Sexual Assault Research Articles

“My Life is Controlled by a Lingering Thought in My Head That it Could Happen Anytime”: How Women Navigate Fear of Sexual Violence on Campus

The problem of sexual violence on college campuses is a substantial one. While statistics vary on the prevalence of campus sexual assault (CSA), the evidence suggests an epidemic level of sexual violence in the United States’ colleges and universities. For women of traditional college age (18–25), experts estimate 20–25% of women will be sexually assaulted during their time in college. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore how the fear of sexual violence shaped woman-identified individuals’ experiences in higher education. Drawing from a power-conscious approach to understanding sexual violence within college and university contexts, this study found that the fear of sexual violence was a looming presence in participants’ everyday lives. Participants discussed feeling a burden to protect themselves from sexual violence as well as feelings of powerlessness to prevent it if their safety precautions fail. Implications for practice discuss the importance of taking a power-conscious approach to addressing sexual violence on campus.

Gendered erasures in memory: Silencing of cases of sexual violence in 1984

ABSTRACT In this paper, I have addressed the issue of sexual violence in the specific context of the 1984 anti-Sikh carnage in Delhi. Though a significant number of cases of sexual assault took place in Delhi in November 1984, they have largely remained shrouded in obscurity. I have attempted to analyse the reasons, prompting a near total silence on these instances. In undertaking this inquiry, the paper reflects on the selective, and often disempowering, nature of memory-making and preservation. It goes on to ask the critical question: what constitutes legitimate memory?

Examining the proximal relationship between religious coping and depression among trauma-exposed adults

ABSTRACT Depression is a common consequence of sexual victimisation. Although religious coping has been previously studied within the context of sexual victimisation, there is a dearth of research examining the potential reciprocal relationships between religious coping and depression among adults with a history of sexual victimisation at the daily level. The current study addresses this important gap by leveraging an intensive longitudinal design and data analysis to explore bidirectional daily relations between religious coping and depression symptoms in a community sample of adults with a history of sexual victimisation. Participants were 84 individuals with a history of sexual assault who self-identified as religious (M age = 37.43, 67.5% women, 83.1% White). Cross-lagged models showed that prior-day religious coping positively predicted next-day depression symptoms, whereas prior-day depression did not predict next-day religious coping. Findings underscore the potential utility of religious coping in the detection and treatment of depression in this population.

“I Think I Just like Having Sex”: A Qualitative Study of Sexual Assault Survivors and Their Sexual Pleasure

“I Think I Just like Having Sex”: A Qualitative Study of Sexual Assault Survivors and Their Sexual Pleasure

An Observational Study of Sexual Assaults in French Guiana During 2019-2020.

Sexual violence is a major public health issue, including in French Guiana. The feeling of insecurity is significant in this part of France. Sexual violence is an important reason for consultation in forensic and emergency medicine. The challenge is to provide care within the first 72 hours, particularly in medicolegal terms and for infectious disease management. The objectives of our study were, firstly, to establish the epidemiology of sexual assaults at Cayenne General Hospital (CGH), and secondly, to evaluate the management of these victims. From January 1st, 2019 to December 31st, 2020, we conducted a single-center retrospective descriptive study including patients who were consulted for sexual assaults in the Forensic medicine and the Emergency departments of CGH. Over this period, 400 sexual assault victims were consulted. Most of them, were women (87%) with a median age of 13 years-old [8; 17.5]. The aggressor was mostly male (99%) frequently known by the victim (87%) and from her family (39%). Suspected assaults represented 19% of consultations. The most frequent assault on women was penile-vaginal penetration (82%) and penile-anal penetration (77%) on men. The delay of consultation was superior to 72 hours in 60% of the cases. A psychological follow-up was recommended for 62% of these victims. This work allowed to identify a young and female population at risk, most often assaulted by a male known to her. Most of the patients consulted more than 72 hours after the assault. Our study highlights the need for prevention actions in French Guiana focusing on this population at risk.

