ICDVP Legal Advocacy 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under the Illinois mandatory reporting law, which professional category is NOT listed as a mandated reporter of suspected child abuse or neglect?
- Teachers and school personnel
- Medical personnel and hospital staff
- Adult neighbors who witness abuse (Correct answer)
- Law enforcement officers
Correct answer: Adult neighbors who witness abuse
Illinois law designates specific professional categories as mandated reporters; ordinary adult neighbors are not included in that list.
Question 2: A client wants to use the Address Confidentiality Program (ACP) in Illinois. What is its PRIMARY purpose?
- To expunge the client's criminal record
- To provide a substitute address so the abuser cannot locate her through public records (Correct answer)
- To automatically transfer child custody to the victim
- To freeze the abuser's financial assets
Correct answer: To provide a substitute address so the abuser cannot locate her through public records
Illinois's ACP assigns a confidential substitute address so that public records (such as voter registration) do not reveal the victim's actual location.
Question 3: What does the term 'lethality assessment' refer to in legal advocacy practice?
- A court-ordered psychological evaluation of the abuser
- A structured tool used to identify risk factors that increase the likelihood of homicide (Correct answer)
- A financial audit to assess economic abuse
- An immigration status review for undocumented victims
Correct answer: A structured tool used to identify risk factors that increase the likelihood of homicide
Lethality assessments use validated instruments to identify high-risk factors—such as weapon access or strangulation history—that predict intimate partner homicide.
Question 4: An immigrant victim asks whether reporting abuse to police could affect her immigration status. Which response reflects best advocacy practice?
- Advise her that reporting always triggers ICE notification
- Explain that she may be eligible for a U-Visa and refer her to an immigration attorney (Correct answer)
- Tell her to avoid police contact entirely
- Assure her there are no immigration consequences to any report
Correct answer: Explain that she may be eligible for a U-Visa and refer her to an immigration attorney
The U-Visa is available to crime victims who assist law enforcement; referring the client to an immigration attorney ensures she receives accurate legal guidance.
Question 5: Which Illinois statute allows domestic violence survivors to terminate a lease early without penalty when safety requires them to relocate?
- Illinois Human Rights Act
- Illinois Domestic Violence Act
- Safe Homes Act (Correct answer)
- Illinois Landlord-Tenant Act
Correct answer: Safe Homes Act
Illinois's Safe Homes Act permits survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking to break a lease early by providing specified documentation.
Question 6: Which principle guides an advocate when a client decides to return to her abuser after receiving services?
- Discontinue all services immediately since the client made a poor choice
- Respect her autonomy, keep the door open, and provide safety planning for her return (Correct answer)
- Report the decision to child protective services as neglect
- Require her to sign a waiver before readmitting her to shelter
Correct answer: Respect her autonomy, keep the door open, and provide safety planning for her return
Empowerment-based advocacy respects the client's self-determination; advocates safety plan for the current situation and ensure she knows services remain available.
Question 7: When preparing a victim to testify in a criminal proceeding, an advocate should primarily focus on which of the following?
- Rehearsing exact phrases the victim should use in court
- Explaining what to expect during cross-examination so she is not surprised (Correct answer)
- Advising her to downplay the severity of abuse to seem credible
- Filing pretrial motions on her behalf
Correct answer: Explaining what to expect during cross-examination so she is not surprised
Preparing clients emotionally and logistically—such as explaining cross-examination procedures—is within the advocate role and reduces re-traumatization.
ICDVP Legal Advocacy 3
Under the Illinois mandatory reporting law, which professional category is NOT listed as a mandated reporter of suspected child abuse or neglect?