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In 1985, Tracey Thurman won her suit against a Connecticut police department for negligence and violation of her civil rights. Her husband received a 15-year sentence for attacking her, stabbing her, and repeatedly kicking her in the head during 1983. In 1994, Congress passed the Violence Against Women Act, part of the federal Crime Victims Act, which funds services for victims of rape and domestic violence, allows women to seek civil rights remedies for gender-related crimes, and provides training to increase police and court officials' sensitivity. It created, for the first time, a federal right to sue the assailant for gender-based violence and provides that states and American Indian nations give full faith and credit to each other's restraining orders. In the wake of such events, associations such as the International Association of Chiefs of Police have developed policies for response by police officers. The purpose of the IACP policy is to recommend initial courses of action that police officers should take in response to domestic violence incidents. Studies have shown that the way an officer approaches a domestic violence situation plays a big role in the outcome of the situation. The overall goals of law enforc