Gendered Affordances of Digital Technology in Mitigating the Perceived Risk of Dating App Matches Perpetrating Sexual Assault or “Making Stories” of Assault

Dating apps are a popular tool for finding sexual and romantic partners. Yet, these apps can pose risks that arise from gendered affordances of technology that users deploy to harass and victimize their matches, particularly matches who are women or sexual and gender minorities. Just as gendered affordances may facilitate risks, dating app users may also deploy technology in ways that mitigate risk. In this study, we examined risks that men and women perceive dating app matches to pose, as well as ways in which they use technology to mitigate these risks. Through an analysis of focus groups conducted with a sample of college student dating app users, we found the perceived risks that matches pose were markedly different for men and women, particularly among those seeking mixed-gender pairings. Women who matched with men were concerned about being sexually assaulted, whereas men who matched with women were concerned about being falsely accused of assault. Thus, women used gendered affordances to enhance their safety, and men used affordances to enhance their “believability.” We suggest our findings point to the positional and interactional nature of gendered affordances, encompassing ways in which gender inequality may be both maintained and subverted with digital technology.

Time lost as a result of wrongful conviction: the impact of race and official misconduct across offense categories

Wrongful convictions represent a significant form of injustice. Prior studies have described the impact of suspect and case characteristics on the likelihood of wrongful conviction. Less is known about the relative influence of these factors, particularly suspect race and official misconduct, on time lost following wrongful conviction, or the extent to which these relationships vary by conviction type. The current study addresses these questions through application of negative binomial regression and Clogg tests to cases of wrongful conviction for murder, sexual assault, child sexual abuse, and drug possession listed in the National Registry of Exonerations (n = 2349). Our findings indicate the relative influence of suspect race and official misconduct on time lost varies by type of conviction.

Investigating the under-recognition of childbirth-related post-traumatic stress disorder among the public and mental health professionals

BackgroundChildbirth posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) poses significant challenges, impacting both mothers and infants. This work investigates whether childbirth PTSD is less recognized than PTSD caused by other index events. MethodsIn two preregistered experimens we investigated the public and professional perception of PTSD resulting from childbirth compared to other traumatic events (i.e., sexual assault, car accident, terror attack, and an earthquake). FindingsStudy 1, conducted among the general population in the U.S. revealed that a woman depicted as experiencing PTSD symptoms due to childbirth, was less likely to be recognized as suffering from PTSD than a woman with the same symptoms resulting from other traumatic events. Study 2 demonstrated that mental health professionals worldwide are also less inclined to diagnose PTSD when childbirth is the index event in comparison to other index events. DiscussionDue to the importance of social recognition in the treatment of PTSD, the findings underscore the urgent need for heightened awareness and education regarding childbirth PTSD to bridge the recognition gap among the general population and mental health professionals.

Keeping Score

Sexual assault victims often experience various degrees of re-victimization if they go through the process of reporting or seeking support for the crime. This autoethnographic essay explores, from the perspective of a gender scholar and gender rights activist, how the power of socialization impacted her rape-reporting process, despite having worked in and researched power-based personal violence her entire career. Drawing from scholarly studies of gender norms, politeness, emotion work, and rape support, this piece unpacks the twenty-four hours following a sexual assault to highlight the gendered perspective that caused one victim to let her rapist walk free. Looking at the power of socialization, readers are shown how, despite the education and experience of the victim and her support network, she also struggled to navigate the barriers that prevent all victims from feeling safe and heard.

Serious Medical and Psychosocial Complications in Pregnant and Postpartum Adolescents at a Pediatric Emergency Department.

This study aimed to describe the clinical characteristics and serious medical and psychosocial complications of pregnant and postpartum adolescent patients at a pediatric emergency department (PED). Demographic and clinical data of all pregnant and postpartum adolescents who presented to the PED of a single tertiary referral hospital between January 2020 and January 2023 were collected and documented retrospectively. Twenty-seven patients with a mean age of 16.7 ± 0.8 years were included in the study. The main presenting complaints were abdominal pain (n = 9), suspicion of pregnancy (n = 5), cough, seizure, and vomiting (3 patients each). Potentially life-threatening medical complications included stroke (n = 3), placental abruption (n = 1), and carbon monoxide intoxication (n = 1). Sexual assault (n = 4), physical assault (n = 2), recurrent pregnancies (n = 5), and suicide attempts (n = 4) were serious psychological and social complications in our patient group. Pregnant and post-partum adolescents may present to PED with serious lifethreatening complications, and permanent sequelae may occur. In addition to sexual and physical violence, various psychological problems are comorbid conditions. These patients should be managed with a multidisciplinary biopsychosocial approach, and these issues considered in their acute treatment and follow-up at emergency departments.

