Scope of the Issue

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Amie R. Newins ◽  
Laura C. Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Supportive Services ◽  
Presenting Problems ◽  
Sexual Assault Survivors ◽  
Psychosocial Difficulties ◽  
Sources Of Support ◽  
The Common

The worldwide frequency of sexual assault and the associated psychosocial difficulties have led to sexual violence being deemed a serious public health issue. There is a growing understanding in the field that survivors’ outcomes following sexual assault follow unique trajectories and professionals need to conduct thorough, unbiased assessment to adequately capture survivors’ presenting problems and their person-specific contributing factors. Although survivors are increasingly disclosing their victimization, they still experience obstacles to reporting victimization and receiving services. For example, many survivors report that formal sources of support are unhelpful or even potentially harmful. With the goal of increasing access to affirming and supportive services, the remaining chapters of this book highlight many of the common issues that emerge when working with sexual assault survivors and cover best practices for receiving disclosures of sexual assault.

scholarly journals Initial Stages of Development for an Intersectoral Network on Trans-Affirming Practice to Better Support Sexual Assault Survivors in Ontario

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Friedman Burley ◽  
Melissa Miljanovski ◽  
Megan Saad ◽  
Sheila Macdonald ◽  
Chett Bradley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Sexual Violence ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Intersectoral Collaboration ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Sexual Assault Survivors ◽  
Successful Design ◽  
Assault Survivors

Background: Sexual violence against transgender (trans) persons is a complex public health issue that requires the coordinated effort of multiple sectors to address. A 2017 survey of Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANEs) working within Ontario’s 36 Sexual Assault/Domestic Violence Treatment Centres (SA/DVTCs) revealed a need for training in the provision of trans-affirming care and highlighted a gap in knowledge related to local trans-positive organizations. In response, the successful design, pilot, and evaluation of a curriculum on trans-affirming care for SANEs was completed in 2018. However, there remained a pressing need to connect SANEs with trans-positive service providers across sectors to enhance the provision of care to trans survivors throughout Ontario. Goals and Objectives: To initiate the development a provincial intersectoral network on trans-affirming practice to better support sexual assault survivors by mobilizing knowledge on the new curriculum and connecting SA/DVTCs with local trans-positive community organizations. Approach: Guided by the Lifecycle Model of Network Development, seven regional meetings across the province were facilitated with leaders from SA/DVTCs and local trans-positive organizations. Key insights from meeting activities were transcribed and analyzed. Results: 106 representatives from 96 SA/DVTCs and trans-positive organizations attended a meeting between 7 June and 11 July 2019. 93 organizations expressed interest in being a part of the ongoing development of the network, in addition to 31 organizations unable to attend the meetings. 18 themes related to regional and provincial intersectoral collaboration to address sexual violence against trans communities were identified. Implications: As indicated by high meeting attendance and ongoing interest in developing a network, sexual violence against trans persons is a timely issue relevant to the enhancement of public health policy and practice across sectors. Informed by data gathered across the meetings, we aim to further consolidate the network, including working toward its maturation and sustainability.

Final Thoughts on Best Practices

2021 ◽  
pp. 95-100
Author(s):  
Amie R. Newins ◽  
Laura C. Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Contextual Model ◽  
Sexual Assault Survivors ◽  
Sources Of Support ◽  
Assault Survivors

Throughout the book, the authors have argued that it is important to use a contextual model to consider all of the factors that influence how survivors conceptualize what happened to them, whether or not they disclose the incident to others, and how others respond to their disclosures. It is also imperative that professionals understand how these factors may serve as barriers to survivors seeking and receiving high-quality and affirming services. In light of this, in this chapter, the authors offer more general recommendations for ways formal sources of support can improve their service delivery when working with sexual assault survivors. Overall, there have been recent gains and improvements within the disciplines that serve sexual assault survivors, as well as within society as a whole. Despite this progress, there is still more work to do.

Help-Seeking Behaviors of Men Sexual Assault Survivors

2009 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 237-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saba W. Masho ◽  
Anika Alvanzo
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Physical Injury ◽  
Professional Help ◽  
Help Seeking Behaviors ◽  
Sexual Assault Survivors ◽  
History Of ◽  
Assault Survivors

Men sexual assault is a serious public health issue that is mostly underreported and unrecognized. Despite serious deleterious effects of sexual assault, most men victims do not seek professional help. This study was conducted to examine predictors of help-seeking practices among 91 men sexual assault survivors from a population-based survey. The study showed only 17.6% of the victims sought professional help. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that physical injury (OR = 6.58, 95% CI = 1.08-40.19), perpetration by family or friend (OR = 6.42, 95% CI = 1.47-28.04), history of rape before the age of 18 (OR = 0.43, 95% CI = 0.11-1.69), and threat at the time of incident (OR = 7.08, 95% CI = 1.52-33.03) were significant predictors of help-seeking practices. This study confirms that the majority of men sexual assault victims do not seek professional help. Victims with physical injury or threat were more likely to seek help. Further study should investigate barriers for help-seeking practices. Efforts should be made to reach men with a history of sexual assault.

