FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION ACT THE VICTIM OF FAMILY VIOLENCE IS CALLED THE “AFFECTED FAMILY MEMBER” AN AFFECTED F AILY MEMBER IS BROADLY DEFINED IN THE FVPA AND INCLUDES A CRRRENT OR FORMER SPOUSE, DOMESTIC PARTNER, A PERSON WHO HA OR HAS HAD AN INTIMATE PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE RESPONDENT, A PARENT CHILD ARELATIVE (INCLUDING IMMEDIATE AND EXTENDED FAMILY AND ANY OTHER PERSON WHOM THE RELEVANT PERSON REGARDS AS HAVING “LIKE” A FAMILY MEMBER HAVING REGARD TO CERTAIN PRESCRIBED CIRCUMSTANCES. The Violence Against Women Act The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) was the first major law to help government agencies and victim advocates work together to fight domestic violence, sexual assault, and other types of violence against women. It created new punishments for certain crimes and started programs to prevent violence and help victims. Over the years, the law has been expanded to provide more programs and services. Currently, some included items are: Violence prevention programs in communities Protections for victims who are evicted from their homes because of events related to domestic violence or stalking Funding for victim assistance services like rape crisis centers and hotlines Programs to meet the needs of immigrant women and women of different races or ethnicities Programs and services for victims with disabilities Legal aid for survivors of violence Services for children and teens The National Advisory Committee on Violence Against Women works to help promote the goals and vision of VAWA. The committee is a joint effort between the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Examples of the committee's efforts include the Community Checklist initiative to make sure each community has domestic violence programs and the Toolkit to End Violence Against Women, which has chapters for specific audiences.