Storage of evidence and delayed reporting after sexual assault: Rates and impact factors on subsequent reporting

BackgroundSexual assault (SA) is alarmingly prevalent, yet reporting rates remain disproportionately low. Forensic examinations (FE) play a crucial role in both immediate medical care and evidence collection, yet many victims/survivors may not report the crime initially, leading to the loss of vital forensic evidence. The storage of evidence “Option 3″ care alternative provides post-SA care including FE without initial police involvement. MethodsThis is a cross-sectional study analysing the attendances of people who chose to store evidence at the Dublin Sexual assault Treatment Unit (SATU) between January 1, 2017 and December 31, 2023. ResultsThere were 238 storage of evidence FEs (‘Option 3’) performed during the study period, which represented 12.8 % of all FEs. The majority identified as female (89.1 %), with an average age of 26.6 years. 31.9 % attended within 24 h of the incident, and 51.3 % self-referred. Most assaults occurred over weekends (64.7 %), with alcohol consumption reported in 82.2 % of cases and drug-facilitated SA concerns in 20.2 %. Genital injuries were present in 17.9 % of females and 19 % of males.Those that availed of storage of evidence (compared with those who initially reported to the police) were significantly more likely to have consumed alcohol (p < 0.001) and the assault was more likely to have occurred indoors (p = 0.002). There was no significant difference in care option choice for those ‘unsure’ of the assault occurrence (p = 0.353).Among storage of evidence cases, 20.2 % subsequently reported to the police, with females more likely to report (p = 0.02), while people who were uncertain whether an assault had occurred were less likely to report (p = 0.04). Genital injury (p = 0.822), victim-assailant relationship (p = 0.465), assault location (p = 0.487), and substance consumption (p = 0.332) did not significantly affect subsequent reporting rates. ConclusionsThe availability of storage of evidence has afforded people the opportunity to access prompt, responsive SATU care including collection of forensic evidence which may have significant evidential value. This approach provides further opportunity for comprehensive detection of a crime, even if reporting to the police is delayed.

Survivor-victim perspectives on the possibility of restorative justice conferencing after sexual assault

Survivor-victim perspectives on the possibility of restorative justice conferencing after sexual assault

Client experiences with "Dynamic Choice Prevention," a model for flexible patient-centred HIV prevention delivery in rural Eastern Africa.

Identifying the optimal approaches to offering HIV prevention to meet the needs of those at risk is a high priority, particularly given the expanding toolkit of biomedical HIV prevention options. An ongoing study in rural East African communities evaluated the uptake of choices in product, testing mode and location of care delivery through a structured patient-centred HIV prevention delivery model. In this qualitative study, we sought to understand clients' experiences of this "dynamic choice prevention model" (DCP) and highlight pathways of action to inform HIV prevention delivery models. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted from November 2021 through March 2022 with a purposively selected sample of n = 56 participants in DCP trials (across outpatient departments, antenatal clinics and community settings), and n = 21 healthcare providers (total n = 77). A seven-person multi-regional team translated and inductively coded transcript data. We used a framework analysis approach to identify emergent themes. Individuals taking up HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) reported feelings of relief, liberation from fears of acquiring HIV and satisfaction with being able to take action despite partners' behaviours. Couples used a range of approaches afforded by the study to persuade partners to get tested and opt for PrEP. Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) use was less common, although women welcomed it in the event of sexual coercion or assault. Participants discussed switching from PEP to PrEP after familiarizing themselves with usage and ascertaining ongoing risk. Participants felt respected by providers, trusted them and appreciated being able to contact them directly for telephone support. Prevention uptake was hindered by stigma, limited experience with and knowledge of prevention methods, gendered and generational power dynamics within intimate partnerships and families, and negative perceptions of methods due to the products themselves. Participants anticipated long-acting injectable PrEP could solve their challenges regarding pill size, daily pill burden and the likelihood of unwanted disclosure. Diverse preferences and barriers to uptake of prevention require a choice of HIV prevention options, locations and delivery modalities-but in addition, flexible, competent and friendly care provision is crucial to promote uptake. Helping clients feel valued, and addressing their unique needs and challenges, enables their agency to prioritize their health.

