk, need, responsivity, treatment, and fidelity) as an organizational framework to examine standards. Findings showed that 84% of states had standards in 2020, compared to 88% in 2007, and extensive changes both within and across states' standards had occurred. Regarding the PEIs, in line with the risk principle most states mandated the use of risk assessments; inconsistent with the needs principle, few states used these assessments to classify clients into risk-levels or inform individualized treatment. The majority of standards addressed the treatment principle by outlining a required structure and duration, but few attended to responsivity factors (e.g., identifying treatment modalities, attending to specific client factors). Regarding the fidelity principle, most standards outlined education or training requirements for staff and required periodic program reviews or audits, but few standards were evidencedbased and only about half required that programs collect data to measure effectiveness. Taken together, findings suggest that standards have continued to evolve, and that the integration of PEIs into IPV treatment is only just beginning.Standards provide a rich opportunity for future researcher-practitioner partnerships in the field of IPV intervention.

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This study explored the potential role of victim advocacy in Native American missing person cases. Interviews with 25 tribal and non-tribal victim/social service providers were conducted to assess their perspectives on the factors which make Native Americans vulnerable to going missing, the barriers and challenges regarding reporting and investigating missing persons, as well as how victim/social service providers might better support the families of missing persons. Findings suggest that advocates perceive that responding to and offering services for Native families who experience a missing loved one will be extremely difficult because of the intersection of isolation, poverty, and jurisdictional complexities among tribal lands, combined with social service providers and law enforcement officers’ lack of resources and training regarding cultural sensitivity. At the same time, advocates suggest that additional training and resources could help overcome many of these barriers and see a role for victim service providers in responding to missing and murdered Native American persons. Implications and suggestions for practice are discussed.