Rape, Stalking, Dating Violence, and Domestic Violence | Specialized Live Virtual Courses
Why Specialized Campus Police Investigations Training Matters
Investigating rape, stalking, dating violence, and domestic violence in higher education requires specialized criminal investigative skills, sound judgment, and an understanding of the unique circumstances presented by college and university communities. These courses are designed for sworn campus police officers, detectives, and investigative supervisors who are responsible for criminal fact-finding and preparing cases for prosecutorial consideration.
Four of the six courses focus specifically on rape investigations, from the first report through interviewing, evidence development, complex and multiple-offender cases, supervisory review, and prosecutorial referral. Rape allegations may involve non-stranger rape, delayed reporting, alcohol- or drug-related incapacitation, disputed consent, incomplete or conflicting accounts, limited physical evidence, possible repeat offending, and several alleged perpetrators. They demand careful attention to each individual act, relevant statutory elements, and evidence that supports or contradicts an allegation.
Today’s investigators must also respond to fast-changing digital evidence, including group messages, disappearing content, location information, access-control records, surveillance video, and potentially altered media. Trauma-informed practices help investigators communicate effectively and gather information, but do not substitute for impartial evaluation, corroboration, or consideration of alternative explanations.
Campus investigations may involve residence halls, athletic teams, fraternities, student organizations, or relationships that continue after an allegation. Witness loyalty, institutional interest, overlapping jurisdictions, and concurrent Title IX and Clery Act responsibilities can complicate investigative decisions. D. Stafford & Associates emphasizes criminal investigative independence, complete and accurate documentation, victim safety, and effective coordination with prosecutors and appropriate campus partners.
Two additional independent courses address the distinct criminal investigative challenges of stalking, cyberstalking, technology-facilitated abuse, dating violence, domestic violence, and coercive control. Each course is available individually, so departments can assign personnel according to their experience and operational responsibilities.
Virtual Classes
Course Offerings and Registration Options
Recommended experience levels are shown on each course page to help departments match instruction to assignments and experience. They are advisory, not prerequisites; every course can be taken independently.
All offerings are live, instructor-led virtual courses consisting of four instructional hours per course. Each includes a certificate of completion.
RAPE INVESTIGATIONS — Four specialized courses (Tiers 1 through 4) available separately or as an optional discounted four-course package. The instruction is focused on rape, including applicable state offenses involving nonconsensual sexual penetration; it does not purport to teach every category of criminal sexual contact.
| Course | Investigative focus | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1: Initial Response and Investigative Foundations | Initial response, forensic coordination, evidence preservation, and planning Recommended: Foundational |
$490 |
| Tier 2: Trauma-Informed Interviewing | Victim, witness, and suspect interviews; memory, credibility, and corroboration Recommended: Foundational to Intermediate |
$490 |
| Tier 3: Complex Cases and Multiple Offenders | Incapacitation, group dynamics, digital evidence, and individualized conduct Recommended: Intermediate to Advanced |
$490 |
| Tier 4: Case Review and Prosecutorial Referral | Investigative completeness, documentation, supervisory review, and case referral Recommended: Intermediate to Advanced |
$490 |
| Tier 5: Stalking, Cyberstalking, and Technology-Facilitated Abuse | Course-of-conduct analysis, digital investigation, escalation, and safety Recommended: Foundational to Intermediate |
$490 |
| Tier 6: Dating Violence, Domestic Violence, and Coercive Control | Strangulation, coercive behaviors, evidence, and high-risk investigations Recommended: Foundational to Intermediate |
$490 |
Registration Fees
| Registration option | Includes | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Individual rape investigation course | Any one of the four rape investigation courses (Tiers 1-4), 4 instructional hours | $490 per officer |
| Optional four-course rape investigation bundle | All four rape investigation courses (Tiers 1-4), 16 instructional hours | $1,760 per officer |
| Stalking investigation course | Tier 5-Standalone course, 4 instructional hours | $490 per officer |
| Dating and domestic violence investigation course | Tier 6-Standalone course, 4 instructional hours | $490 per officer |
The optional four-course rape bundle (Tiers 1-4) saves $200 compared with four separate $490 registrations ($1,960). There is no prerequisite or required sequence. Courses on stalking and dating/domestic violence are priced individually and are not included in the four-course rape bundle.