More Than a Joke: The Intersection of Gender-Based Humor and Gender Inequities Experienced by Women Department Chairs in Academic Medicine.

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study is to describe how women academic department chairs in emergency medicine, surgery, and anesthesiology experience humor in the workplace. Method: Interviews were conducted with 35 women department chairs in academic medicine from 27 institutions that aimed to describe women's leadership emergence. The data from the primary study yielded rich and revealing themes involving participants' experiences with humor in the context of their leadership roles, justifying a secondary analysis focusing specifically on these experiences. Relevant remarks were extracted, coded, and summarized. Results: Participants discussed two broad types of humor-related experiences. First, they described how they responded to aggressive gender-based humor directed at themselves or their colleagues by tolerating it or expressing disapproval. This humor includes demeaning quips, insulting monikers, sexist jokes, and derogatory stories. Participants often did not confront this humor directly as they feared being rejected or ostracized by colleagues. Second, they described how they initiated humor to address gender-related workplace issues by highlighting gender inequalities, coping with sexual harassment and assault, and managing gender-based leadership challenges. Participants felt constrained in their own use of humor because of the need to be taken seriously as women leaders. Conclusion: Women leaders in academic medicine use humor to confront gender-related issues and experience aggressive gender-based humor in the workplace. The constraints placed on women leaders discourage them from effectively confronting this aggressive gender-based humor and perpetuating gender inequities. Eliminating aggressive gender-based humor is needed to create safe and equitable work environments in academic medicine.

Impact of point-of-care gonorrhea and chlamydia testing in the emergency department on reducing overtreatment rates

BackgroundChlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) infections continue to increase in the United States. Advancement in technology with point-of-care (POC) testing can improve the overall treatment of sexually transmitted infections (STI) in the emergency department (ED) by shortening the time to test result and administration of accurate treatment. The purpose of this study was to assess if the POC test reduced the rate of overtreatment for CT and/or NG compared to the standard-of-care (SOC) test. MethodsThis retrospective cohort study included adult patients tested for CT and NG at two urban EDs between August 2020 and October 2022. This cohort excluded hospital admissions, elopement, pregnancy, rectal and oral samples, victims of sexual assault, and diagnoses for which antimicrobial treatment overlapped that of CT/NG. The primary outcome assessed overtreatment, defined as receiving treatment in the ED or a prescription prior to discharge for patients who tested negative for CT and/or NG. Secondary outcomes included undertreatment rates, overtreatment rates in select populations, test turnaround time, and ED length of stay (LOS). ResultsOf 327 patients screened, 97 patients were included in the SOC group and 100 in POC. Overtreatment for CT was provided in zero POC patients and 29 (29.9%) SOC patients (p < 0.001). NG was overtreated in 1 (1%) POC and 23 (23.7%) SOC (p < 0.001). POC was associated with undertreatment of CT and/or NG in two patients, compared to four patients tested with SOC. Overall, treatment was deemed inappropriate for 5 (5%) of those tested with POC, compared to 35 (36%) tested with SOC (p < 0.001). There was no difference in ED LOS (2.7 vs 3.01 h, p = 0.41). ConclusionsPOC testing facilitated the return of results prior to patients being discharged from the ED. Compared to standard testing, POC improved appropriateness of CT and NG treatment by reducing the rates of overtreatment.

Strongly identified White Europeans’ humanization of the complainant predicts elevated punishment for a Black but not White university student accused of sexual assault.

Strongly identified White Europeans’ humanization of the complainant predicts elevated punishment for a Black but not White university student accused of sexual assault.

