Abstract
BackgroundHaving ratified the Convention of Istanbul, the Belgian federal government commits itself to the foundation of Sexual Assault Care Centres (SACC). In the light of researching the feasibility of these centres, this study aimed to evaluate the care for victims of sexual violence (SV) in Belgian hospitals anno 2016 as well as to formulate recommendations for the intended model.MethodsBetween April and October 2016, a questionnaire was distributed to 159 key health professionals active in 17 different hospitals attached to an AIDS Referral Centre. The survey covered four parts, i.e. the health professionals’ profile, their knowledge, attitude and practices, an assessment of the hospital’s policy and the caregivers’ opinion on the care for victims of SV and on the intended SACCs. Subsequently, a descriptive analysis using ‘IBM SPSS Statistics 23’ was performed.ResultsA total of 60 key health professionals representing 15 different hospitals completed the questionnaire resulting in a response rate of 38%. The results showed a lack of knowledge and practical experience of caregivers’ regarding the care for SV victims. Approximately 30% of responders face personal or professional difficulties upon provision of care to victims of SV. Participants evaluate the current care as good, despite the limited psychosocial support, follow-up, insight for the needs of vulnerable groups and support for family, relatives and health professionals. Yet, the majority of health professionals appraise the SACCs as the best approach for both victims and caregivers.ConclusionsBy introducing a SACC, the Belgian federal government aims to provide holistic and patient-centred care for victims of SV. Essential in patient-centred health care is an extensive and continuous education, training and supervision of health professionals concerning the care for victims, support for family, relatives and caregivers.At the end and as a result of a participatory process with many professional experts as well as victims, a specific Belgian model, adjusted to the health care system anno 2016 was developed for piloting. The main challenges in establishing SACCs are situated at the institutional and policy level. Collaborating with other institutions and further research are herewith required.
Highlights
Having ratified the Convention of Istanbul, the Belgian federal government commits itself to the foundation of Sexual Assault Care Centres (SACC)
Half of the participants are already being employed at their service for over 11 years
The high prevalence of sexual violence (SV), the fragmented health care, the lack of accessibility and growing evidence for a holistic and patient-centred approach favour the foundation of SACCs in Belgium, by introducing a forensic nurse for acute support and a case manager for follow-up located in one setting and supported by a professional team
Summary
Having ratified the Convention of Istanbul, the Belgian federal government commits itself to the foundation of Sexual Assault Care Centres (SACC). The World Health Organisation’s (WHO) definition of sexual violence (SV) in 2015 is: “any sexual act that is perpetrated against someone’s will” committed “by any person regardless of their relationship to the victim, in any setting”. It includes, but is not limited to, rape, attempted rape and sexual slavery, as well as unwanted touching, threatened SV and verbal sexual harassment [1]. A multi-level analysis in 10 European countries showed lifetime sexual victimisation rates of 20,4% and 10,1% for respectively Belgian young women and men aged 16 to 27 years [5]. Since only 1 out of 10 victims report SV, the prevalence is strongly underestimated [10,11,12]
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