A Special Victims Unit (SVU), also known as a Special Victims Division, is a specialized branch within some

law enforcement agencies A law enforcement agency (LEA) is any government agency responsible for law enforcement within a specific jurisdiction through the employment and deployment of law enforcement officers and their resources. The most common type of law enforcement ...

, typically police departments. These units focus on cases involving vulnerable or high-risk victims. Detectives assigned to an SVU typically investigate sexual offenses or other crimes that require sensitive handling, such as those involving children, the

elderly Old age is the range of ages for people nearing and surpassing life expectancy. People who are of old age are also referred to as: old people, elderly, elders, senior citizens, seniors or older adults. Old age is not a definite biological sta ...

, or people with

disabilities Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or have equitable access within a given society. Disabilities may be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physica ...

. Because of the sensitive nature of these investigations, SVU detectives often receive specialized training in forensic interviewing, crisis intervention, and victim advocacy.

United States

New York City

The

New York City Police Department The City of New York Police Department, also referred to as New York City Police Department (NYPD), is the primary law enforcement agency within New York City. Established on May 23, 1845, the NYPD is the largest, and one of the oldest, munic ...

's Special Victims Unit, the Special Victims Division, investigates sex crimes. It is housed in separate Borough Patrols (Manhattan, the Bronx, Queens, Staten Island and Brooklyn). The Special Victims Division only investigates the following types of cases: * All children under 11 years of age who are the victim of

abuse Abuse is the act of improper usage or treatment of a person or thing, often to unfairly or improperly gain benefit. Abuse can come in many forms, such as: physical or verbal maltreatment, injury, assault, violation, rape, unjust practices, ...

by a

parent A parent is either the progenitor of a child or, in humans, it can refer to a caregiver or legal guardian, generally called an adoptive parent or step-parent. Parents who are progenitors are First-degree relative, first-degree relatives and have ...

or person legally responsible for the care of the child. * All children under 13 years of age who are the victim of a sex crime or attempted sex crime. * All victims of

rape Rape is a type of sexual assault involving sexual intercourse, or other forms of sexual penetration, carried out against a person without consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority, or against a person ...

or attempted rape. * All victims of a criminal sexual act or attempted criminal sexual act. * Victims of aggravated

sexual abuse Sexual abuse or sex abuse is abusive sexual behavior by one person upon another. It is often perpetrated using physical force, or by taking advantage of another. It often consists of a persistent pattern of sexual assaults. The offender is re ...

. * Victims of sexual abuse 1st degree. They also deal with children, disabled and elderly victims of non-sexual crimes who require special handling. The Special Victims Division does not investigate murder or child sexual exploitation material cases. Murders are investigated by the precinct detective squad in which the murder was committed and/or the borough homicide squad. Child sexual exploitation material cases are investigated by various computer crime squads and task forces. Robberies are investigated by precinct detective squads and/or borough robbery squads. If a sex crime is involved, the Special Victims Division may assist in the investigation. In June 2022, the Justice Department announced a federal investigation into the division's "deficiencies", including “failing to conduct basic investigative steps and instead shaming and abusing survivors and re-traumatizing them during investigations.”

In popular culture

The American television show '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'', the first

spin-off Spin-off, Spin Off, Spin-Off, or Spinoff may refer to: Entertainment and media *Spinoff (media), a media work derived from an existing work *''The Spinoff'', a New Zealand current affairs magazine * ''Spin Off'' (Canadian game show), a 2013 Canad ...

in the ''Law & Order'' franchise, follows the cases of a fictional

NYPD The City of New York Police Department, also referred to as New York City Police Department (NYPD), is the primary law enforcement agency within New York City. Established on May 23, 1845, the NYPD is the largest, and one of the oldest, munic ...

SVU division. Another American television show '' Homicide: Life on the Street'' makes references to the Sex Crimes Unit, another name for Special Victims Unit.

United States

New York City

In popular culture

References

See also