Gender and sexual minorities and disaster: balancing structural and agentic perspectives

There is a notable shift in gender and disaster research towards addressing gender and sexual minorities, with a growing body of literature arguing for the need to go ‘beyond the binary’. While critiquing the traditional gender dichotomy remains essential, discarding fundamental concepts such as the binary way in which gender is constructed at the societal level, may undermine efforts to address those marginalised by it. The violence and sexual assaults women are often subjected to in the immediate aftermath of disaster, highlights the critical need to expose the entrenched power dynamics that perpetuate inequality and oppression based on gender. The emerging tension between structural and more individualised, agentic perspectives underscores the need for a comprehensive approach that emphasises the structural as well as the personal dimensions of gender and sexuality in the context of disasters. By recognising and addressing these complexities, gender and disaster research can contribute to an inclusive and equitable disaster management and response framework. This paper provides an overview of gender and disaster research conducted over 10 years and presents findings about the experiences of women, men and people with diverse gender and sexual identities in disaster contexts.

Interacting with a friend after a trauma film reduces anxiety and intrusive memories.

Interpersonal factors have been linked with psychological adjustment to trauma, but how interpersonal factors influence trauma response is still unclear. Experimental paradigms such as the trauma film paradigm offer a valuable approach for studying this complex dynamic. However, few studies have used the trauma film paradigm to examine the interpersonal context of trauma response, and no studies have incorporated friends into the trauma film paradigm. The purpose of the current study was to examine how inclusion of a friend influenced reactions to a trauma analog. One hundred young adult females were randomized to watch a brief stressful film of a sexual assault either with or without a friend and the Friend Present condition was given an opportunity to interact following the film. Participants were evaluated on distress during the film, skin conductance, anxiety and negative affect immediately postfilm (preinteraction) and 5 minutes later (postinteraction), and intrusive memories over a three-day period. No differences were found between conditions on skin conductance or subjective distress during the film. However, the Friend Present condition experienced a greater reduction in state anxiety from preinteraction to postinteraction and greater decreases in intrusive memories over the three-day period. Findings show the inclusion of a friend mitigated trauma-related stress reactions and suggest that interacting with a friend aided in adaptive processing of the stressor. Findings indicate that additional work is needed to examine how platonic relationships can be targeted to improve prevention and intervention efforts in trauma-related outcomes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Evaluation of incest cases in Sivas: Ten‐year retrospective study

AbstractAlthough incest is generally perceived as all kinds of verbal, non‐verbal, physical and visual sexual behaviour of family members and close relatives toward children, it is also a special type of sexual abuse defined as consensual sexual intercourse between close relatives or between minors who are legally prohibited from marrying. This study aimed to analyse the sociodemographic data, physical‐mental examination and laboratory findings of the incest cases. Incest cases among sexual abuse and sexual assault cases sent to Sivas Cumhuriyet University Hospital Forensic Medicine outpatient clinic for examination between 2012 and 2021 were evaluated. Statistical analysis of the data was performed using the SPSS 23.0 program. P‐values below 0.05 were considered significant. The records of 61 incest victims were retrospectively analysed. The cases were examined in terms of age, gender, incident, perpetrator, type of abuse, examination findings and mental status. Fifty‐four (88.5%) of the incest victims were female, and the highest rate (n = 9, 14.8%) was 16 years old. Most of the victims were high school graduates (29%), 56% were in a nuclear family 57.4% of the assailants were family members, most of the case reports (73.8%) were made by the victim herself/himself, and the most common place of incident (70.3%) was the victim's home. In this study, the clinical, social and forensic outcomes of incest cases, which have many causes and tragic consequences, were investigated, and it was aimed to contribute to the solution of the problem by discussing the literature.

RESTITUTION RIGHT FOR VICTIMS OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE

The legal protection for victims of sexual violence has been addressed in statutory regulations, but its implementation remains inadequate. This is evident in the lack of competence and training among law enforcers in handling victims of sexual violence, as well as the absence of psychologists/psychiatrists who can provide assistance in explaining mental conditions. The objective of this study is to examine the legal safeguards available to victims of sexual assault crimes and evaluate the compensation options provided to these victims. This study was conducted utilizing a normative juridical research methodology, which specifically involves analyzing the implementation of legal laws or norms. This research employs both a statutory approach and a conceptual approach. The government has not adequately fulfilled its responsibilities in providing the necessary facilities and equipment to handle, protect, and support victims of sexual abuse. Statutory regulations have established compensation in the form of restitution, but the victim must still take initiative by submitting a request to secure the right to reparation. Restitution should be mandatory for the perpetrator/defendant to compensate the victim, irrespective of whether the victim initiates a request or not.