No Longer Silent: A Study of Women's Help-Seeking Decisions and Service Responses to Sexual Assault

• NCJ Number: 213297
• Author(s): Dr. Denise Lievore
• Date Published: 2005
• Length: 178 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Australian Government Dept of Family and Community Services
• Corporate Author: Australian Institute of Criminology
• Sale Source: Australian Institute of Criminology
• Publication Format: Document (Online)
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: Australia
• Note: Downloaded on March 3, 2006.

Annotation

This study commissioned by the Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) examined victim/survivor decisionmaking and coordinated responses to adult sexual assault, specifically female victims.

Abstract

Recommendations outlined focus on improving social responses to sexual assault and promoting organizational change. Highlights of recommendations made include: (1) promoting community awareness of the prevalence and nature of sexual assault; (2) specialized training for staff in criminal justice agencies and education for all professionals in contact with survivors; (3) greater focus on offenders and holding men accountable for their actions; (4) collections of reliable statistical data on sexual assault among women with disabilities and from indigenous and non-English speaking backgrounds; and (5) clarification for juries that the burden of proof beyond reasonable doubt does not mean beyond any doubt. Whether the needs of women who are sexually assaulted are met is contingent on the understandings and responses of the formal and informal support sources available to them. In turn, women’s decisions about whether to seek help and the responses of the recipients of their disclosures are patterned by a spectrum of social and personal factors that for the most part, perpetuate the silencing of survivors. While the response of the criminal justice system has improved, the system continues to be implicated in secondary victimization and in maintaining the secrecy around sexual assault. Participants in this study were disillusioned with the criminal justice system. However, their motivation in participating in the study was the belief that system change is possible. Chapters 2 through 12 focus on social and situational contingencies that influence survivor’s help-seeking decisions. The remaining chapters focus on coordinated approaches to service delivery, on issues raised by consultations with staff, and summaries of recommendations for each chapter. Reference and appendixes A-C