NCJ Number
75274
Journal
Women and Health Volume: 5 Issue: 1 Dated: (Spring 1980) Pages: 45-63
Date Published
1980
Length
19 pages
Annotation
This article presents selected results from an evaluation of a particular sexual assault treatment center (SATC) after its first year of operation and discusses both the achievements and problems of a program designed to meet the needs of victims of sexual assaults.
Abstract
The SATC provides comprehensive medical, legal, and social services to victims of sexual assaults through subcontracting arrangements with other organizations. Each of the external organizations has primary tasks and an administration of its own; the organizations have coordinated their work and developed clear lines of authority and responsibility to provide comprehensive and continuous services to sexual abuse victims. Data were obtained on the 194 adult victims admitted during the initial year of the SATC's operation. The instruments used to gather data included intake and followup interviews with the victims, medical-legal records, questionnaires, and field observations. The medical services offered at intake included examinations for physical injuries and testing for pregnancy and venereal disease. Followup testing for pregnancy and venereal disease resulted in positive pregnancy results for 6 percent of the women returning to the SATC. The SATC also provided legal evidence collection services for 81 percent of the victims treated. The social services components of the SATC provided intake and followup social support, counseling, and criminal justice system advocacy. Some of the problems encountered during the first year stemmed from the location of the SATC in hospital settings -- one part at a women's hospital and the other at a children's hospital. Some of the problems in the authority structure at the hospital were reflected in the SATC. Examining residents collected fees for treating sexual abuse victims, although they were not eligible to be compensated for their other hospital duties beyond their normal salaries. SATC clients also had to wait long periods of time for treatment. The high number of law enforcement referrals affected the SATC program development. Further, although a high proportion of SATC resources were devoted to the collection of legal evidence, most victims did not pursue the collection of legal evidence and prosecution of their assaulters through trial. This disproportionate development of the legal components of the program have resulted in underdevelopment of the social services programs. There were also problems with training and coordinating training and staffing by subcontractors. Recommendations for improvement include consolidation of services into one area. SATC should hire and train all personnel, with subcontractors providing only the services needed with SATC selected and trained personnel. Increased emphasis should be placed on the development of social services components of the program and the establishment of a special rape unit in the prosecutor's office to handle all prosecutions for rape. Data tables and references are included.