NCJ Number
225490
Journal
Journal of Forensic Nursing Volume: 4 Issue: 4 Dated: 2008 Pages: 174-181
Date Published
2008
Length
8 pages
Annotation
The purpose of this study was to examine sexual assault response team (SART) professionals’ understanding of team protocols and procedures for responding to victims who reported alcohol intoxication prior to the sexual assault, while highlighting important considerations that factor into medical, criminal justice, and victim advocacy professionals’ decisionmaking about responding to victims’ alcohol use.
Abstract
Professionals associated with the sexual assault response team (SART) in this study largely did not believe that there were systematic responses to victims reporting substance use at the time of the sexual assault. This belief was validated by the limited formal policy and procedures in response to substance use among victims that were in place. For the most part, the professionals believed that individual team members would use their professional judgment in deciding how to address the victim’s use of alcohol. The most commonly mentioned responses of professionals to a victim’s use of alcohol in a hypothetical case were to establish the facts of the case and validate that the victim’s intoxication did not excuse the perpetrator’s actions. Participants in this study indicated that assessment of substance abuse would be an inappropriate activity for the professionals involved in SART. Little is known about the response to victims of sexual assault who use substances within the SART model of service delivery. This study sought to examine SART professionals’ understanding of team protocols and procedures for responding to victims who reported alcohol intoxication prior to the sexual assault. Telephone surveys with 79 medical, criminal justice, and victim advocacy professionals involved with active SARTs were conducted. Figure and references