Legal Systems and Needs: Considerations for Survivors of Gender-Based Violence

Abstract

Individuals who have experienced sexual and gender-based violence may be victims of crimes under various state and federal laws, including assault, sexual abuse, rape, battery, human trafficking, and many others. Survivors of sexual trauma often have complicated, drawn-out, and harmful interactions with legal systems that are ultimately destabilizing. For medical practitioners working with survivors, it is important to understand the various legal needs that a survivor might have. While medical providers may not be directly involved with these legal processes, they can mitigate the impact that survivors’ legal disempowerment has on their physical and emotional health and safety. Furthermore, providers can collaborate with legal professionals to bridge the gaps between the medical and legal systems and allow survivors to better access existing resources. This chapter describes what legal needs a survivor might have, what resources are available to meet survivors’ needs, and what promising interdisciplinary practices may help medical providers to reduce the harm of legal system involvement.