U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Sexual Assault: A Hospital/Community Protocol for Forensic and Medical Examination

NCJ Number
123273
Author(s)
M A Goddard
Date Published
1989
Length
91 pages
Annotation
The purpose of this manual is to assist physicians, nurses, social workers, and other health care professionals to provide help to victims of sexual assault.
Abstract
The manual is divided into two sections, one dealing with the protocol for adult sexual assault victims and the other concerned with the protocol for children who are the victims of a sexual assault. The treatment plan for the adult victim of a sexual assault includes medical treatment and evidence collection from a hospital facility, the reporting of the incident to law enforcement officers, the presence of a well-trained support person, and the obtaining of a written consent. The manual then provides step-by-step instructions for conducting the evidentiary and medical examinations, including collection procedures. Instructions for medical examination documentation are provided. The protocol for children includes key interviewing techniques and an interview to gather a preliminary medical history. Guidelines are provided for the evidentiary and medical examination of the child. Information is provided on Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD), Acquired Immune Deficiency (AIDS), and Rape Trauma Syndrome. 1 Appendix.