Distributed Feminist Rhetorical Agency after a Rape Accusation

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim Hensley Owens
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Justice ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Health Issue ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Rape Culture ◽  
Rhetorical Agency ◽  
Rhetorical Listening

This article examines the rhetorical effects of a rape accusation on the survivor and on the survivor’s community of social justice activists. Relying on interviews with the survivor and with the community affected by the allegation, the article analyzes responses to the allegation, articulates how those responses are informed by rape culture, and illustrates how those responses affected the survivor and her rhetorical agency. The article argues that rhetorical agency can be productively distributed across various allies to assist survivors and help restore the rhetorical agency that rape erodes. Establishing sexual assault as a public health issue, the article recommends broad education in rhetorical listening to improve how those entrusted to hear assault stories listen, respond, and, when appropriate, help survivors speak or act.

Advancing Trans-Affirming Practice to Recognize, Account for, and Address the Unique Experiences and Needs of Transgender Sexual Assault Survivors

2021 ◽  
pp. 152483992110091
Author(s):  
Janice Du Mont ◽  
Joseph Friedman Burley ◽  
Robyn Hodgson ◽  
Sheila Macdonald
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Positive Health ◽  
Collaborative Relationships ◽  
Sexual Assault Survivors ◽  
Acute Health Care ◽  
Psychosocial Difficulties ◽  
Services And Supports

Transgender (trans) persons are sexually assaulted at high rates and often encounter barriers to equitable services and supports. The receipt of timely and appropriate postassault care, provided increasingly by specialized forensic nurses around the world, is critical in ameliorating the harms that accompany sexual assault. In order to adequately respond to the acute health care needs of trans clients and attend to longer term psychosocial difficulties that some experience, forensic nurses not only require specialized training but must also cultivate collaborative relationships with trans-positive health and social services in their communities. To meet this need, we describe our strategy to advance trans-affirming practice in the sexual assault context. We outline the design and evaluation of a trans-affirming care curriculum for forensic nurses. We also discuss the planning, formation, and maturation of an intersectoral network through which to disseminate our curriculum, foster collaboration, and promote trans-affirming practice across health care and social services in Ontario, Canada. Our approach to advancing trans-affirming practice holds the potential to address systemic barriers experienced by trans survivors and transform the response to sexual assault across other sectors and jurisdictions.

The Role of Reactions to Disclosure in Mental Health Among Survivors of Sexual Assault

2021 ◽  
pp. 23-34
Author(s):  
Amie R. Newins ◽  
Laura C. Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Primary Reason ◽  
Sexual Assault Survivors ◽  
Social Reactions ◽  
The Social ◽  
Psychosocial Difficulties ◽  
To Receive ◽  
Negative Social Reactions

Although services and support have the potential to be helpful, a survivor’s trajectory toward recovery is contingent on the social reactions they receive. Given that fear of negative social reactions is the primary reason that sexual assault survivors delay disclosing or fail to disclose their victimization to others, we review numerous correlates of when and why survivors disclose their assault, typical social reactions survivors receive, the psychosocial impact of social reactions on survivors, and recommendations for ways providers can provide services that are more survivor-centered. Because nondisclosure limits the resources, services, and support available to survivors, it is important to understand what contributes to survivors’ decisions regarding if and when they tell others about their victimization. Furthermore, given the link between negative reactions and psychosocial difficulties, it is important to minimize the potential for a survivor to receive a harmful response from a provider.

scholarly journals Planning an intersectoral network of healthcare and community leaders to advance trans-affirming care for sexual assault survivors

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 65-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan Saad ◽  
Joseph Friedman Burley ◽  
Melissa Miljanovski ◽  
Sheila Macdonald ◽  
Chett Bradley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Support Services ◽  
Community Organizations ◽  
Community Leaders ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Network Development ◽  
Sexual Assault Survivors ◽  
Service Sectors ◽  
Improve Health ◽  
Assault Survivors

Sexual assault against transgender (trans) persons is a complex public health issue requiring the coordinated effort of multiple sectors to address. In response to a global call to improve health equity for persons of diverse gender identities, leaders across health and social service sectors need to enhance collaboration to champion trans-affirming care for sexual assault survivors. In collaboration with Egale Canada Human Rights Trust and the Ontario Network of Sexual Assault/Domestic Violence Treatment Centres, we have undertaken the development of an intersectoral network to connect trans-positive community organizations with hospital-based violence treatment centres to improve support services for trans survivors across Ontario. Guided by the Lifecycle Model for network development outlined by the National Collaborating Centre for Methods and Tools, we describe our approach to planning the intersectoral network, including key insights learned thus far and the potential of the network moving forward.

Sexual Assault in Men: A Population-Based Study of Virginia

2009 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 98-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saba W. Masho ◽  
Lisa Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Male Victims ◽  
Population Based Study ◽  
Male Sexual Assault ◽  
Adult Men ◽  
History Of ◽  
First Time

Male sexual assault is a serious public health issue that is mostly underreported and unrecognized. A population-based study was conducted on 705 adult men in Virginia. The study found a lifetime prevalence of 12.9% among men, with 94% assaulted for the first time before the age of 18. Regression analysis showed that male victims of sexual violence were 3.4 times more likely to be depressed and 2.4 times more likely to ideate suicide. However, only 15.4% sought counseling. This study confirms that male sexual assault is a prevalent problem. It is also evident that victimized men were more likely to be depressed and ideate suicide and yet did not seek health services. Efforts should be made to reach men with a history of sexual assault.

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