NCJ Number
223424
Journal
Journal of Criminal Justice: An International Journal Volume: 36 Issue: 3 Dated: July 2008 Pages: 223-230
Date Published
July 2008
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This study examined how workers in sexual assault crisis centers from two different settings described their abilities to collaborate with other agencies.
Abstract
Results suggest that while the needs of the two types of workers were similar, the types of collaboration challenges they confronted varied according to the cultural and spatial dynamics of each setting. College campus sexual assault workers confronted one set of obstacles, while community-based workers confronted a different set. In this work, attention was given to the differences in collaboration challenges confronted by those serving college students and those serving the general population. The study suggests various ways to address these challenges, and implications provided focus on the development of protocol, increased funding, and collaborative training. To increase understanding about the response to sexual assault, five focus group interviews were conducted with community-based sexual assault workers as well as officials affiliated with colleges and universities throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. Participants representing 1 group of 17 officials from 4-year residential universities were asked a series of 9 questions. The other four focus groups consisted of persons working in crisis centers from across the State, who were asked a series of open-ended questions. Transcription and theme analysis were employed to determine results. Figure, references