ICDVP Survivor Support 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A survivor who is undocumented expresses fear that involving police will result in her deportation. The advocate should:
- Advise her to avoid all contact with any authorities
- Explain immigration protections such as U visas and VAWA self-petitions available to DV survivors (Correct answer)
- Tell her that immigration status is not a concern in DV cases
- Refer her only to immigration attorneys and not provide DV services
Correct answer: Explain immigration protections such as U visas and VAWA self-petitions available to DV survivors
Advocates should inform undocumented survivors about legal protections like U visas and VAWA, which may provide immigration relief for DV victims.
Question 2: Which of the following best illustrates coercive control in an intimate partner relationship?
- A partner who expresses jealousy occasionally
- A pattern of behaviors that isolate, monitor, and dominate a partner over time (Correct answer)
- A single incident of physical violence
- Disagreements about finances during a separation
Correct answer: A pattern of behaviors that isolate, monitor, and dominate a partner over time
Coercive control is a pattern of behavior — not a single incident — that strips a victim of liberty and autonomy through isolation, monitoring, and domination.
Question 3: When supporting a survivor who is deaf or hard of hearing, an advocate should:
- Speak louder and more slowly to ensure understanding
- Arrange for a qualified ASL interpreter and ensure communication access (Correct answer)
- Provide only written materials as an accommodation
- Have a hearing family member communicate on the survivor's behalf
Correct answer: Arrange for a qualified ASL interpreter and ensure communication access
A qualified ASL interpreter ensures the survivor's full access to services; using family members violates confidentiality and may compromise safety.
Question 4: A survivor's safety plan should be:
- Created once and kept on file unchanged
- Individualized, regularly updated, and developed collaboratively with the survivor (Correct answer)
- Standardized and identical for all survivors in similar situations
- Created by the advocate without survivor input to ensure objectivity
Correct answer: Individualized, regularly updated, and developed collaboratively with the survivor
Safety plans must be tailored to each survivor's unique circumstances, and should be reviewed and updated as situations change.
Question 5: An abuser who repeatedly files false police reports against a survivor is engaging in which type of abuse?
- Physical abuse
- Legal system abuse (Correct answer)
- Psychological abuse
- Stalking
Correct answer: Legal system abuse
Using the legal system as a weapon — such as filing false reports — is a recognized form of abuse called legal system abuse or judicial abuse.
Question 6: The primary goal of a hotline intake call with a domestic violence survivor is to:
- Gather information for law enforcement
- Assess immediate safety and connect the caller with resources and support (Correct answer)
- Convince the survivor to leave her abuser
- Document evidence for a potential court case
Correct answer: Assess immediate safety and connect the caller with resources and support
Hotline calls prioritize the survivor's immediate safety, emotional support, and connection to resources aligned with her needs and choices.
Question 7: Which of the following is a core principle of survivor-centered advocacy?
- Advocates make decisions that are best for the survivor's safety
- Survivors are the experts on their own lives and must direct their own support (Correct answer)
- Advocates set goals for survivors based on best practices
- Standardized service plans ensure consistent survivor outcomes
Correct answer: Survivors are the experts on their own lives and must direct their own support
Survivor-centered advocacy recognizes that survivors are experts on their own lives and must retain decision-making authority over the support they receive.
ICDVP Survivor Support 4
A survivor who is undocumented expresses fear that involving police will result in her deportation.
The advocate should: