Guidance Documents

These training standards are a companion to the SAFE Protocol and were issued by the Attorney General pursuant to a statutory mandate. They offer a framework for the specialized education of health care providers who wish to practice as sexual assault forensic examiners. The training standards include recommendations for training objectives and topics that will enable a sexual assault forensic examiner to implement effectively the guidelines and standards outlined by the protocol.

This report presents reasons why OVW cautions against submitting sexual assault kits to forensic laboratories if the person from whom the kit was collected has not chosen to report a sexual assault to law enforcement and has not otherwise consented to its submission.

The Pediatric SAFE Protocol, issued by the Attorney General, offers best practice guidance for health care providers and other first responders regarding child sexual abuse. The goal of the Pediatric SAFE Protocol is to provide evidence-based, trauma-informed recommendations for health care providers who conduct sexual abuse medical forensic examinations of children.

The Confinement SAFE Protocol, issued by the AG, is designed to assist administrators of prisons, jails, lockups, juvenile corrections, and community confinement facilities in drafting or revising protocols for an immediate response to sexual assault. It includes guidance on how to comply with the Prison Rape Elimination Act Standards, follow a uniform evidence protocol and coordinate response activities, and help correctional facilities strive towards the standards in the SAFE Protocol.

The SAFE Protocol was originally issued by the Attorney General pursuant to a statutory mandate in 2004. The second edition, also issued by the Attorney General, provides best practice recommendations for sexual assault medical forensic exams, including the roles of multidisciplinary team members. Although the Protocol itself is not a legally binding document, federal laws have made it binding on certain federal agencies.

This long fact sheet on the updated SAFE Protocol describes the revisions made in the second edition of the protocol.

This short fact sheet on the updated SAFE Protocol summarizes the major categories of revisions made in the second edition of the protocol.